3 possible solutions for overhead miking drums. which should I choose?

[carrier down]

Hi,
I'm going to record some drums and I have thought up some possible solutions for achieving this without spending too much money. Which of the following options would you go for in my situation? Thanks a lot for any thoughts.

1. Use my existing Røde NT-1 as a single overhead mic. Loan a Shure SM57 for the snare, and buy a cheap Superlux bassdrum mic (PRA-218A).

2. Now, everyone says that the overhead mics must be matched (or at least the same model), so I'm not sure about this option but: Buy a studio projects B1 or similar budget condenser and use this together with the NT-1 for overhead duties. Same as above for the rest of the kit.

3. Buy a pair of cheap condensers, such as the SM pro audio MC02 or the behringer b-5. I could possibly go for a couple og studio projects b1's as well, but i don't know if these come with shockmounts etc. ? Anyways, the rest of the setup remains the same.

Lastly, I should mention that I'm not going for a natural drum sound. It's going to be used for a groove oriented electronic project. Also, the part of the set that will mainly be used is bassdrum, snare and hihat. I guess I could get away with using only one overhead mic for this, but please feel free to share your thoughts.


Thanks,

Knut

 

[eeldip]

i would start with option 1. cause it will only cost you the $30 for the cheap BD mic. by the way there is a $40 (will probably go a bit higher) audix d4 on instrument exchange right now. i would aim for that mic over the superlux.

also, i wouldnt use your nt1 in a position over your drums, i would put it out front. it is a VERY bright mic and you want to minimize its interaction with your cymbals. because those cymbals are gonna come out loud and clear no matter what you do. the trick will be hearing the drums.

so anyway, try it head height about 6 feet in front of the kit, and you might want to take some moving blankets or real blankets and prep the room up a bit to control all the HF info. dont line the entire room, try hanging them here and there. maybe from the ceiling in a loose manner in a spot or two. see if it tames the cymbals a bit.

also some duct tape on the underside of the cymbals works as well.

oh and i have a bunch of advice on how to incorporate real drums into electronic dance stuff... i have done a lot of this sort of work.

 

[mrface2112]

eeldip's advice is sound (as it usually is ).

i would stick that single NT1 in front of the kit about head-height, 6ft in front, and angle it down somewhat towards the kick (so it de-emphasizes the cymbals).

experiment with the kick mic placement and snare mic placement for best results, and blend them in with the sound that you get out of the in-front mic. i wouldn't skimp on the kick mic, though.....get a beta 52, senn e602, RE20 or a senn 421 (among others). the kick is the fundamental piece of a modern drum sound, and the better your kick sounds, the better your overall mix will be. sure you can use an el-cheapo, but placement is usually really tricky and they often don't take EQ very well. get a decent kick mic. you can also use a good kick mic for a lot of other things, as well--i use an RE38 and it's a fantastic vocal mic for my voice and sounds great on guitar and bass amps too.


please understand that this won't give you the sound that you hear on modern rock/pop (etc) cds, etc. most of that sound is gotten from many close mics (and usually compressed and gated to taste). if i were you, i would also start to acumulate more mics, starting with a pair of overheads, and then work on getting those close mics. in the meantime, you'll get a usable sound out of that "in-front" mic.......i use a Studio Projects B1 as my in-front mic and it gives me a pretty meaty sound that's pretty true to the room and kit.

then start working on the room. and if the drums are on concrets, get em up off the floor!


cheers,
wade

 

[carrier down]

Thanks a lot for your tips! Placing the NT-1 in front of the set seems like a good idea. However, I'm a bit unsure how I should mic the bassdrum, since the drumset (which is not mine) I'm recording doesn't have a hole in the outer shell. I could either place the mic close to the outer shell, or I could mic it on the other side, next to the beater (though I've heard very differing opinions on doing this).
In short, how important is it to place the mic inside the kickdrum? I feel it would be a waste going for a quality kick mic and not being able to use it like it's supposed to.
I wouldn't mind getting a bit of click on the bassdrum. Any suggestions?


Knut

 

[dcdrums]

you might try micing the kick from the back of the drum, where the drummer sits. Point the mic to where the beater strikes the head. You really can't get the click from the front without the front head having a hole in it.

 

[cpl_crud]

Okay, maybe this thread is dead... (It came up for a search on the e602- I just picked one up and wanted to know what everyone though...)

But I've found that the "best" (read: Cheapest for good sound) arrangement is a Rode NT-4 behind the Drummer, just above their head, and maybe a half decent kick drum mike (I was using a SM57, but I'm gunna play with the e602 tomorrow)

The NT4 is a really good overhead mic. Just by the virture of what it is, you've already got 2 matched and mounted mics. It gives decent spacilisation, and has a fairly good response. I've recorded a couple of scratch tracks with just the NT4 and a kcik mic, and they've come out fairly cool- and it saves having to set up the other 4-6 mics...
If you look around, you can find some fairly good deals on the NT4- I picked mine up for AUS$500 (About 30c US...)