Does anyone have example?

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Creep

Creep

Milk It
Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I couldn't figure which one it should go in.

I was wondering if anyone had a recording of just drums being recorded with one mic in the best position they could find? I've only got one mic right now and quality isn't a big deal (it's not for gigs etc) so if anyone has one I've been searching and searching but can't find an example.

Thanks a lot and move this if it's in the wrong place.

-Creep
 
I don't have a decent example of this on this machine, but why do you need it just out of interest?

If you want to know the best place to put your 1 mic for your own recording it probably depends on the room all other things, get a mate to hit/play the kit and walk around the room until it sounds best to your ears. Once you have the spot, stick the mic where your head is.

I've heard good results from 2-3ft in front of the kit at around standing height, pointing down at the snare. I'm sure there'll be some other suggestions around though...
 
Oh I'm just intrigued because I'm probably going to try it. I'm looking for examples because I want to know if it's worth trying, if it's absolutely awful I wouldn't bother.

I'm just really into the cheap recording, I love a scratchy sound :) Haha sounds odd yeah.
 
well, not quite what you asked for, but here is an example of "recorderman" type micing. the first segment is two mics in loose recorderman placement, just further away (about 4'). second segment is same clip with kick mic and bottom snare mic mixed in. i record drums like this (or some iteration thereof) when inputs are at a premium (basically anytime i am tracking a band). otherwise, i do like to put mics on top of the toms and snare, too. unfortunately, my results are limited by my room and its 9' ceilings. i have had killer results with those same 4 mics in a better room, notably, an old-school 150-ish seat theater (or is that theatre?) with wooden stage, seating, flooring, etc--- pretty darn live, really, but produced some huge drums. north carolinians know the place as olde playmakers theater, on campus at UNC.

know in advance that i am no kind of dennis chambers, but rather a somewhat ambiguous rawk kinda drummer.

a

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6212630
 
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toobalicious said:
since you asked so nicely, here is a quick take with a single SM58. placement 5' out front, about 4' off of the ground, and pointed at top of BD hoop.

same drums in the same spot as the sample above.

cant you afford just one more mic?

a

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=761741&songID=6212816
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot man! Much appreciated! Thanks for going out of you way to help me :)

Thats great, I am looking at buying a SM57 or and SM58, what would you recommend?

Cheers!
 
you going for that low-fi "desert sessions" sort of sound? the drums lose so much character by micing this way, but it is a classic sort of sound that is on many recordings.

i used the 58 only because i thought i remembered you posting about one earlier. the 57 might be marginally better at this. if you are going for "that" sound, i would guess that either would be just as good (brash cymbals, boxy drums with little definition). if you want to use that technique to try and sound as good as possible, though, perhaps you should consider one of the inexpensive chinese reissues-of-mics-they-never-made. you would need phantom power for most of these (which from your posts, i dont think you have), but there are a few that use batteries. not saying this will fix everything, but at least you would get a more full-frequency representation of the drums. the usb mics mentioned previously are another reasonable option.

at an SM58-or-less pricepoint, consider something like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-MXL-990991-and-Audio-Buddy-Package?sku=703626

two less-than-terrible mics and a preamp with phantom power for $100. you can do a recorderman sort of placement then, and your results will be much better.

a
 
Cheers for that toobalicious. :) I'm going for a 'garage demo' kind of sound (which is pretty low quality) because when we record our albums we always go into a studio, but this is just a little something I can set up at our drummers house so we can record songs to develop them, they're not for release. I'm trying to make it as inexpensive as possible.

at an SM58-or-less pricepoint, consider something like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-MXL-990991-and-Audio-Buddy-Package?sku=703626
Click to expand...

That looks great and I'd definately be interested in buying it, Do you know if it ships to Australia?

I'm probably going to buy a 57, but I'm not too sure yet. Also, I've been surfing Musicians Friend, and is it a trusted site? I'm a bit sketchy to buy something off a site I havn't really heard about.

Cheers.
 
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Creep said:
Cheers for that toobalicious. :)

I'm probably going to buy a 57, but I'm not too sure yet. Also, I've been surfing Musicians Friend, and is it a trusted site? I'm a bit sketchy to buy something off a site I havn't really heard about.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

I'm going for a 'garage demo' kind of sound (which is pretty low quality) because when we record our albums we always go into a studio, but this is just a little something I can set up at our drummers house so we can record songs to develop them, they're not for release. I'm trying to make it as inexpensive as possible.



That looks great and I'd definately be interested in buying it, Do you know if it ships to Australia?

i dont know about the "ships to australia" part, but musicians friend is one of the largest online retailers of this stuff in the USA. of course, some of the problems that come with a huge company apply here as well, but they are pretty painless to deal with as far as returns are concerned. there were some problems i read about during their move to a bigger warehouse, but those are supposed to be worked out by now. they are kind of the wal-mart of the music gear industry, lol.

i imagine mxl products are available in oz too.

a
 
toobalicious said:
you going for that low-fi "desert sessions" sort of sound? the drums lose so much character by micing this way,
Click to expand...

In your opinion :).

My opinion is that close-mic'ing of any source is an artificial representation of it. That's not to say that it still can't be flattering or still sound good, but the "character" of an instrument is how it sounds; and I don't listen to a snare drum with my ear pressed up within millimeters of it.

I also look as the drum kit as one instrument. Everything works together from the tuning of the drums to the cymbal choice and the stick choice. With a good drummer with a good kit in a good room, you can get plenty of character with one mic.

Having said that, I usually prefer two for a stereo image.

You can also try this:
Put an omni mic near the drummer's right knee. Position it kind of in the middle of the snare and floor tom about level with the snare. This can sometimes give you a reasonably close-mic'd sound of the whole kit with one mic.
 
In your opinion .

My opinion is that close-mic'ing of any source is an artificial representation of it. That's not to say that it still can't be flattering or still sound good, but the "character" of an instrument is how it sounds; and I don't listen to a snare drum with my ear pressed up within millimeters of it.
Click to expand...

you are right... perhaps "character" wasnt the proper word. but i can guarantee one thing, no one at geffen is going to listen to a demo with drums recorded with a single dynamic mic in a crappy, reverberant and low-ceilinged room (garage)--- at least not for long--- no matter what the music is saying.

still, the truth is that you are NOT likely to get a good representation of what a kit sounds like with a single SM58 no matter *what* room it is recorded in. the mids will still be peaked, the high end rolled off, and the low end tubby. it colors the sound appreciably, if only because of the far-from-flat response of the mic, even discounting other variables.

of course, when *i* close mic, it is more like 100 millimeters. still a little closer than i would want to be for any amount of time.

a
 
toobalicious said:
you going for that low-fi "desert sessions" sort of sound? the drums lose so much character by micing this way, but it is a classic sort of sound that is on many recordings.
Click to expand...

BTW, you forgot the last part of the sentence that you quoted, which makes me seem like less of a choad than you wouldve preferred.
hi.gif



a
 
toobalicious said:
which makes me seem like less of a choad than you wouldve preferred.
hi.gif



a
Click to expand...

Not at all. I understand your point, and I agree that the SM58 would not be the right choice for a lone mic, I just forgot to mention that. I have not heard the word choad in a long time, lol. Though I thought it was spelled chode. Maybe it's a regional spelling thing.

:)
 
Just thought about it, this is not something I did but something I talked to a band member about.
The band 'Satori' recorded their drums in a garage with a single ribbon mic and it's one of my favourite drum sounds for the style.

http://www.myspace.com/satorimusic - check out 'Celebration'.
 
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