Drum Recording

[sh0rd87]

Ok, well i want to record my drums to the computer and i bought several stuff but cant figure it out. i know im missing stuff but thats where you come in. I have 7 mics. 2 cymbal, 3 tom, snare and bass mics.

* I bought a Nady pre-amp (8 mic inputs) to connect the wires from the mics, is that the way to do it?

* I got a 10 channel mixer my friend let me barrow.

* I also have the adapter to plug a cable into the record spot on the computer.

Let me know what I need to record to the computer the right way.

Thanks guys

[PhilGood]

Originally Posted by sh0rd87

Ok, well i want to record my drums to the computer and i bought several stuff but cant figure it out. i know im missing stuff but thats where you come in. I have 7 mics. 2 cymbal, 3 tom, snare and bass mics.

* I bought a Nady pre-amp (8 mic inputs) to connect the wires from the mics, is that the way to do it?

* I got a 10 channel mixer my friend let me barrow.

* I also have the adapter to plug a cable into the record spot on the computer.

Let me know what I need to record to the computer the right way.

Thanks guys

Are you going to use the built in sound card? The audio quality of most are below par for a decent sound. Although I had an eMachine that had a sound card that got me pretty good results.

[sh0rd87]

my sound card is pretty good.

my pre-amp as 8 outputs for the back so im guessing i have to get 8 seprate cords to plug into the mixer? is there special stuff just for drums? Can you guys tell me what you use or would use if you had 8 mics. Thanks alot guys

[Blue Bear Sound]

Drum Recording Article --> 9 Tracks In 2 Days

[Steal Sessions]

Originally Posted by Blue Bear Sound

Drum Recording Article --> 9 Tracks In 2 Days

Every forum page should state: BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS, CLICK THIS LINK FIRST!

Hehehe...

[travelin travis]

you're gonna need a sound card with 8 inputs to take advantage of those 8 pre's.

[Scrubucket7]

you could get away with a soundcard with just a stereo input, but it wouldnt be near as good. You might want to list the mics that you have. Even though noone can tell you exactly how to set up your mics, they can atleast give you a good place to start from. Google search about recording drums, youll probably find a thousand good articles on it.

[ace516]

i dont think you need that preamp if you have a mixer, unless you get rid of the mixer and get something ilke an m audio delta 1010 or two delta 44's. the mixer will only allow two tracks.. right?

[treymonfauntre]

there are lots of ways to get multiple inputs to the computer. the most popular right now is a presonus firepod which has 8 inputs and transfers audio through a firewire card. it costs a lot (i think something like $700?) but the preamps are better than anything nady makes and i haven't heard a single bad word about it. it also comes with software to help you. alternatively you could plug the mics into the mixer and just do a stereo output from the mixer into yuor soundcard. you'll lose the ability to edit the individual mics, you'll have to set all the levels before recording, and the sound quality will be noticably bad compared the firepod. personally i record onto a digital 16 track that has 8 channels ($300 used on ebay) and use the adat lightpipe output into an echo gina interface that i basically only use for lightpipe (it was $150 used on ebay)

[Dr ZEE]

Originally Posted by Steal Sessions

Every forum page should state: BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS, CLICK THIS LINK FIRST!

Hehehe...

or, say, place a Special Note on top of homerecording.com BBS page, ala:
Buy This First and then forget about homerecording.com and its BBS forever.


right?

right.

ahhhha....

*****
If someone wishes or needs to reed articles, then he/she looks for articles links/list and then reeds articles.
If someone got a specific!!!!!!!!!! question, then he/she looks for Forums and then posts a question at BBS. That's what BBS is about. Or is it not?

When someone asking a question, describing a specific situation, then the answer has to be specific as well. If giving a specific answer causes too much trouble (or causes too much waste of oh-so-valuable time), then there's no need to post at all. Really, it's not the End of The World if you pass on a reply or two...

Conversation, interaction - this is what BBS is about.
Of course, the question can be something like: "I am looking for some good article on drums recording. Any links?".... then, logically, your answer would be something like: "Here it is - click HERE!"

Conversation. Interaction. - that is. kind of simple concept... or is it not?

/respects

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Dr ZEE

or, say, place a Special Note on top of homerecording.com BBS page, ala:
Buy This First and then forget about homerecording.com and its BBS forever.


right?

right.

ahhhha....

*****
If someone wishes or needs to reed articles, then he/she looks for articles links/list and then reeds articles.
If someone got a specific!!!!!!!!!! question, then he/she looks for Forums and then posts a question at BBS. That's what BBS is about. Or is it not?

When someone asking a question, describing a specific situation, then the answer has to be specific as well. If giving a specific answer causes too much trouble (or causes too much waste of oh-so-valuable time), then there's no need to post at all. Really, it's not the End of The World if you pass on a reply or two...

