ECM8000 for live drum OH?
- Thread starter woodzmo
- Start date
Roel
That SMART guy.
I don't think you have to worry about feedback. If you are in a small venue, you'll hardly have to amplify them at all.
That being said, the main speakers in a bigger life system are in front of the band. And in the monitoring system, there's no need to amplify the OH. OH is loud. What I mostly end up in the small venues I mix in is setting the overall level to match the loudness of the drums, especially cymbals... Which mostly is still too loud for my opinion....
So feedback isn't really a problem.
What could be a problem is that the ECM8000 is an omni mic. So it will catch anything, even if pointed at the drums. Background noise, which on a stage with amplified guitars and bass can be pretty loud, is the main concern here...
That being said, the main speakers in a bigger life system are in front of the band. And in the monitoring system, there's no need to amplify the OH. OH is loud. What I mostly end up in the small venues I mix in is setting the overall level to match the loudness of the drums, especially cymbals... Which mostly is still too loud for my opinion....
So feedback isn't really a problem.
What could be a problem is that the ECM8000 is an omni mic. So it will catch anything, even if pointed at the drums. Background noise, which on a stage with amplified guitars and bass can be pretty loud, is the main concern here...
Roel
Thanks for your reply, the club we are playing this weekend is a small to medium sized room. We haven't used mics on the drums (except for a kick drum mic) before and I wonder if it will help enhance our sound.
What type of mics do you use on drum OH in a live set-up?
SM57's?
Thanks for your reply, the club we are playing this weekend is a small to medium sized room. We haven't used mics on the drums (except for a kick drum mic) before and I wonder if it will help enhance our sound.
What type of mics do you use on drum OH in a live set-up?
SM57's?
woodzmo said:
I definitely wouldn't use the Behringers or the 57's. The Behringers will pick up everything from the sound of the drunk guy hitting on every chick in the bar to the couple making out in the corner.
And from my experience, dynamic mics tend to sound rather crappy on cymbals and hi-hats. I heard all the rumor about U2 using sm58's as overheads, and I'm sorry, but I don't believe it. I think it is a lie or a misguided rumor.
That would simply be irresponsible engineering, and I would fire the producer if I were U2 and someone tried to pull something like that.If you're playing a small club, I really don't think you need overheads. I would mic the kick and snare. If you really want to try an overhead, I would go with something like an Octava mc012 or an Marshall mxl 603s. Just one over the drummer's right or left ear.
Roel
That SMART guy.
Mostly I used a PA we could get pretty cheap that only had one condensor for hihat. So I almost always ended up using SM57's indeed. But again, most of the cases I didn't even soundcheck them, just put them there in case they would be necessary, but they never were... Last gig I even told the pa-dude he didn't have to put them there. He looked amazed. Silly guy. Place could have done with only some mics for vocals...
Lately I've been mostly mixing for 2 bands. I've seen a variety of OH's. Mostly condensors... Occasionally SM57, or cheaper.
But in small venues you won't need 'em. First thing to add would be kickmic, then snare, then toms, then OH and HH... It really is only bigger gigs that you need overheads. And those gigs you would need a decent soundguy, preferably monitoring system, and mics for anything on stage. (Except what goes directly to the PA, offcourse....)
The ECM8000 would be a bad idea, just because they are omnis...
Lately I've been mostly mixing for 2 bands. I've seen a variety of OH's. Mostly condensors... Occasionally SM57, or cheaper.
But in small venues you won't need 'em. First thing to add would be kickmic, then snare, then toms, then OH and HH... It really is only bigger gigs that you need overheads. And those gigs you would need a decent soundguy, preferably monitoring system, and mics for anything on stage. (Except what goes directly to the PA, offcourse....)
The ECM8000 would be a bad idea, just because they are omnis...