Compressors..

[andycerrone]

Ok, this is a question that I've got for all of you. How do you mic your drums, not just like, how many mics, which, but more so which mics do you put your better compressors on, which are the most compressed, do you pan the drums to sound live, anything on that idea. Go wild.

 

[Bulls Hit]

I generally EQ & compress the doubled snare track, usually with the 1176.

Sometime I double the drum submix and compress with LA2A for additional volume

 

[LIMiT]

Recently..this was my setup. Nothing compressed more than to catch the odd peak transient on the way in (like hitting a mic, or the odd snare roll buildup when thr drummer isn't great at controlling dynamics)
Most of the sound of the drums came from the O/Hs and the room mic. The close mics (especially the snare) acted as a verb trigger more often than not during mixing.
I didn't include any mixing techniques as they were not directly requested for.

Hope this helps:

O/Hs - AT4041's ->RNP ->RNC->DAW
For Monitoring during Tracking: panned 100 L/R drummers perspective
For Mixing : panned never more than 75 L/R (and rarely that) audience perspective

Kick1 - D112 ->MA Octane ->DAW
Not sent to drummer for monitoring during tracking.
Panned center for Mixing

Kick2 - 421 ->MA Ocatane ->DAW
Panned Center for mixing and tracking

Kick3 - NS10 ->MA Octane ->RNC ->DAW
Center for mixing

SnareTop - SM57 ->RNP->RNC ->DAW
Tracking: panned center (bussed with mic2) , sent to Alesis MidiVerb4 snare plate
Mixing: panned center, blended with mic2

SnareBottom - SM57->Digi002->DAW
*Phased reversed*
Tracking: bussed Snare 1 and 2 to 1 track, blended + Alesis Verb
Mixing: panned center, blended with mic 1

Room - Apex460(m) ->MA Octane->DAW
Tracking and Mixing: Panned center

RTom - e609->MA Octane->DAW
Tracking: Not monitored
Mxing: Panned 34 R

FTom -e609->MA Octane->DAW
Tracking: not monitored
Mixing: panned 48 L

-LIMiT

 

[ez_willis]

I generally EQ & compress the doubled snare track, usually with the 1176.

Sometime I double the drum submix and compress with LA2A for additional volume

Both excellent tips that I'll be ripping from you!

 

[Cult_Status02]

I usually don't compress anything on the way in. The oly thing that MAY clip after I've got my levels is the snare, but I find a little clippling on the snare isn't too noticable. I have a 7 piece kit set up now, so I like to plit the toms into pairs.

I put one 57 between the high toms kind of coming over the top of them and pointed right down in the middle. Then one more 57 inbetween the mid toms basically the same way. And then one 57 on the floor tom, usually set up behind the kit and about an inch in from the kit angled to point at nearly the center of the kit, but not quite because if I angled it any more it would pic up too much rack tom.

For the Kick, I use a Beta 52 either right near the actually beater, on the beater side, or in front of the kick about 2 inches lower than the top rim. I know many people would hate their kick mic here, but I'm liking it these days, might want to give it a try.

For snare, I put an Audix i5 about 1/2 inch back and about 1 inch up from the rim pointed across the head at a little lower than the opposite head. I usually keep the mic there, but angle more towards the middle for more attack if needed.

For OHs, I use a spaced pair, one above my snare-side cymbals point straight down, and one on the other side also pointed straight down. I typicaly set my OHs as to not pick up too much snare because I don't want that snare sound to over-power everything.

After tracking, if I do compress, it's usually to even out the snare or kick, I'll usually hardlimit it at -6, compensate 2 dB, and then gate a lot of the extra stuff out. For kick, I do it a little bit lower, -9, compensate 2dB.

I pan my OH hard left and right, left being the one snare side, right being the one ride-side, I pan toms in the same fashion, higher tom on the left, lower on the right.

Hope that helps.

 

[laststartoshine]

RTom - e609->MA Octane->DAW
Tracking: Not monitored
Mxing: Panned 34 R

FTom -e609->MA Octane->DAW
Tracking: not monitored
Mixing: panned 48 L

jc, how'd you like the 609s on toms? i love em for guitar, but i'm just curious as to how they sound on toms.