phase with the snare

F

fuquam

New member
recording 4 mics with drums. 57 on snare, 52 on bass, X/Y overhead condensers. My problem is the 57 on the snare comes out sounding "distant". I'm not putting any reverb on it. The bass drum is thick and the overheads sound great its just the 57 on the snare. I have it at a 90° angle about 2-3 inches over the head. Am I just having phase issues?
 
How does it sound when you solo it? Still "distant"? If it seems to thin out only when it's mixed with the other mics, it could be a phase problem. Make sure the overheads are both equal distance from the snare, and/or try different configurations.
 
90 degree angle? do you mean the mic is horizontal? if so it wont be picking up as well as it could as they are very directional. i don't know about anyone else but i always point my 58 at a 45 degree angle right next to the rim. also some guy in the know once told me to have the mic in line with the snare wires underneath, im not really sure if that matters that much.
 
or alternately if by 90 degrees you mean pointing straight down that might be giving a strange sound. try different mic placings.
 
i've always come in between my toms (mine are off to the left) and had a 58 with the grill cap off hoveing about an inch and a half over the rim, pointing about halfway between the center of the head and the edge. hasn't failed me yet.
 
It might be your mic or your cable

I have an old SM 57 and it still gives a good signal. but I'm noticing that a lot of the 57's that were made within the last 20 years aren't as indestructible as they once were and they are putting out a weaker and weaker signal. I've been using a Sennheisser E604 on the clip to my snare rim and I love it (it's also small and stays the hell out of my way). If the mic is good, then check your cable, it may be shot. Also try panning it in a different place in the mix.
 
or you could be having phase issues. as rami says try it soloed, if it drops in volume when the other tracks are added then it probably is phase, click a phase reverse and see if that helps.
 
Rimshot said:
I have an old SM 57 and it still gives a good signal. but I'm noticing that a lot of the 57's that were made within the last 20 years aren't as indestructible as they once were and they are putting out a weaker and weaker signal. I've been using a Sennheisser E604 on the clip to my snare rim and I love it (it's also small and stays the hell out of my way). If the mic is good, then check your cable, it may be shot. Also try panning it in a different place in the mix.
Click to expand...

Hey guys, brand new to this forum! I'm a recording drummer myself...

Rimshot, I'd agree with your assessment; I think regular SM57's give a slightly weaker signal, particularly compared to the Beta 57A, which I've been starting to prefer to use on my snare. It has a VERY strong signal.

I'd say you could just try reversing the phase on the snare track (easy to do w/in most DAW's--not sure what your recording platform is), but also you might just need to boost the signal via attenuation when you record, or bring it up via faders during mixing. Also don't forget EQ; most snare tracks in my experience require some high-end boost, though that's further down the road. You definitely want to start with as high-quality of a signal to begin with. Sorry if I'm being overly obvious--don't wanna insult anyone's intelligence! ;)

-Tom Hipskind
 
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