8 mics for an 8 piece drumset...
- Thread starter dumass
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Tim Brown
New member
You can mic each pair of toms if you want to.....I'm at the point these days, where I would prefer just using the overheads, and making sure the toms are tuned REALLY well.
The only real reason I see for close miking the toms, is if I intend to gate and add reverb to each tom (i.e., the overproduced 80's type of sound.)...but then I'd mic each tom, not each pair.
Then I just cut the mids on the overheads by 3 to 6 decibels, centered around 750 hz to 1 khz (you'll have to decide what center frequency sounds best to you as the centerpoint), and that gives the toms a ton of punch with good attack.
Then I mike the kit "diagonally", so the mic on the floor toms side is behind the kit, and the mic on the hi-hat side is in front of the kit. Both of them are the same height from the floor, and same distance from the snare. Both are aimed at the snare.
This splits the kit with the snare in the center.
Then, when you play the stereo pair of overheads back, just pan them (while listening through headphones) so that the snare shows up right in the center.
Tim
The only real reason I see for close miking the toms, is if I intend to gate and add reverb to each tom (i.e., the overproduced 80's type of sound.)...but then I'd mic each tom, not each pair.
Then I just cut the mids on the overheads by 3 to 6 decibels, centered around 750 hz to 1 khz (you'll have to decide what center frequency sounds best to you as the centerpoint), and that gives the toms a ton of punch with good attack.
Then I mike the kit "diagonally", so the mic on the floor toms side is behind the kit, and the mic on the hi-hat side is in front of the kit. Both of them are the same height from the floor, and same distance from the snare. Both are aimed at the snare.
This splits the kit with the snare in the center.
Then, when you play the stereo pair of overheads back, just pan them (while listening through headphones) so that the snare shows up right in the center.
Tim
ok, thanks...heres the picture of the drumset i may be trying to mic...
http://www.clashwithsociety.com/ClashWithSociety/MIKE/MIKE9.jpg
theres 2 floors, 3 racks, then that other little guy.
http://www.clashwithsociety.com/ClashWithSociety/MIKE/MIKE9.jpg
theres 2 floors, 3 racks, then that other little guy.
tubesrawsom
New member
2 over heads 1 snare and a bass mic sound great
Tim Brown
New member
Not if you know how to tune the drums, mic them, and mix.
I would estimate that 90% of the drumsound is the overheads.
The toms won't get lost, as long as you:
#1. Use good tuning (I can't stress this enough - because most drummers can't tune a drumkit.)
#2. Don't put a bunch of muffling on the drums. There's nothing worse than a drummer who can't tune, who then puts a bunch of crap on the heads while trying to kill the ringing that he's getting because the drum is not tuned properly!
#3. Pay attention to mic placement and make sure there aren't any major phasing issues.
#4. Don't try to EQ and Compress the life out of the drum tracks.
And remember, when you compress the overheads - it also makes the cymbals jump out louder as well as the toms.
What kind of mic's do you have?
(list the model # if you can)
I would suggest:
1 Large Diaphragm DYNAMIC kick mic on the kick (AKG D112 or similar.)
1 Dynamic on the snare (like an SM-57, or Beyer M422).
2 Matching (i.e. same model) Condensors for the Overheads. (like Marshall MXL 603's)
Tim
I would estimate that 90% of the drumsound is the overheads.
The toms won't get lost, as long as you:
#1. Use good tuning (I can't stress this enough - because most drummers can't tune a drumkit.)
#2. Don't put a bunch of muffling on the drums. There's nothing worse than a drummer who can't tune, who then puts a bunch of crap on the heads while trying to kill the ringing that he's getting because the drum is not tuned properly!
#3. Pay attention to mic placement and make sure there aren't any major phasing issues.
#4. Don't try to EQ and Compress the life out of the drum tracks.
And remember, when you compress the overheads - it also makes the cymbals jump out louder as well as the toms.
What kind of mic's do you have?
(list the model # if you can)
I would suggest:
1 Large Diaphragm DYNAMIC kick mic on the kick (AKG D112 or similar.)
1 Dynamic on the snare (like an SM-57, or Beyer M422).
2 Matching (i.e. same model) Condensors for the Overheads. (like Marshall MXL 603's)
Tim
triple-zero
New member
Tim Brown said:Not if you know how to tune the drums, mic them, and mix.
I would estimate that 90% of the drumsound is the overheads.
The toms won't get lost, as long as you:
#1. Use good tuning (I can't stress this enough - because most drummers can't tune a drumkit.)
#2. Don't put a bunch of muffling on the drums. There's nothing worse than a drummer who can't tune, who then puts a bunch of crap on the heads while trying to kill the ringing that he's getting because the drum is not tuned properly!