Conversation, interaction - this is what BBS is about.
Of course, the question can be something like: "I am looking for some good article on drums recording. Any links?".... then, logically, your answer would be something like: "Here it is - click HERE!"

Conversation. Interaction. - that is. kind of simple concept... or is it not?

/respects

Well said my man.

[sh0rd87]

Originally Posted by Scrubucket7

you could get away with a soundcard with just a stereo input, but it wouldnt be near as good. You might want to list the mics that you have. Even though noone can tell you exactly how to set up your mics, they can atleast give you a good place to start from. Google search about recording drums, youll probably find a thousand good articles on it.

I have the Nady DMK-7 Drum Mic Package.

Should i buy the "SMPro Audio DI-8 8-Channel DI/Line Mixer" ??
Would that work if i connect my mic into that and then into the recording slot on my computer?

[I M Green]

Originally Posted by Blue Bear Sound

Drum Recording Article --> 9 Tracks In 2 Days

Sorry, it's a bit O.T. but ya know, I could swear that blue Ludwig kit is sitting in front of Neil Peart's old Slingerlands in that first picture. I can clearly picture that slim, long haired biker in a silk bathrobe sitting back there right now. Or am I just seeing things?


Iain

[sh0rd87]

Originally Posted by I M Green

Sorry, it's a bit O.T. but ya know, I could swear that blue Ludwig kit is sitting in front of Neil Peart's old Slingerlands in that first picture. I can clearly picture that slim, long haired biker in a silk bathrobe sitting back there right now. Or am I just seeing things?


Iain

Ok then... im not spending alot of money like "omg mr 2 days" im asking a simple question. If you are going to post the same thing like 1 person did thats not answering my question, please dont.

Thanks to who helped me. Im new to this dont make it seem like i have to know everything if i knew i wouldnt be posting, so can someone tell me if my post above this would work out for me. Thank you to who ever helps, unlike some of these people

[Dr ZEE]

Originally Posted by treymonfauntre

.... alternatively you could plug the mics into the mixer and just do a stereo output from the mixer into yuor soundcard. you'll lose the ability to edit the individual mics, you'll have to set all the levels before recording, ....)

sh0rd87, don't get mad... get'xited and start recording . You've got drums, you've got mics, you've got mixer, you've got recorder (your computer that is ... which could be a subject of a separate discussion ).... so you gotta start trying to record something. When you start and see/hear what you are getting - you'll learn allot on-the-fly and get better idea what this is all about as you go. Recording drums ain't like ABC or 2+2=4 ... , if somebody tells you, that all you have to do is: buy hi-end gear and 'read something and learn how' and then you'll be doing really good ... then this 'somebody' really does not know what he/she's blah blahing about or simply does not care really.
The problem also here is that to tell you how to do it "right" or to describe how somebody personally does it - this would mean the same as writing long long article.... it's just too much stuff to describe and bunch of individual details and aspects.

treymonfauntre pretty much covered it for you ... in a sense. If you do not want or can not get yourself a multi-track recorder or a multi-input recording interface for your computer, then your option is to mic your drums, mix it all on your mixer and record stereo output from your mixer to your computer. If your mixer has mic inputs/preamps channels, then you don't really need to use your mic preamp-unit, but you can if you wish to try and see if it gets better than when using your mixer's mic preamps.
Set up your kit, place mics, connect mics to your mic-ins on your mixer, set some not-so-high/not-so-low level, set pan for your mics on your mixer (for example kick and snare - center, spread toms and hats/cymbals somewhat left/right) do not apply any eq on your mixer yet (- you can try messing with eq and most likely will want to do so later after listening to your test-try recordings), connect stero output to your soundcard input, fire-up your recording software, set-it to record, click record grab sticks and hit the damn drums. Play something wild. Put down sticks. Click stop. Playback your recording. Take a good laughter or get pissed - what ever works better for you or what ever is least controllable by your personality. Have a beer or orange juice ...what ever is your regular drink. Relax.
Then you gonna try to adjust what ever is under you control trying to make your recording better - from mics placement, gain/pan/eq/or what ever processing through actually playing techniques and other things, like acoustics of your room factor etc...
While doing all this you may realize that it may be a good idea to record all your mics onto individual tracks and then mix it down so you have control and you can focus while you are listening and can adjust levels/pan/eq/processing in real time while listening - to bring it all nicely together.
And this is just to record the drums only.... no other instruments/vocals involved yet (if you plan on recording music/band/one-man-band). To record drums and then mix drums with the rest of the band - this is a real job... and then you REALLY would want to have control over individual mics (drums/symbals). If you record your drums already as 'stereo mix' ... then it will be very hard to do or even impossible.

okey ...blah blah ....
the bottom line, you have to START recording, see what you are getting and getting into, then post here again when you get any specific situation/question or what ever.

