Faders and clicks

D

DALtune

New member
Your meters are not crazy...

I think what may be going on has to do with the way you play. When you're doing your test runs for levels and sound you're playing at one volume. When you actually get to putting down the track, you switch from "engineer" mode to "drummer" mode. When you're playing for a take, you're not thinking about hitting the drums at a consistent llevel, you're playing a song! This causes some hits to be stronger, some to be weaker. Overcome this by practice: finding that happy medium.

As far as which fader to adjust, I'm not sure it will matter either way.
 
Anybody got any suggestions on this one?? Plugged 4 drum mics into the 414 to lay drum tracks, panned them so that I have two tracks left over. If I have the master fader at 7, the individual tracks are really low, like around 2 or 3 on all four. If I put the levels on the individual tracks around 7, then the master is really low, like around 2 or 3. Which way should I go? Not using any trim whatsoever.
Next one: Hook the mics up, get the stuff panned, get a so-so mix, play a little, adjust the levels so that they are barely peaking at +1, then record. Go back and listen to the track, the kick track (which was hitting no more than +1) is now pegging the meter at +6, what the hell is going on? Are the meters on the 414 that freaking slow? So if I drop the levels on the kick track to really low, the recorded stuff still comes out high, but not pegging the meter. Lost on this one. Then I get some clicking on those same tracks. Sometimes, not all the time.
any ideas????
 
Try increasing the trim until you get both the master and individual track levels within the level seven zone and have a good meter reading.
 
wait a sec, if I have the master fader at 7, I can't get the individual faders past 2 or 3 because then the meters are pegging full blown red. It's like I need a reverse trim.
 
Keep the master at seven. It dosen't really matter, but it might make things simpler to remember, so that you may get more consistent results when ever you set up.
 
another thing. I think why your meters are peging louder than when you track them is because you are summing the inputs down to two tracks. therefore your not just hearing the kick drum mic you are hearing the kick drum from all the other mics too right! (or did i misunderstand your procedure??)
 
No, your right. You don't think that clicking noise may have something to do with phase cancellations, do you? Never thought much about that. My exact set up is this, one mic between the two mounted toms, one for the floor aiming at me, one for the snare underneath, left side aiming towards the hats and then one right in front of the hole on the front head of the kick. One recording track pulls in the two mics with the toms and the other recording track pulls in the snare and kick mics. As in the earlier reply, I do tend to hit the drums hard. A lot of bands I was in didn't have PA, so if you wanted to be heard, you got to knock the be-jesus out of the heads. But that is my style. I listen to the tracks last night and there is no pattern to when these clicks come in and out. It almost sounds like a distortion click. I also narrowed it down between 1K and 5K on my graphic eq, but if I take that range out, I'll lose a lot of the hats and cymbals.
 
Since you are playing so hard, it might just be that your knocking the drums into the mics. (my drummer used to do this) or if you have so-so mics you could be cliping them. BACK THE MICS AWAY FROM THE DRUMS! try this.

Set up your mics for the toms up as over heads. since it sounds like you like the toms to be kinda in your face- try seting them up behind your head. Try them above and below the line of the cymbals to see which you like better. (as far as phase cancelations I haven't got that problem completly solved myself, but that wouldn't make the clicking sound ) pan them hard left and right respectivly. Then set up your Kick and snare mics as usual and pan them center. adjust to taste. rinse, and repeat.
 
Sounds good to me. I'll give it a try. These are the most highest dollar mics either. That could be part of the problem.
thanks....
 
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