Drum overheads...

Goldilox

Goldilox

New member
Everything I have tells me to use a pair of identical condensers as drum overheads, but I just wondered why?

I was hoping to track some drums this evening and I don't have a matching pair of condensors, so should I use matching dynamics? One condensor and one dynamic? Or should I just live with one condensor overhead and use my dynamics to close mic the snare and floor tom?
 
A pair of overheads just give you a good stereo field of the drums for when your mixing the song.
I have done a single over head plus kick and snare (some times not even needing the snare) for simple laid back jazz etc.
If you have a LDC you could and that to the process by putting it about 3 feet out from the drums and about 2 to 3 feet high.






:cool:
 
A pair of matched mics for STEREO imaging is always preferred. If only to keep your sanity. If the mics are not matched, you could spend a lifetime trying to edit the two tracks trying to make them matched. More often than not you'll end up dumping one or other track. Maybe even the whole set. Bring in a WAV to MID converter, and synth the drums. Depending on what's good enough and how much time you want to put into the project.
 
I think I'd go with the single OH and use the dynamics as close mics (if needed).

Do you have a kick mic? If so, you could get a pretty decent sound from a kick mic and an OH. You won't have a lot of control in mixdown but it'll work.

:drunk:
 
Well I don't have a proper kick mic - live I a use a cheap and cheery behringer (XM8500) on the kick usually, and have generally been pretty happy with the result.

FWIW here's what we've got between me and the rest of the band:
Samson C01 & Sontronics STC-2 "large" diaphram condensors (one of which i'd be expecting to use on vocals for tonights session).

Dynamics:
3x Behringer XM8500
2x AKG D3800
2x Shure PG series (not sure whether they're 48 or 58).

(any two of which I'd anticipated putting on guitar amps)

Several other extremely low-end karaoke mics, tape recorder mics, harmonica bullets etc....

I've been meaning to get round to grabbing a second C01 to give me a pair for overheads and other stereo stuff, but I'll look into the ones you recommended.
 
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