Mic positions on drums

Br3n

Br3n

New member
So just made a large purchase of mics last month so the past few weeks has been trialling them to see what we get.

What do you guys do with mic positions. I have started placing tom mics on the bottom rather than the top and I am getting much bigger sounding toms that cut through a lot better.

Kick drum I am only placing just inside the drum skin and getting much better attack than ever before.

What sort of thing does every one do and do regularly to get the recordings you are happy with
 
Hmm. Never had that work myself. Not sure how that would actually 'cut' through a mix better without the attack of the tom hit from the stick hitting the head.

Post up some examples. I am curious.

I gave up on wasting time getting a kick tone long ago. I just enhance with a sample to get what I need. Just my way, not a judgement. :)
 
Yeah same. It's strange. For years been doing top skin but just wanted to test the new mics in all situations and prefer the tones from underneath. Will post an example next time I am in the studio.

I have a thing about samples. I will use them but as a last resort. Prefer getting the best from the kit itself. I am getting fairly good at it these days. As you said it's preference no judgment just they I do things.
 
Are you coming to the conclusion about using bottom mics from just listening to the miked kit...or are you actually trying those mic position on a drum track combined within a full mix?

Sometimes what sounds great by itself doesn't work in a mix.
 
It's part of a mix. At the mo there is no bass or voice but sits very well with guitars at the mo. The guitars are very nickelback in tone with a little more bite to them.

But even still. Mixed with the that little is sounding good will be tracking bass next week so will get a better idea next week
 
Don't get me wrong. I never replace a drum ever! I just find it makes more sense to 'enhance' a drum with a sample. Whether or not the sample is of the 'actual' drum recorded or not, I usually only use it at 50%. Well, unless the kick drum is pathetic. I use samples as an effect more than some would think of what 'triggered samples' means.

This is a Steven Slate Trigger that I use. I am not replacing drums on my recordings as a default. There is no last resort for me. Just using what any particular song (drum track) needs to work.

Just trying to be clear...

Look forward to hearing your bottom mic'd toms. I am quite curios how that works for you and the genre you are recording. Possible I have missed a technique that works. :)
 
Br3n said:
It's part of a mix. At the mo there is no bass or voice but sits very well with guitars at the mo. The guitars are very nickelback in tone with a little more bite to them.

But even still. Mixed with the that little is sounding good will be tracking bass next week so will get a better idea next week
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Nickelback tone? I need to hear what that is. No offense, but I have never heard that as a describing tone.
 
Hey...if it works, don't change a thing.

I'm just wondering (like Jimmy) how you are getting any attack with the mics positioned at the resonant head instead of the batter head....but it's all about how it sounds to you. :)

AFA the Kick....that's always a subjective thing and I've seen mics out in front, close....way out in front...inside at the lip of the hole of the resonant head...deep inside almost against the batter head...or outside by the beater.
So just go with what works for you.
 
Ah that's cool. I try to do what I can with the kit before I start. I know that's standard but I won't hit record until I am actually happy with tones of what I record whether it be drums guitar bass what ever I don't hit record until it sounds about 80/90% there.

The stuff I am recording at the mo is my band and we are aiming for an old skool grunge/punk sound of the 90s so like nirvana papa roach that sort of thing and it's working fairly well.

Got the idea from a guy who recorded an old band I was in about 7 years ago he got good results so now I have the freedom to be doing it myself I'm am playing around :)
 
miroslav said:
Hey...if it works, don't change a thing.

I'm just wondering (like Jimmy) how you are getting any attack with the mics positioned at the resonant head instead of the batter head....but it's all about how it sounds to you. :)

AFA the Kick....that's always a subjective thing and I've seen mics out in front, close....way out in front...inside at the lip of the hole of the resonant head...deep inside almost against the batter head...or outside by the beater.
So just go with what works for you.
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I agree. If it works for your particular situation/recording, don't change a thing. Do not let others sway you with opinions if you have what you want. I am in no way trying to persuade you to do something different. Well, unless it sucks. lol!

:)
 
jimmys69 said:
I agree. If it works for your particular situation/recording, don't change a thing. Do not let others sway you with opinions if you have what you want. I am in no way trying to persuade you to do something different. Well, unless it sucks. lol!

