Trouble getting intense toms...
- Thread starter jrhager84
- Start date
I'm no expert, but with my toms and how they're tuned, I can get some pretty huge sounds out of them. If I want a bigger/boomier sound, I boost the low-mids about 3db, deep cut the mids, and put a medium Q boost wherever the stick attack is. It's almost the same kind of EQ you might apply to a modern-metal guitar tone. I'm not too sharp with gates, so I just turn knobs and push buttons until I get the results I want. Typically, I'll solo whichever tom I'm gating, and fiddle with the threshhold until it just blocks out the bleed, and opens up when the tom is hit. Then I'll adjust how long it stays open to gently shut again after the tom rings out. If you want punchier toms, just tweak the gate to slam shut sooner.
Of course, this could be all wrong and I'm just retarded, but it seems to work for me.
Of course, this could be all wrong and I'm just retarded, but it seems to work for me.
mrface2112
Well-known member
greg's given you some great advice. i gate my tom close mics, and while the settings differ from song to song, greg's detailed the "starting points" quite well. setting gates is a bit of an art and takes some practice. it's a lot like compression--easy to do poorly. 
there's only two things i want to add. the first thing is to make sure the toms sound like that in the first place. so make sure you've got the right drum for the job and get them tuned deep or punchy or whatever. you can't get a bonzo floor tom sound out of a 14in tom tuned tight.
make sure they resonate well (sing) within the room--this is where basstrapping and acoustic treatment come into play big time. the math is easy; bad sounding room=bad sounding drums. then get the mics into place where they capture the sound AND where they're in phase with the overheads.....
....which brings me to number two: make sure your drum mics are in phase. nothing kills a quality drum sound than destructive comb filtering. again, room treatment and basstrapping are crucial here, as is "Harvey's big mic thread" in the mic forum.
simply put, the more mics you put on the drums, the quicker and easier for your sound to go to shit. that's why people recommend that novices start with the "recorderman" technique of 2 overheads, kick and maybe snare. the fewer mics, the less you need to employ the tape measure.....and the better chances you'll turn out a "decent" drum track. but with some proper placement, room treatment and tuning skills, there's no reason you can't get huge sounding toms for those hairband covers.
anyway....
cheers,
wade
there's only two things i want to add. the first thing is to make sure the toms sound like that in the first place. so make sure you've got the right drum for the job and get them tuned deep or punchy or whatever. you can't get a bonzo floor tom sound out of a 14in tom tuned tight.
make sure they resonate well (sing) within the room--this is where basstrapping and acoustic treatment come into play big time. the math is easy; bad sounding room=bad sounding drums. then get the mics into place where they capture the sound AND where they're in phase with the overheads.........which brings me to number two: make sure your drum mics are in phase. nothing kills a quality drum sound than destructive comb filtering. again, room treatment and basstrapping are crucial here, as is "Harvey's big mic thread" in the mic forum.
simply put, the more mics you put on the drums, the quicker and easier for your sound to go to shit. that's why people recommend that novices start with the "recorderman" technique of 2 overheads, kick and maybe snare. the fewer mics, the less you need to employ the tape measure.....and the better chances you'll turn out a "decent" drum track. but with some proper placement, room treatment and tuning skills, there's no reason you can't get huge sounding toms for those hairband covers.
anyway....
cheers,
wade
mrface2112
Well-known member
the phase (polarity) reversal switch is but a small part of this. do check out the thread "How does diaphragm size/polar pattern relate to mic applications?" which is a sticky at the top of the Mic Forum.
This thread has some fantastic information from Harvey Gerst on just about anything and everything you'll ever need to know about mic selection and placement (which encompasses phase relationships between mics).
cheers,
wade
mrhotapples
New member
I started getting much clearer, more present toms since I started micing them with the mic pointing straight into the head with not much of an angle and retuning the drum when it sounds shitty. Unless the toms sound how you want them to sound, don't bother micing them. It just makes the problem of a poorly tuned drum more apparent and in your face. I dunno about you, but I am generally not looking for an in your face shit sound.
Tension watch is your friend : )
Tension watch is your friend : )