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As someone who routinely records drums with one or two mikes, my first advice is to try stuff out and listen carefully and then do what you like. However, I would concur that the above technique works about as well as anything for me, with the caveat that I'm using a SM80, which is a flat...

Well, technically, my old Traynor tube amps don't have line outs, so I just mike them, but there are other line level things I do, like use a DI or my old Korg pedal board. Just depends. But playing thru an amp is generally more fun and generally makes it easier to hear dynamics properly, and...

Jeff, it seems I still have 4 unused reels of 1/4" 996 on the gold reels in the nice plastic cases. Send me a PM if you are interested. BTW, as far as I'm concerned, a "precision" reel is one of the 6-hole types where the flange doesn't go all the way in to the center of the hub, and the...

I gladly use NOS SM911. I have a number of 1/4" reels of it (EMTEC version) and the M-23 is calibrated for it at the moment. I'm also still using up some NOS EMTEC SM 468 1/2" on the Otari, which is also an excellent tape. Cheers, Otto

Emtec's company profile says that BASF Magnetics became EMTEC Magnetics in the "late nineties". Probably the biggest difference between current RMGI tape and the older ones is that RMGI tape doesn't have the formulation label printed on the back (unless they've started doing that very...

You pretty much have the idea. Now you just need to do it for real. BTW, compression can be used either series (inline) or as a parallel effect. Parallel compression (New York compression) involves sending signals to an aux, compressiong them and then combining them with the original by...

I have been trying for a decade to buy Mitch Easter's M-23 4-track, but he is too attached to it. It is in two portable cases. I seem to recall he got it from CBS and they had used it to record classical music. Now, he uses it in his studio to record certain acts when they want to do old...

One example that comes to mind is when I used to have a mono spring reverb unit from PAiA. A few times I ran the reverb output through the playback side of a standalone dBx NR unit before returning it to the mixer... the single sided expansion gave a kind of gated reverb quality that I couldn't...

There's a whole consumer mentality about so much of the recording equipment world that leads to people obsessing about gear and never being satisfied with what they have. One delight of working with my old junk is that I'm simply not on that train. I just don't think about that kind of stuff...

I don't disagree, though my sense of outrage over this one product is diminished in the context of all the other absurdities in the recording world today. I'm just grateful I have a mixer and a couple of tape machines that work and I can record without constantly looking over my shoulder...

If I'm using an omni overhead, I generally don't need or use a snare fill mike. I get the body of the snare (and basically everything but the kick drum) from the overhead and I get the snare rattle from the mike out front, which also gives me the kick drum. Those two together are usually a...

To follow up a tad, I pestered Bob Ohlsson today about how he recorded drums when he was recording Motown stuff. He said their standard method was three mikes, mixed to mono. One cardioid overhead, one cardioid mike on snare (above) for more low end and one mike on kick. Of course, that also...

One of the odd things about my studio is that while my mikes, mixer and tape machines are good, but fairly cheap, I have a bunch of those fairly high-end ASC goboes. Thankfully I got them all used, because it would cost a ridiculous amount to buy them new. You can actually make a DIY version...

I imagine it's obvious to most and would be to anyone trying out recording the way I do, but I'm not after a "modern" drum sound, since I'm basically using Motown-era technique. OTOH, I do sometimes hear new tunes where the drums sound a lot like mine, but more in the soul, funk and alternative...

Yes, and we are in total agreement on that point. I was trying to make an additional point about the relationship of reference magnetization level, standard recording level practices using a SVI (VU) meter and possible consequences for the line level input and output stages depending on the...

You also noted that you should experiment to find a sound you like. Then you may also find that different recordings should have different sounds. I've generally taken a big picture approach, treating the drum kit as a great big thing I want to record, not several different things...

1) If levels are set properly, all the channels should sound good either way. I'd probably at least try the dynamics, the SM57s, through the DMP3. They are more likely to sound a tiny bit different into different preamps than the condensers. 2) Personnally, I usually don't compress drums...

There are two potential problems that should be avoided. The first is possibly overloading the record electronics dynamic range and causing distortion in the electronics trying to record a signal to tape. That is just a matter of how hot a signal you are trying to put on the tape and what the...

Good to know. On a hub, you can buy 1/2" direct for $64, not much more than RMGI SM 468. I wonder if my 8-track could pull this off, too? I'm impressed that the Otari can put levels that hot on the tape and not distort the rec electronics. If you are tracking that hot, it makes sense to...

You could try out the thicker tape and see if the capstan pinch roller pressure goes up very much. Assuming you can bias the tape, you should still calibrate to the rated operating level for the machine (+4 over Ampex for the Otari) to leave reasonable headroom on the record electronics. Of...