I don't have a mic closet I have a shoe box, But I would like to get a OK drum sound

S

sk8ingsnowman

New member
I am just looking for some opinions on if I can get a nice drum sound with my small collection of cheap mics, and also some tips on how to approach the set up.

My best mic is probably my SM57 I was going to use this on the snare..Top?

I was thinking about buying a a Sennhiser E602(not sure if that number is right) or a AKG d112 for kick.

Now is where I get confused. I have 2 genral purpose audio technicas and 1 AKG 2100 dynamics and a Rode NT1000 left.

Could I use the Audio Technicas as over heads? dynamic overheads...?

How would I mic the toms so one tom does not jump out over everything else.

Should I mic each tom with a dynamic and just catch the bleed of the cymbals?

And finaly what should I do with the rode nt100 I was thinking of just setting it about 5-6ft back from the kick at like chest level.

I know this is a lot and I don't expect anyone to spend too much time figuring out my mess but a kick in the right direction would be greatly appriciate.

Any input is awesome,
DAN!
 
Dynamics dont really work all that good for overheads, I already tried it. You got a sm57 for the snare top, you are on the way to a good kick, I would also sudgest am AudixD6. Really with that and one or two good condensor overhead, you can get a pretty good sound. If you tune your toms so that they sound good while playing, they usually will record well. There is nothing you can do to fix that after it is tracked.
 
Thanks for the quick response. I have been looking at the AduixD6's and others for a while but just don't have the cash at the moment. (Crappy thing about over heads is there is two of them...lol)

But, now that dynamic over heads are ruled out should I attempt to mic both the toms and the cymbals? that might be weird to mix but might not be a huge problem if I have a good snare and Kick.

Last, what should I do with the High-hat? Will the sm57 on the top of the snare catch any of the high-hat?

Sorry for all the questions I have never recorded real drums and I don't have a drum set so I will be going in blind.
 
Here's a nice cheap budget drum package...

Kick... audio-technica ATM25
Snare... Shure SM57
Overheads... Oktava MC-012 (two)
 
the AKG C1000s work well as overhead, and are pretty versatile, so you could use them for other tasks later on. They are not very expensive, you can buy a new pair of them for 240 $ on eBay.
 
DrBob said:
the AKG C1000s work well as overhead, and are pretty versatile, so you could use them for other tasks later on. They are not very expensive, you can buy a new pair of them for 240 $ on eBay.
Click to expand...
C1000s suck on overhead. The only thing they don't suck on is guitar amp. Even then they're not worth $120 a piece. Get Oktavas or MXL 603s instead. I've had all three and I can tell you that the C1000s blow.
 
also for overheads you could pick up 2 behringer ecm8000's for $35 each good overheads and acoustic guitar mics. I believe someone is selling 2 in the ads section of the bbs 2 for $46 including shipping
 
I will echo what DJL suggests as a bare bones drum mic kit.The Oktava 012's are available for about $140 for the pair with some haggling at Guitar Center and they "just work" damnit. If price is a major option, the Behringer ecm8000 are fine. They are one of the few things that Behringer did well. I've had two pairs, one I had borrowed for a while and now ones that I own. I must be lucky because the ones that I own are pretty quiet. The ecm8000 are very sensitive omnis so you'll definitely need good room treatment or you'll pick up your neighbor's or family member's digestive problems ;)
What kind of music are you playing? That will influence what kind of mics you choose. The SM57 or the Sennheisser e604's are a "no-brainer" for snare. If you play a lot of soft brushwork, you may want a more sensitive mic tho. If your snare isn't real sensitive, you may want to mic both sides of it.
I love the ATM25 as a kick mic, but I play a lot of jazz, traditional blues and occassionally acoustic folk/rock. The ATM25 emphasizes the drum sound of the kick, whereas others (like the Shure kick mics) go for the "click-thud" sound (you may like that better). I've not heard the e602 but I've only heard wonderful things about it. I have heard and used the Audix D6 and it's a favorite of mine (good for rock and jazz). The AKG D112 is a terrific and versatile mic, but placement is critical.
I don't like the Shure kick mics, not that they're not good but because they don't give me the sound that I want (it's a matter of taste). For $50 you can get a CAD KBM412 and it works real well
(I want CAD to send me a commission for all of the times I've reccommended this inexpensive mic) I've had two. I just got my second one today to replace my old damaged one (my fault, furniture collapse incident). My first one sounded like a rawer Beta 52 and was great for heavy rock. This one sounds more like a D6. So they're not consistent from mic to mic, but both of those I've had are good mics.
 
Ok here comes cheap bastard to the rescue:

you could try:

Behringer ECM8000's $35/ea

Sony V-242? not sure the exact number but $20 walmart special the drummer from the band i'm working with has. its a dynamic, sounds like shit on vocals and even guitar, but sparkling drum overhead sound, better than my CAD M37 did!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top