Kick drum miking using a drum with no sound hole

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enemyofthesun

New member
You know how some drummers insist on using their drums to record and the kick has no sound hole in the front? What do you folks reccomend as the best way to mike that? Should i make them take off the front etc?
 
For the most part, drummers don't think like the rest of us and some times its better not to encourage such radical concepts (i.e. thinking). In such cases I put something like an AT4033 on the beater head about half way between the beater and the edge (move it around till it sounds best to you) and a D-112 on the front head (again, move it around). Check phase and mix together to taste.:D
 
Yes, have them take off the front. I have no sound hole on my front head always get better results with it off. The only problem will be making sure whatever muffling material you have in there (pillows, etc.) don't shift around during recording.
 
I begged and pleaded my drummer to do that, but he insisted on not doing it. The result? Crap, cause the bass drum mic wound up only capturing boom which didn't cut through anything. The overhead wound up capturing more thwap from the beater side that the kick mic did. We wound up using that. My favorite quote came from a little more knowledgeable drummer....."Yea, a hole in the front head WILL change the sound......for the better!".

Mike
 
I recorded a band several years ago and the drummer did not have a hole in his kick drum head. I placed a mic near the beater and moved it around to find the sweet spot. The recording came out great.

My studio set does not have a hole in it either, but what I did was attach a very short mic stand upside down in the kick drum so that it would be suspended by the tom mount. I had to drill a hole in the stand so I could feed a mic cable through the tubing. The mic cable goes into the tom mount down the inside of the mic stand and out a (drilled) hole of the stand and into the drum. The mic is attached to the stand and the cable plugs right in. Since I took up the mount with my mic, I have the toms are on a rack. Needless to say, if a drummer wants to use his kit, I have to use a different mic on his kick.
 
grrrrr, That really pisses me off that so called "MUSOS" think they know better. Just tell him that if he wants the recording (and his kit in particular) to sound like utter shite....then he can leave the front skin of the kick on.......otherwise take it off....or you'll never manage to get the attack of the beater hitting the backskin.......unless you got a trigger.

It MAJORLY PISSES ME OFF WHEN PEOPLE WITH NO EXPERIENCE THINK THEY KNOW BETTER THAN YOU.....

And if he decides to challenge you.....make him look like a total dick in front of his bandmates and question "why" !!! Is he too stupid to put the frontskin back on the drum????? etc etc.


I been in this situation WAY TOO MANY TIMES for it to be even a little bit funny. Just try to explain that the overall sound will be compromised if they won't do it......probbaly your best bet.......


~link
 
Track Rat said:
For the most part, drummers don't think like the rest of us and some times its better not to encourage such radical concepts (i.e. thinking). In such cases I put something like an AT4033 on the beater head about half way between the beater and the edge (move it around till it sounds best to you) and a D-112 on the front head (again, move it around). Check phase and mix together to taste.:D
Click to expand...

I was wondering if this method works:

I will place the D-112 slightly off-axis from the spot (equipment limitations...) where the beaters hit and about 1/2 inch away from the skin. I dun know if this is the correct method but the results turns out quite well ( to my hearing...) when compared with my previous trials...(I'm fanatical about drum miking and am still trying to get a good grasp at the proper technique..). Doesn't requires me to add much compression, in fact it's very little (the excess application of compression DID kill the 'in your face' sound rather than bringing it out).

Well just sharing my thoughts and probably someone would correct my technique if it's wrong. I'll be glad to take that. ^_^

Regards
 
enemyofthesun said:
You know how some drummers insist on using their drums to record and the kick has no sound hole in the front? What do you folks reccomend as the best way to mike that? Should i make them take off the front etc?
Click to expand...

i never liked the idea of putting holes on my kick drums.. try to put holes in the toms and it will not sound as good or as full... try to use a bass guitar amp to mic your kick drum. you will be amazed on how much low-end kick you will capture with this technique!
 
They're paying you. If you tune it up right and get the mic in the right place, it should sound good. Maybe it's integral to the band's sound? You might get looked at funny if you tried to tell a certain kind of jazz or blues drummer to take off his reso head. If they want more click, or if you think it needs more punch, just drop a sample under it or mic the beater.

Making the drummer look like an idiot will do no one any favours.
 
sjoko2 said:
Only one real solution - tune the kick properly
Click to expand...

elementary said:
They're paying you. If you tune it up right and get the mic in the right place, it should sound good. Maybe it's integral to the band's sound? You might get looked at funny if you tried to tell a certain kind of jazz or blues drummer to take off his reso head. If they want more click, or if you think it needs more punch, just drop a sample under it or mic the beater.

Making the drummer look like an idiot will do no one any favours.
Click to expand...

The voices of reason. Thank you gentlemen! I think recording with the front head on can be a valid choice, and is a matter of preference.
 
Exactly! I use 3 kits, two are modern kits of reasonable quality, and they both have a port hole in the front head. The other is a vintage Jazz kit, and there ain't no way I'm cutting up the head on that bad boy! It all depends what style I'm recording and/or what sound I want from the drum.
 
I didnt really read every post but if your drummer doesn't want you to make a soundhole then hes retarded and/or stubborn but then again he is a drummer haha.
 
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