best mixer??

  • Thread starter Thread starter sir ludwig
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sir ludwig

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hello friends, what mixer is the best to use for drum sounds? I have a very good ludwig set, but they sound like shit when I record. On stage they sound awesome. please help.



....FZ..R.I.P.
 
I would suggest doing a search in the Mixing / Mastering forum. You should find a lot of info. If not, post there, but be sure to include how much $$$ you have available.
 
thanks for the reply RWHITE, I was wondering, does cakewalk have an internal mixer that would help, or should I get an external one?
 
Mics and miking technique is probably far more important -- all decent mixers will be more or less transparent.

And an internal mixer will make no difference -- it's the sound you capture that counts. If you get bad signals, no amount of mixing or fiddling can make them good.

Read some articles about drum miking.
 
I will take your advice Alchuck, I dont know too much about miking, I just use one microphone, and I am limited with a space problem, my drums are facing a wall, therefore they bounce off the wall first,, this seems to cause a timing issue aswell. I think I will have to rearrange my space to help with this. I have heard of people talking about triggers on their kit, does this turn my drums into a midi signal, or is it still audio?
thanks.
 
From your description of your drum miking technique, I am not at all surprised that they "sound like shit."

What you read/heard about triggers was most likely for MIDI purposes. The trigger would send a signal that a MIDI drum brain would turn into a MIDI Note On event, turning your acoustic drums into MIDI drum pads.
 
You have a good point Alchuck. Where is the best place I can find this info? I dont have any external mixers, so I am limited to 1 mic.
If I need a mixer, to help with this, or use more than 1 mic, I will get one. I like the real drum sound,, because as a drummer, I can put more feeling and depth into my drum track. I dont mind midi drums,(except the cymbal sounds). What do you suggest I do?
You have much experience in this area, and can help me.
Thanks.
 
I'm the wrong person to ask. I have no experience miking drums. But I can tell you that you'll need more than one mic -- and a mixer -- to do a satisfactory job, more than likely.

Tool on over to the mic forum and see what they think there. Also, the magazines like Recording, Home Recording, Electronic Musician, and no doubt Modern Drummer have probably featured articles on miking drumkits many times over the years. There are plenty of recording books out there too.
 
Whatta ya know, in the Novemer Recording magazine there's an article on how to mic a drum kit, and a review of a bunch of drum-mic bundles from various manufacturers...
 
Thanks for the info, AlChuck, I will check that issue out. I have been talking to people at work aswell, to get their opinions.
I have also checked out the other forums here, they help to.
Well I am glad there are people like yourself around to help me.
Thanks alot, and I look forward to my next question. (this place rules).
 
Hi.
What type of mic do you already have? Is it an SM57 or 58? Yes, you will need a few more mics, but three will get you off to a good start. I've heard some fantasitc drum recordings from a full kit and only three mics. I myself have had decent luck w/ the three mic setup too, although I usually mic the entire kit. Anyway, get yourself two decent- doesn't have to be expensive (C1000s or BG4.1) small diaphram condensor mics to use as overheads, and a good dynamic mis for the kick drum (d112, etc.). Configure the overheads in an XY pattern over the cymbals/toms, as to be able to record in stereo. You'll also get a nice natural room sound from the overheads. Place the kick mic in the sound hole of the drum- duh- the closer to the beater you get, the more "snap" you will get. Back it away to get more "boom." Anyway, these are just some BASIC tips to help you on your way. As AlChuck said, read the trade pubs. They are a great source of info for these things.

Good luck,
ThreeDogg
 
A great external mixer is the Mackie line. Pretty much sized to needs. I have a Mackie 1202VLZ and it works real nicely. It is 12 channel, but there are 16 and 24 channel versions available. They have nice preamps, routing capabilities, eq, pan etc...and for a pretty decent price.

The 12 channel is listed for $379.00 at http://zzsounds.com.

~Milkman
 
Thanks for your advice, threedogg&milkman,I am learning alot.
I have talked to other people about miking my drums, they say the same thing, so I will try it. I am also going to get a mixer,,this should make all the differance.
Thanks...
 
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