Snare bleed through overheads

F

Frabato

New member
Hi,

I have a four channel audio interface and I'm trying to record a five piece kit with hi-hats, one crash and one ride. I have two XML840's, two Apex 435's, an Apex430 and an SM57. The best setup I've found is to use the SM57 over the shoulder but the snare still bleeds so much through the SM57 that close micing the snare is almost useless. That is to say that EQing the snare will hardly make a difference as most of the signal is coming through the SM57. Any hints or suggestions?

Thanks!
 
A drum kit is really a single instrument as far as overheads are concerned. More than likely it's how you hit. I find a lot of drummers hit too hard. What works as far as technique when playing live doesn't work as well when recording.
 
The only thing you can do is angle the overheads so they have the star in the nulls - I'm not sure what an XML 840 is as it's new to me - but with condensers and an SM57 - the 57 would be on the snare for me, and probably if I had just LDC condensers I might try the furthest cymbal from the snare with the mic centre, facing away. Nulls are your friend, but any distant cymbal miking is going to capture the snare - there's no magic trick. Hats probably get recorded as spill into the snare mic. Have you a picture so we can see where they are? Also - what kind of music is it - Jazz and big band are usually pretty balanced with overheads getting star and toms if you find the right place.
 
Usually the snare should be in the OHs.

If it's overpowering, I guess the only option is keep trying new mic positions until you find one that's balanced.

Do you have a room mic? how's the snare balance in that?
 
It depends what you are trying to capture with the overheads. Are you trying to capture just the cymbals or the whole kit?

If it is capturing the whole kit, the snare will be part of that. Try to get a balanced "picture" of the kit with the overheads, then add a kick mic and snare mic to give clarity to those drums. Use the eq on the close mics to to fill in what is missing in the overheads. Also, you use the close snare mic to send to reverb, etc...
 
When using four mikes, I typically have a spaced pair of overheads aimed specifically at the snare, then one on kick, and a close mike on the snare. The overhreads are doing most of the work. See Farviews post above. ^^
 
Hi Everyone,

This is my first post and I'm grateful for all of the prompt replies. Thanks to the helpful advise I'm getting a sound that I'm quite happy with!
 
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