A balance of expense and quality.

[joe mama]

Hi.

I am not that experienced at recording drums. I have never recorded drums in what I would call a "decent quality", but I really want to. Basically what I am asking in this post is:

1) What are my alternatives when it comes to recording drums (ie - what types of mics should I buy?) (condenser, vocal, drum mics?)

2) What are the price ranges for the above options?

3) What type of mixing should I apply to get an "alt rock" sound (say, Brand New, The Bravery, or maybe even The Arcade Fire)

Also, I am using an old DW set. The bass drum is 24" and the toms are 12" and 14". The bass drum is muffled with a blanket and the toms with a self-adhesive foam material that goes on the inside of the drum (and I really like the sound it makes). I think I've covered all the bases here. If not, just ask and I'll tell you everything you need to know.

Thanks a lot guys!

[pandamonk]

Well two condensers for overheads, bass mic and a dynamic mic. I can't suggest any overheads but I'm sure someone else will. For kick probably a shure beta52, or something along those lines, and snare SM57. The over heads will pick up the rest of the drums/cymbals. Big bass drum u have, lol.

[joe mama]

Originally Posted by pandamonk

Well two condensers for overheads, bass mic and a dynamic mic......Big bass drum u have, lol.

What would the dyamic mic be used for? Miking the snare possibly? I really don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that's it.

Also: yes, I have a massive bass drum, haha. This set was defintely not built for playing the type of music I like to play. I'm gonna guess it was meant for R&B or something with equal "boom" needs.

[spitfire909x]

Yes, dynamic for snare.

You could look at getting 2 mxl603's, a beta52, and an sm57 for some pretty good quality drum recordings. It's all about placement, room sound, and drum tuning though.

[RezN8]

Originally Posted by spitfire909x

It's all about placement, room sound, and drum tuning though.

Pay close attention to Spifire's comment here...

The acoustics of the room are MUCH more important than the mics you choose. So is how well you play and how well you tune your kit. Start here. Cheers, Rez