#3. Pay attention to mic placement and make sure there aren't any major phasing issues.
#4. Don't try to EQ and Compress the life out of the drum tracks.
And remember, when you compress the overheads - it also makes the cymbals jump out louder as well as the toms.
What kind of mic's do you have?
(list the model # if you can)
I would suggest:
1 Large Diaphragm DYNAMIC kick mic on the kick (AKG D112 or similar.)
1 Dynamic on the snare (like an SM-57, or Beyer M422).
2 Matching (i.e. same model) Condensors for the Overheads. (like Marshall MXL 603's)
Tim
any tips on tuning a kit?
tubesrawsom
New member
condenser mics are sensitive they could pick up the toms with no problem.
b/4 i got some condensers i only recorded with 2 dynamics in stereo and tht was great.
great mic placement can take you along way
and your drums should be properly tuned for better results
good luck
b/4 i got some condensers i only recorded with 2 dynamics in stereo and tht was great.
great mic placement can take you along way
and your drums should be properly tuned for better results
good luck
Tim Brown
New member
triple-zero said:
Well, here's how I start:
Take the drum and put the batter head (the side you beat on) down on a carpeted floor.
Start with the resonant head completely loose.
You will need:
1 Pencil with a pencil eraser.
1 Drumkey
1. Tighten the tension rods finger-tight.
2. Then squeeze the hoop toward the drum, by hooking your fingers over the back of a lug, and hooking your thumb on top of the hoop. then tighten that particular lug. I suggest the "star" pattern - which means you the next lug you tighten will be directly a cross from the first one. then the third lug you tighten will be next to the second one, and the fourth lug you tighten will be directly across the drum from the third one.
Once you have gone all the way around the drum, then tap about 1" from each lug with the pencil eraser. Then use the key to fine tune each lug. (The pencil gives you pure tone - if you use a stick, you hear a heavy attack.)
This will be the lowest note the drum will produce.
Then flip the drum over and tune the batter head.
If you need to, get an Evan's "Torque key".
I use one...some people feel it's cheating, but anything that makes my life remotely easier is great to me!
Even with the Torque key, you may need to fine tune the drums by ear.
I used to like the bottom head tuned quite a bit higher than the batter, but the last time I tuned the kit, I tuned them all to the same tension using the Torque key set at 0(the lowest it will go), and the drumkit sounded incredible once I fine tuned it.
Tim
Fall From Grace
New member
just do a search on yahoo for Professor Sound's Drum Tuning Bible. That will answer ALL of your tuning questions.
here's how i would record that:
two pencil condensers xy overhead. HIGH overhead; probably 2-3 feet over the highest cymbal.
dynamic on the snare. this will pick up the snare and some of the hi-hat.
dynamic in between the two high toms overhead a couple inches if you have room.
low freq (if you have an extra) dynamic mic between the two low toms, again, overhead with headroom if possible.
dynamic over the rototom.
bass drum mic wherever it sounds best; for me it sounds best 3 inches away from the beater; preferably close to the floor tom, that way you can get some extra noise from that if you don't have the low freq mic on the low toms. if you do; then put the mic on the left side so it doesn't pick up as much from the low toms.
with all the dynamic mics, you'll also pick up the cymbals they're next to. the condensers are mainly for ambient sounds only, and to tweak the sound of the cymbals. again, this is how i would mic your set. this is also how i would initially mic it; obviously you would fine tune and tweak as you see fit.
two pencil condensers xy overhead. HIGH overhead; probably 2-3 feet over the highest cymbal.
dynamic on the snare. this will pick up the snare and some of the hi-hat.
dynamic in between the two high toms overhead a couple inches if you have room.
low freq (if you have an extra) dynamic mic between the two low toms, again, overhead with headroom if possible.
dynamic over the rototom.
bass drum mic wherever it sounds best; for me it sounds best 3 inches away from the beater; preferably close to the floor tom, that way you can get some extra noise from that if you don't have the low freq mic on the low toms. if you do; then put the mic on the left side so it doesn't pick up as much from the low toms.
with all the dynamic mics, you'll also pick up the cymbals they're next to. the condensers are mainly for ambient sounds only, and to tweak the sound of the cymbals. again, this is how i would mic your set. this is also how i would initially mic it; obviously you would fine tune and tweak as you see fit.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Not really....... if you're going to bother trying to catch the addiitonal snare sound, you need to capture it well, and the PG series definitely aren't up to the task.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Why would you do that?dumass said:
bc i like the crack in my snare sound... i did it once and it sounded pretty nice, and i heard that some ppl here have done it with sucess. when i mic it from the top it always ends up sound pretty dark... n then when i eq it, give it more treble and such, it sounds fake and has the "am radio" sound.