Help with Toms

G

Guitar4life0000

New member
How can I get that "wet" kind of tom sound that you hear a lot in metal/hardcore?

What mics should I get and how would I go about using them?


Thanks!

-Steve.
 
what's your current setup for drums (instruments, mics/positions, and signal chain, please)?

and by "wet" i assume you mean resonant, not necessarily reberant?

please give more details.
 
I have been using the sennheiser 604's on toms and the sennheiser 421's.The drumagog drum replacer is a very powerfull tool in creating killer drum tracks.
 
well right now I'm using some CAD TM 211's but i was thinkin about gettin some Sennheiser e604's. I use Logic 8 Express software, i record through a PreSonus Firepod. I use a Sonar kit with Evans heads on em.

Hope that helps, thanks!
 
The 604's are great.Also the drumagog plugin is a must.I have a studio business and when a kikd comes in with a less the perfect sounding kit I will bust out the drumagog and blend his kit with some samples.Check out my studio at www.sterlingsound studios.com
 
ok well....run those toms through a opto compressor. I have Pro tools so I use the smack compressor.Also I run the toms thru a distressor & the Oxford eq. I have a yamaha studio kit that some people that record here use.When I use that kit no samples are needed. Also the overhead mics play a role in your tom sound, unless you gate your drums hard.I think those e604s are great mics that capture the natural sound well.I dont get alot of bleed from the other drums. another way to go is the tried and true sm 57.It worked on just about every album in the 70's.Thunder toms, take off the bottom heads and shove a mic in there.Also I use dead ringers and moon gel on the drums.
 
rockerdude said:
Also the overhead mics play a role in your tom sound, unless you gate your drums hard.
Click to expand...

that's exactly why i was asking about mics and positions. since you close-mic your toms, eq and processing on those channels should get you where you want to be.

rockerdude said:
I think those e604s are great mics that capture the natural sound well. I dont get alot of bleed from the other drums.
Click to expand...

agreed.

rockerdude said:
Thunder toms, take off the bottom heads and shove a mic in there.Also I use dead ringers and moon gel on the drums.
Click to expand...

another agreement on the reso-removal technique (although i rather loathe this method personally). not so sure on the rings/gels though. maybe if you're gonna add the "thunder" later in terms of processing.

but since you (the op) are looking for "capturing" the sound rather than "creating" it, the 604 upgrade is probably your best bet. but not before experimenting with your current setup. mic position, drum tuning, and performance have more to do with it than mic selection.

good luck! :)
 
Nine times out of ten (in metal productions) drums are either enhanced or replaced by drum samples...some albums are even programmed drums.

I'd check out a good sample set like Steven Slate Drums.
 
I agree, your main key is going to be your tuning, and using the right heads. And remember when recording, buy new heads. You know how we're all just amazing by that first couple hours of playing on new heads, sounds so wonderful. Use those couple hours on your recording...

Good tuning. Good room mics/overheads.

I just did a recording, and though the tom sound isn't what you'd want it to be (primarily due to my personal tuning/head choice) a major factor in the tom sound was a mic that i placed really low (at level with, say, the top of the kick drum) about 3-5 feet away.
 
Guitar4life0000 said:
How can I get that "wet" kind of tom sound that you hear a lot in metal/hardcore? What mics should I get and how would I go about using them?
Click to expand...

Mics play less a role in that kind of sound than processing. Compress & gate your toms, EQ them (roll off @ 400, bump up at @ 7), then drench in reverb to taste.
 
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