Drum Positioning in a Small Room

[brickandmortar]

I was wondering if anyone could help me with where to position the drum kit in a small room we are recording in. The room is 10' x 14' with a 9' ceiling, brick walls with some diffusors, and carpeted floor. I was wondering if it would be best to set the drum kit in the middle of the room, or maybe at an angle to one of the walls? We have tried a few different settings but I just wondered if there was a suggested starting point for positioning of which to adjust from.

Thanks

[dementedchord]

for me... never place it in the center and angle it a bit... that'll help lessen any standing waves ... and the early reflections will not reinforce one another...

[KineticSound]

I agree with dimented. I always put my live drums angled out about 30deg with the back of the kit toward the widest wall of the room. If your walls are equipped with diffusors, this may make less of an impact, but set up square or in a corner is a recipe for bad things to happen...

[Supercreep]

Originally Posted by dementedchord

for me... never place it in the center and angle it a bit... that'll help lessen any standing waves ... and the early reflections will not reinforce one another...

...................This^^^.

[jaybriggs84]

Read up on the 38% rule. In a small room, your best bet is to try to get it as dead as possible.

[Farview]

Put your back against the 14 foot wall and center the drums along that wall.

[brickandmortar]

Originally Posted by jaybriggs84

Read up on the 38% rule. In a small room, your best bet is to try to get it as dead as possible.

This is what I was specifically wondering about but didn't ask. I knew this rule applied to monitor positioning but was unsure if this worked for drums, or if there was another rule.

I recorded some drums last night, with the kick not backed into the corner, but offset from the corner a little, angled towards the 14' wall. They turned out decent, but still ring from the kick and low tom. I realize this requires acoustic treatment, so that is the next stop. Deciding on whether to buy from GIK or actually build our own bass traps.

[Mr. Meoff]

I have even a smaller room, 9.3'X10.2', try a few off center set-ups, and have the drummer there, cause you want the drummer as comfortable as possible.

[dementedchord]

Originally Posted by Mr. Meoff

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thanks JACK....