Best Way to Mic Drums

[Peetr3]

Ok guys being that I'm a total newbie to this forum I'm gonna ask a question you pro's will probably scoff at. Regular 5 peice Tama (not that it matters) drum set. I have shure sm 57 and a 58 and a nice boom mic. Which mic's do I put and where? How far or close or anywhere should a mic be relative to the bass drum? Same for high hats etc? I have 4 good mic's but I don't know if I should use them all or where I should put them for the best top notch recording into my Roland VS-8080XE. I've messed around with some combinations but what is the actual best!?
THanks in Advance
- Pete R.

 

[Swede]

I don't think it's possible to get a decent drum-sound with only dynamic mics. I think you need at least one condenser mic for overhead. If you want a good stereo image you need two. It will be really hard to capture the drums, especially the cymbals, with dynamic mics only.

As for placing the placement, I suggest that you do a search on this forum!

 

[Track Rat]

What is a "boom" mic?

 

[eeldip]

i am often suprised at how good this setup sounds:

a single 57 at head height 6-10 feet in front of the drums, pointed at the top of the bass drum.

see what you think of the sound on that.

if there is something you dont like about it, try compensating with the 58 (like maybe not enough cymbals, stick the 58 over head, not enough snare, stick it on the snare).

it isnt a bad sound at all, but it certainly isnt crispy and hi fi. you really are better off with a condenser for that sound, but i would never say you "need" a condenser for drum recording.

(my current favorite setup with my kit is beyer m260 top, md441 on snare, atm25 on bass drum--- no condensers there)

 

[anawim]

i picked up a couple of audio-technica pro45 condenser mics that sound pretty good...not top notch, but they sound better than anything else i've used. i just stick em on the end of some boom stands with a spring mic clip & some foam, about 1-2 inches in front of the cymbals pointing inward. if you position em right, you get a pretty good hi-hat sound.

 

[Meshuggah]

Regular 5 peice Tama (not that it matters) drum set.

Well.. brand doesn't matter, but the most important part of getting a good drum sound is the actual drums, and the drummer that comes with 'em..
You could probably get a good take using only 3-4 SM57s with a great drummer and a great kit.

 

[Peetr3]

Sorry for the miscommunication

I don't think it's possible to get a decent drum-sound with only dynamic mics. I think you need at least one condenser mic for overhead."


Well sorry for the confusion guys, i do have a condenser mic. By "boom" mic (my stupid lingo) I meant an Audio Technica AT4040 Cardioid Condenser mic. Thanks for the tips though guys it is much appreciated!

 

[eeldip]

then you could try the 4040 on top, 57 snare, 58 bass drum.

that will get you a more crispy modern sound. but the bass drum will not have the low lows...

or you could try 57 top, 4040 front 6 feet away 3 feet up... if you want to soften up the cymbals. the 4040 should pick up the bass drum pretty well...

what is your room like?

 

[Peetr3]

"what is your room like?"

Well my room is fairly small...not closet sized but small nonetheless. Does this matter that much? I was thinking about sound proofing...in fact i just posted a sound proofing question before. There is enough room for the six feet by three ft. that was mentioned though thanks for that by the way.

 

[Dr. Bell]

Psst... dude... you can totally learn all of this stuff other places, like a book. Or a magazine. Or the thousands of free articles on the internet about music and recording. You can't learn a subject in and out with a 25 word response from someone on the internet. There just isn't a good answer to the questions "what's the best way to mic drums" or "does the room matter." I don't mean to be an ass, but really... you're going to have to put some time into this stuff if you want to get good at it.

 

[Peetr3]

LoL Well books are on their way via amazon so don't worry. I'm not looking for a 10 page response here I'm just looking for personal opinion and personal experience thats all! Just a few pointers as have been given. And you're not being an ass don't worry expressing your opinion is cool.

 

[Richard Monroe]

C'mon, You can't get good sound with dynamics alone? Bull. People have done it for years, with some success. I'll take the statement to mean that many people, including Swede, prefer one or more condensers in the mix. What I want to know is how you're getting all those mics into the VS Studio. Are you going through a mixer? As far as I understand your DAW, correct me if I'm wrong, you only have 2 mic level XLR inputs, the rest are 1/4" line level (+4) inputs. Dynamic mic straight into that? Not. Where are your multiple mic inputs? Oh, and one of your next purchases really needs to be a kick drum mic and a pair of cheap condensers
for overheads. The AT mic should be good for acoustic instruments and vocals, and might be very good on percussion as well. Use the pad on the mic initially, and see how loud it is. Mostly, you just have to put your ears to work and listen. Find the right place for each mic with your ears.-Richie

 

[Light]

Three mics for drums? Here is what Fletcher has to say about it.


Now, if the drummer is good, and can control their volume well, you can do it with two. 4040 as an over head, just above and just in front of the drummers head, as close as the drummer is comfortable with. An omni works better, but you don't have one so WTF, right? If your drummer is REALLY good, and the sound is right, you might not need any other mics at all. If you do, it will most likely be a kick mic. It works for me.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Peetr3]

" What I want to know is how you're getting all those mics into the VS Studio. Are you going through a mixer?"

Yeah Rich, I'm going through a Mackie mixer. I direct the mics into that then send them to the VS Studio with my guitar cables.