True but experience has proven it would be a waste of my time. Other than recording a click track or drum machine loop for reference, I don't record anything I know I'm not going to use.
How many overheads do you use?
- Thread starter The549
- Start date
True but experience has proven it would be a waste of my time. Other than recording a click track or drum machine loop for reference, I don't record anything I know I'm not going to use.
People do that. Typically, recording the basic groove 1st and overdubbing the fills (toms and cymbals) later. Whether it's easier to mix is debatable but it certainly allows for more control.
travisisgood
New member
seems kinda pointless at that point, may as well just play the cymbals too, especially since you are probably going to pick the sounds up of other pieces in other mics anyways.
Seafroggys
Well-known member
Yep, 4 mics for me...snare, bass, overheads. I have 3 crashes, ride, hats, and a splash. Great sound I get!
TyphoidHippo
1Trillion K Platinum User
Yea - LOTS of people do that. A lot more than will admit it for sure... A great drummer with a stellar kit - I'll record the real deal every time....sadly those are few and far between. For everyone else: There's Drumagog + clean cymbal overdubs.
Killer drums in record time, with minimal hassle...Just don't let any of the purist type folks find out...they'll tear you a new one for "cheating" and not "capturing the essence of the song - in the room - in the moment"...blah blah etc. etc.
i use 2 but do have any of you guys hung 'em behind the kit? thats what i've been doing lately and it is rocking my world! i like to get about 80 percent of my drum sound from those o/h's and as much of the metal as possible then fill out the bottom with acoustic triggers on toms (light in the mix) and a 57 on the snare with a sdc underneath the snare im sure that sounds a little odd but i like it and it sounds gnarly
TyphoidHippo
1Trillion K Platinum User
I use X-Y every time for the main overheads - setup to where snare and kick are both dead center. That's the only way I can (fairly) consistently get a good stereo image...
absolutly configuration wise, i mean instead of having your stands justified to the front of the kit having your stands behind the kit and a little wide in the xy pattern basically to the point where the mic's are inline with the drummers head from a top view i heard ross robinson talking about it once and gave it a shot
TyphoidHippo
1Trillion K Platinum User
Damn - really? What else did you hear him talking about? Inquiring minds would like to know... I've never met him, but he's one hell of a producer.
Slightly diff but similar (not XY) I'm slightly behind the drummer but low and to either side. But what drew me here (besides helping isolation) is more skins', less brass'. As an up side it's sort of a tighter sound down in there within the gobos, downside- less nice air' and room from above.
That's cool 'cause my 'room' ain't that great.
Slightly diff but similar (not XY) I'm slightly behind the drummer but low and to either side. But what drew me here (besides helping isolation) is more skins', less brass'. As an up side it's sort of a tighter sound down in there within the gobos, downside- less nice air' and room from above.
That's cool 'cause my 'room' ain't that great.
Slightly behind and lower; this is exactly how I've been thinking I could get the best sound. Then I'd want two mics. More toms and less weird things in the way of the drum heads (ie cymbals or even toms), and more equidistant between the cymbals and drums.
And I note the unimpressive results I get with vertical overheads with the ironic fact that the best balance of sound I've ever gotten from drums was the first recording I ever did about 6 years ago in high school, with an MXL 990 about 5' up from the ground and about6' from the front of the kit.
When I put a mic 2' away from the cymbals and 3' away from the toms, I get about twice the desired volume on cymbals, which makes perfect sense to me.
When I put a mic 2' away from the cymbals and 3' away from the toms, I get about twice the desired volume on cymbals, which makes perfect sense to me.
R
RAMI
Guest
Look up "Recorderman" and/or "Glyn Johns" method. Add a snare mic. If you can't get a good drum sound with one of those configurations, you're doing something else wrong.
Detroitroadrage
New member
I use a total of 14 mics on the average session, but VERY seldom use more than the O.H.'s, kick and snares during mix. Once I am sure I do not need them in the mix, I delete the unwanted tracks. I will add 2 more mics on the Timbales if the song needs them.
Kick
Snare top
Snare bottom
side Snare top
2 Hi-Hats (L&R)
2 O.H.'s (XY config.)
4 Mounted Toms
2 Floor Toms
Here are a few pics of the rig.
http://www.zshare.net/image/57841360ea1a148b/
http://www.zshare.net/image/57841424ee21a004/
http://www.zshare.net/image/5784128600e82219/
Kick
Snare top
Snare bottom
side Snare top
2 Hi-Hats (L&R)
2 O.H.'s (XY config.)
4 Mounted Toms
2 Floor Toms
Here are a few pics of the rig.
http://www.zshare.net/image/57841360ea1a148b/
http://www.zshare.net/image/57841424ee21a004/
http://www.zshare.net/image/5784128600e82219/
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it depends on the type of music jazz i go mimialistic 2 overheads and a kick or even more minimalistic one room mic and a kick maybe snare if needed. rock I start with overheads snare and kick. I get the balance of the kit from these then add other mics to have options to blend into the core kit sound. Now for metal it's a diffrent ball game i go all out. 2 overheads kick front and back snare top and bottom all toms extra cymbol mics and or room mics and even triggers tracking in real time
marshallpk89
New member
Travis barker did this on the self titled Blink 182 album, he overdubbed the ride on a couple songs
Wrightrack
New member
overheads
i usually use two in an XY position but sometimes stereo right side and left side and i have also put a third one way up in the corner of the room for a full sound and i have also close miked the ride cymbal from time to time.
i usually use two in an XY position but sometimes stereo right side and left side and i have also put a third one way up in the corner of the room for a full sound and i have also close miked the ride cymbal from time to time.
Wrightrack
New member
overheads
my usual full set up is two overheads AKG's c411, Shure beta57's on the snare top and bottom EvRE20's on the toms, D112 or Shure Beta on the kick Beyer Ribbon or Marshall MXL2001 on the high hat. i put the kick and the hat through a neve the overheads through a symetrix and the toms through an API
my usual full set up is two overheads AKG's c411, Shure beta57's on the snare top and bottom EvRE20's on the toms, D112 or Shure Beta on the kick Beyer Ribbon or Marshall MXL2001 on the high hat. i put the kick and the hat through a neve the overheads through a symetrix and the toms through an API
For my new album I used 8 mics, although they were less than optimal: sm57 on snare, 2 sm58's on the two toms (borrowed those mics), a sure pg52 on kick, two old akg SDC's as close overheads (borrowed those as well, actually very nice although I can't for the life of me figure out what they are), and an AKG perception 200 and a Rode NT1a as two stereo distant rooms (we were going for a roomy, post-rock sound. you can here the results in my sig).
Supercreep
Lizard People
I'm still learning how to do this....
We're still experimenting with different techniques, but right now:
Snare batter head: SM57 or MD-421 Snare resonant head: MSH-1
Kick: D-112 inside near beater, RE-20 on resonant head
Toms: SM57 on resonant and batter heads
Overheads: 2x C42MP
Room: 2X AT 4050 (omni, spaced pair or M/S)
We're still experimenting with different techniques, but right now:
Snare batter head: SM57 or MD-421 Snare resonant head: MSH-1
Kick: D-112 inside near beater, RE-20 on resonant head
Toms: SM57 on resonant and batter heads
Overheads: 2x C42MP
Room: 2X AT 4050 (omni, spaced pair or M/S)