And what exactly your mixer is model/make? And what exactly your sound card is? And what software do you use to record? .... more detals you give - better chance to get specific helpfull answer to your question(s)

**********
btw, to avoid all this...there maybe a very simple and economical solution. Get rid of all your mics, mixer etc.... get just one mic, one pre and one recorder. Command all the band members to get on stage. Place the only mic you've got on the center-spot of the stage. Push record button on your recorder. Command the band: "Start Playing and Singing NOW!" And let Mother-Nature do the work for you

good luck and stuff

[sh0rd87]

Originally Posted by Dr ZEE

sh0rd87, don't get mad... get'xited and start recording . You've got drums, you've got mics, you've got mixer, you've got recorder (your computer that is ... which could be a subject of a separate discussion ).... so you gotta start trying to record something. When you start and see/hear what you are getting - you'll learn allot on-the-fly and get better idea what this is all about as you go. Recording drums ain't like ABC or 2+2=4 ... , if somebody tells you, that all you have to do is: buy hi-end gear and 'read something and learn how' and then you'll be doing really good ... then this 'somebody' really does not know what he/she's blah blahing about or simply does not care really.
The problem also here is that to tell you how to do it "right" or to describe how somebody personally does it - this would mean the same as writing long long article.... it's just too much stuff to describe and bunch of individual details and aspects.

treymonfauntre pretty much covered it for you ... in a sense. If you do not want or can not get yourself a multi-track recorder or a multi-input recording interface for your computer, then your option is to mic your drums, mix it all on your mixer and record stereo output from your mixer to your computer. If your mixer has mic inputs/preamps channels, then you don't really need to use your mic preamp-unit, but you can if you wish to try and see if it gets better than when using your mixer's mic preamps.
Set up your kit, place mics, connect mics to your mic-ins on your mixer, set some not-so-high/not-so-low level, set pan for your mics on your mixer (for example kick and snare - center, spread toms and hats/cymbals somewhat left/right) do not apply any eq on your mixer yet (- you can try messing with eq and most likely will want to do so later after listening to your test-try recordings), connect stero output to your soundcard input, fire-up your recording software, set-it to record, click record grab sticks and hit the damn drums. Play something wild. Put down sticks. Click stop. Playback your recording. Take a good laughter or get pissed - what ever works better for you or what ever is least controllable by your personality. Have a beer or orange juice ...what ever is your regular drink. Relax.
Then you gonna try to adjust what ever is under you control trying to make your recording better - from mics placement, gain/pan/eq/or what ever processing through actually playing techniques and other things, like acoustics of your room factor etc...
While doing all this you may realize that it may be a good idea to record all your mics onto individual tracks and then mix it down so you have control and you can focus while you are listening and can adjust levels/pan/eq/processing in real time while listening - to bring it all nicely together.
And this is just to record the drums only.... no other instruments/vocals involved yet (if you plan on recording music/band/one-man-band). To record drums and then mix drums with the rest of the band - this is a real job... and then you REALLY would want to have control over individual mics (drums/symbals). If you record your drums already as 'stereo mix' ... then it will be very hard to do or even impossible.

okey ...blah blah ....
the bottom line, you have to START recording, see what you are getting and getting into, then post here again when you get any specific situation/question or what ever.

And what exactly your mixer is model/make? And what exactly your sound card is? And what software do you use to record? .... more detals you give - better chance to get specific helpfull answer to your question(s)

**********
btw, to avoid all this...there maybe a very simple and economical solution. Get rid of all your mics, mixer etc.... get just one mic, one pre and one recorder. Command all the band members to get on stage. Place the only mic you've got on the center-spot of the stage. Push record button on your recorder. Command the band: "Start Playing and Singing NOW!" And let Mother-Nature do the work for you

good luck and stuff

Thank you

[sh0rd87]

but the only reason i posted on here is because i dont know how to record to the computer the things i got are..

10 channel mixer with only 2 mic inputs which is prob useless for my kit
i got a 8 channel pre-amp which is prob useless because it works for like live recording i think
My mic package is the Nady DMK-7 Drum Mic Package.

I was looking online for somethign that would fit both of those things i have that i cant use and i came up with SMPro Audio DI-8 8-Channel DI/Line Mixer. I already bought 200 bux worth of stuff because i guessed and i found out i cant use it so would that SMPro be what im looking for? im jsut asking you guys so i wouldnt make another mistake. im new to thsi and dotn know how to record to the computer. Im sorry i can figure this out.
I would love to record and find stuff out on my own but i cant even record i dont have the right stuff