how can i improve my drum recording?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jrosenstein
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jrosenstein

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ok, i'm just into this recording stuff for fun, and until now i haven't dedicated much time to recording drums. but i'm trying to get some practice in, and i was hoping some of you all could critique what i've got so far. don't worry about the playing, it's just messing around. just focus on the recording:

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2212&alid=-1

this was recorded with a friend's kit, which consists of:
3 toms & 22" bass drum from a cheap Tama Rockstar kit
13" Mapex metal snare
2 zildjian crashes, zildjian custom ride, sabian hi-hat, zildjian china

i don't have much to work with equiptment-wise. i have a small mixer with 3-band EQs and 4 pres, and a SBLive. the mics that i own are: SP B3, MXL603s (x2), and a couple of stage-vocal style $100-ish AKG dynamics.

for this recording, i used the 603s as overheads, the B3 on the kick (cardiod, 10db pad), and one of the dynamics on the snare. because of my 2-channel sound card i have to mix this all to stereo, so i can't really play with EQ much after the fact. in this recording, the snare has a small mid boost, and the bass has a little mid cut.

the cymbal sound i got is acceptable, and i'm very happy with the snare. the toms are not bad, except for the floor tom, which sounds "tubby", but that could probably be a tuning issues.

What i really don't like so far is how the kick is sounding. We have a couple of blankets in there, and there are front and back skins, with the mic up against the port in the back skin. this is a very half-assed description, but right now the sound is more of a "bum bum bum", where i'd really like to get rid of the resonance that it has, and make it more of just a thud. are there any tricks you might suggest, short of finding a new kit?

many thanks in advance. knock the recording all you want, as long as it's constructive. :)
 
maybe try taking off the front head on the kick drum...ease off a little on the blankets.. and a some high end EQ on the kick ...even up around 1khz or more for some "snap". It sounds really dead and muffled to me as it is right now.
 
It's probably a head/tuning issue on the kick but here's what I'd try regardless. Put a dynamic mic inside the kick and take the B-3 and put it out in front of the kick about 3'. The dynamic will capture the attack (the click) and the condensor out in front of the kick will capture the "thud" or body of the kick.
 
wow that was fast. thanks so much for the suggestions, i'll play around and see what i can get.

if i hadn't prompted you about the kick, what would your first overall impressions of the recording have been?
 
Last edited:
jrosenstein said:
if i hadn't prompted you about the kick, what would your first impressions of the recording have been?
Click to expand...
That it was a total amateur hack job, recorded by an 8 year old.



















That was totally a joke, btw. hehehehe...Haven't had the pleasure of listening yet, b/c I'm hooking up some new toys to the computer. Just wanted to inject some humor................................ but all I could come up with is what I typed.
 
chrisharris said:
That it was a total amateur hack job, recorded by an 8 year old.
Click to expand...


why i oughta ... *shakes fist*

:D

an 8 year old chimp, actually. but you were close.
 
i just listened to your sample. I agree your snare and cymbals aren't bad. The toms are weak for my taste and the kick...well that's why we're here.:D Does it sound like that in the room? It sounds both miss tuned, dead head and over baffled.
 
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