drum overheads

  • Thread starter Thread starter flatrockrecordin
  • Start date Start date
F

flatrockrecordin

New member
Just a quick survey...

How about everyone tell us what each of you use for drum overheads.

1. Whether you use OH's for the majority of the kit or just for cymbals.
2. Specific mic(s) used.
3. Position of mic(s) in relation to the rest of the kit. How high up.etc.
4. If 2 mics, then spaced pair, XY, etc. Grills pointing toward each other or away from each other?
 
Hi Flatrock - what I do is I draw line through the kit from the kick to the snare and place an overhead either side of this line. You end up with one over the first tom and crash and the other over the floor tom and crash equidistant apart from the centre line. I balance them by asking the drummer to hit the snareso the snare sounds center in the center phantom speaker. If the first tom is now too loud relative to the floor you raise the first tom mike retaining the balance with the snare. When the whole kit is played you should hear a nice widish stereo version of the kit with the snare center, the first tom right with it's crash and the floor tom left with it's crash. This will become your main open sound and I put reverb on both mikes. You then add the close mikes to add presence and EQ to the sounds. By riding the O/Heads you can bring the kit forward (pulling them back) or back in perspective (increasing them), like forward and dryer during the verse when playing a rimshot and them back (with more verb) for the chorus where you want the big boof snare etc.
I hope this helps - I've been doing it for years and it works for me
cheers
 
C1000's

AKG C1000's for drum overheads. i swear by them

-rox
Producer, Long Wave Studio
 
I use an XY pair of Oktava MC012s for overheads ... just for cymbals though, as the drums are close miked. The capsules are at about 90º and the grills face each other (I think grills facing away from each other is actually called an ORTF pattern).
I mount them about 2-3 feet above the drummers head behind the kit. Recently, I added a stereo mic bar for these overheads, which helps keep the mics at the right angle.
So far, this set up as worked very well for me.
 
ORTF pair of AKG-C-1000s about 3' over the drums and I tight mic the hi hat and ride with a pair of Tascam PE-80 condensers to their own tracks. I just mix in enough to get the amount of "ting" from the ride or hat to go with the overheads.
 
I use a pair of Earthworks TC30K's, and they sound incredible. All of the drums, including the ride & hats, are close miked, so the overheads are primarily for the crashes, and to add presence to the drum mix. I have them spaced about 4 feet apart, aimed down & slightly out, as they're omni's. The positioning of course depends upon the kit set-up you're dealing with.

Kris
 
I use an Sm81 for Hihats, but I like the AT4033s better as overheads :D
 
you gotta use what you got (till you get better mics)

I use a NT-1 and an Audio technica ATM41HE dynamic, in a spaced pair. It works out OK for my drummers kit, as the dynamic does well over the few cymbals and hithat that are on the left side of the kit and for the roto toms and timbales. ON the right side of the kit the NT-1 gets the brunt of two floor toms and a big ol gong bass drum and about 7 cymbals including another set of hats and three chinas! The toms and snare are also closed miced, between every drum, I in no way have enough mics for close micing everthing on his 10 piece kit!

-jhe
 
overhead mics

I have always had luck with a pair of Neumann u67's spaced 3 - 4 feet apart. I usually place them about 3 feet above the ride cymb. and in a line with the front edge of the snare ( the side farthest from the drummer). I tilt the grills so that they are pointing up slightly towards the drummer. I have also used this set-up with Neumann tlm170's and found them to be a little thin.
 
Overheads, eh?

>1. Whether you use OH's for the majority of the kit or just for cymbals.

I usually try to use two mics over the kit to get a little room ambience and overall kit sound.

>2. Specific mic(s) used.

I try to use one or two AKG C3000 mics.

>3. Position of mic(s) in relation to the rest of the kit. How high up.etc.

They're usually around 2-3 feet above the ride cymbal. I usually have them seperated by about 3-4 feet.

>4. If 2 mics, then spaced pair, XY, etc. Grills pointing toward each other or away from each other?

Sometimes I point the grills towards each other, sometimes I point them down on the kit and there are even times when I point one towards a wall and another either down on the kit or against the opposite wall. Depends really... I've only ever had the chance to record drums once.

Adam.
 
It is very true that I am lucky enough to work in studios that have tese kinds of mics. I have used the same set up with akg 414uls's and found them acceptable. The biggest thing is to just make sure that all of the mics, whatever type you use, are in phase and then it seems like you cant go wrong. That is unless your source sounds like poop. You can only polish a turd so much.
 
yes jamie - phase - I seem to be the only one around here who cares about it till you came along - thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top