:)
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That's not what this thread was about at all. Just wandering what others do as like I said I am playing around with mic positions so what works for you guys and il give it a try see what I get see if I like it. Recording is never about right or wrong. It's about what works.

Toms to me isn't all about attack it's about a full bodied tone. So I get enough attack but with the full body of the tom works well
 
Br3n said:
That's not what this thread was about at all. Just wandering what others do as like I said I am playing around with mic positions so what works for you guys and il give it a try see what I get see if I like it. Recording is never about right or wrong. It's about what works.

Toms to me isn't all about attack it's about a full bodied tone. So I get enough attack but with the full body of the tom works well
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Well, that is what this thread is about. I am just giving you my opinion about what works for me. I was just making it clear that my opinion don't mean squat if you are happy with what works for you.

I'm feeling like I am being harassed for being cool...
 
Br3n said:
Was a Gibson les Paul cheapy one mind. Into a Marshall jcm900 into an orange 4x12

With a condenser shure pg27 about 6 inches away
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I'm not psychic obviously, but I was pretty good at guessing what tone you were after. Not sure a condenser would be my choice for that setup, but again. Not for me to judge. If it works for you, then it is working well.

Unless it sucks.... lol!
 
jimmys69 said:
Well, that is what this thread is about. I am just giving you my opinion about what works for me. I was just making it clear that my opinion don't mean squat if you are happy with what works for you.

I'm feeling like I am being harassed for being cool...
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not at all jimmy. just want to know what gets you your best results. as i have heard some of the recordings you have done. as i have done a mix this comp with your stuff i believe and i loved mixing what you did. all the drum tracks had great isolation. so wandered what other do as i'm still not getting the seperation i want. im not jfar off it just not quite where i want to be
 
jimmys69 said:
I'm not psychic obviously, but I was pretty good at guessing what tone you were after. Not sure a condenser would be my choice for that setup, but again. Not for me to judge. If it works for you, then it is working well.

Unless it sucks.... lol!
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i had a sm57 on the cab aswell but never put it in the mix as it was way to scratchy for my taste.

i am also finding with the new mics and mixing desk that i dont need any where near as many takes to get a good tone. just a straight double track is filling the mix with huge sounds. been really impressed with all the new kit.
 
Br3n said:
not at all jimmy. just want to know what gets you your best results. as i have heard some of the recordings you have done. as i have done a mix this comp with your stuff i believe and i loved mixing what you did. all the drum tracks had great isolation. so wandered what other do as i'm still not getting the seperation i want. im not jfar off it just not quite where i want to be
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Well therein lies why I do what I do. I have a decent treated drum room. Like 13' x 27'. I only use a small part of it for drums. The ceiling is filled with 4" Rockwool spaced from the upper subfloor. 5 4" thick panels suspended from joists to help with reflections in the room.

The issue with isolation, is that even in this pretty well treated room, there is no real isolation. That is why I will sample the actual drums I am recording, before tracking. I Use Steven Slate Trigger to trigger the actual samples of the kit in the mix. This allows the ability to tweak the needed sound out of a drum, without bringing up the cymbals or farts that get into the mics. If a client comes in with a crappy kit, I try to tune them to work. If not possible, then an adding of a completely unique sample may be needed. Still, the overheads are going to have the toms in it, so it takes a bit to make crap work. That is something that just happens when recording others..

This is not always the desired approach. Many can get their drums to sound great without this technique. This is just what works for me and how I work. Not really a suggestion of what is best.
 
Br3n said:
i had a sm57 on the cab aswell but never put it in the mix as it was way to scratchy for my taste.

i am also finding with the new mics and mixing desk that i dont need any where near as many takes to get a good tone. just a straight double track is filling the mix with huge sounds. been really impressed with all the new kit.
Click to expand...

And here is another point. I mostly use a 57 on a cab. But it takes some careful placement to make it sound right. It will sound 'scratchy' as hell in the wrong place. Many times I will use a 421 as well. Still, the same issues with placement. A ribbon mic back a foot or two can give a smoother natural tone IME, but I cannot say that I have had any luck with a condenser mic for a defined/up front guitar tone.

Again, this is just my experience and not a judgement. I could just be doing things wrong and you are giving me a new option.

I will have a better opinion if I were able to hear what is working for you. :)
 
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