How to record Tambourine

fritsthegirl

fritsthegirl

Taste of home
Hi there,

I don't have complete drum kit, don't need one, because I've got this really insanely loud tambourine. It consumes all of my ears and song when I record and listen back to it. I've already silenced some of the jangly bits with cork but it's still too loud.

What's the best method to record this thing? I thought maybe reduce the recording volume, but I find you lose a lot of the tinkle and are just left with the slap of it against your hand.

Maybe you get further from the mic? I guess it's kind of nice maybe to step forward in the parts where you want it to be heard? I dunno, maybe you just adjust the levels once you've recorded...how do you all do that then? Thanks in advance!
 
That could be one way record as if you were singing into the microphone yet play the tambourine at your side raise it a lower it to the microphone as needed.
 
Record level shouldn't be much of an effect (turn up now, turn up later..same same
Only three things I've picked up along the way..?
'Tape off some of the ginglie things to simplify the sound (an 'old trick I'm told
Definitely get a little space in there (perhaps..) One a bit of room does do a thing to setting the thing to give it sort of a natural bent'. Two, it's a--frinkin-mazing how easy it is to clip a condensor with stuff like that. ..do that 'jangle some keys up near your mic (even at lots of headroom' tracking level) ..turn them into the sound of thuds' and 'bee bees. :D
Last-- "you put the mic above the tamb' player"

Why? :confused:

.." So they don't walk up on the mic and screw it up!

:)
 
I record my tambourine with a really low input gain on my pre-amp.....and even then from a distance. Those things are loud as hell!

Record low, turn up in the DAW has always been my method but I'm only an amateur. Trial and error to get the required sound. Like every other instrument, use your gain to get it right. :thumbs up:
 
I don't know if you have a dynamic mic or a condensor, but I use a condensor and stand about 4-6ft (1.5-2metres?) from the mic.
 
I record a tambourine fairly regularly. It's easy to lose the jingles and be left with just the slap. What I do sometimes to preserve slap and bring up the jingles in between is simple compression. Dial it in correctly and you'll tame the slap enough to get the jingles shining through. A tambourine isn't very toneful and it's basically just a series of sharp transients, so heavy compression doesn't hurt it's sound.

As for mic, I'll use whatever. Tambos can be loud as shit so I usually go for a dynamic fairly close and add "room" later with a plug-in. I'd recommend avoiding using a condenser and standing far away unless your room sounds good. A roomy tambo in a bad room sounds like ass. My tambourine is plastic and really loud and bright, so I usually roll off the highs too to keep it from sounding like broken glass.
 
I use a SDC about 3 feet away. Keep the levels fairly low. Then I hit is with a High pass filter along with a high shelf. I cut some of the really high highs as they are not necessary. This helps soften the sound of the tamb. The transients are pretty intense but if its too much I would go ahead and slam down with some fast compression as greg said.
 
It might sound strange, but I usually turn my back to the mic.
More often than not I'll record a few layers, so one might be off axis 3 or 4 feet away, the rest will be various distances but with my body between the mic and the tambourine.
I end up with two or three tracks, some of which are brighter than the others and then just blend to taste.

Same thing goes for handclaps.
 
Steenamaroo said:
It might sound strange, but I usually turn my back to the mic.
More often than not I'll record a few layers, so one might be off axis 3 or 4 feet away, the rest will be various distances but with my body between the mic and the tambourine.
I end up with two or three tracks, some of which are brighter than the others and then just blend to taste.

Same thing goes for handclaps.
Click to expand...

Must make for quite a nice lush backdrop..?
 
Mr Clean said:
Those things are loud as hell!
Click to expand...

Yeh man, I got the one with two rows, thinking it's only £5 more and SURELY more jingles must be better?! Idiot. Wish I had the single row, beaten up, with half the jingles missing. Maybe I'll tie it along the back of bike for a while, wear it out a bit.
 
Steenamaroo said:
It might sound strange, but I usually turn my back to the mic.
More often than not I'll record a few layers, so one might be off axis 3 or 4 feet away, the rest will be various distances but with my body between the mic and the tambourine.
I end up with two or three tracks, some of which are brighter than the others and then just blend to taste.

Same thing goes for handclaps.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I'l give it a go for sure.
 
Greg_L said:
A tambourine isn't very toneful and it's basically just a series of sharp transients, so heavy compression doesn't hurt it's sound.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks for the knowledge. I think what you're saying is percussion can be manhandled a bit more in the mixing stage than say vocals & guitar? I'll give this heavy handedness a go, being a beginner, that might be achievable. What do you mean by roll off the highs?
 
mixsit said:
Must make for quite a nice lush backdrop..?
Click to expand...

Usually sounds quite realistic, like there really was a small group of people clapping.
Layering up close miced clapping in the past has just sounded too dry and fake.

Maybe not a shining example just yet, but here's 3 layers of handclaps from the other day.

I wana see a photo of Greg's face when he realises there's no snare! :eek:
 
RAMI said:
I don't know if you have a dynamic mic or a condensor, but I use a condensor and stand about 4-6ft (1.5-2metres?) from the mic.
Click to expand...

(Condensor) Literally step by step instructions - love it. That's a lot further than I was from the mic so no wonder it sounded like a dogs dinner.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Usually sounds quite realistic, like there really was a small group of people clapping.
Layering up close miced clapping in the past has just sounded too dry and fake.

Maybe not a shining example just yet, but here's 3 layers of handclaps from the other day.

I wana see a photo of Greg's face when he realises there's no snare! :eek:
Click to expand...

Yeh when you only have a handful of instruments/hands you really have to bring out the best in them sound wise. That sounded pretty good to me those layered hand claps. Nice geetar too. :)
 
fritsthegirl said:
Cool, thanks for the knowledge. I think what you're saying is percussion can be manhandled a bit more in the mixing stage than say vocals & guitar? I'll give this heavy handedness a go, being a beginner, that might be achievable. What do you mean by roll off the highs?
Click to expand...

Yes, compression on percussion isn't usually as damaging as it can be on instruments that play actual notes.

"Rolling off the highs" just means sloping off the higher frequencies with EQ.
 
Yeah, I struggle with this seemingly simple task myself quite often.

Some past tambourine tracks of mine have been compared to static or crunching glass.

I think the more successful attempts involved staying back from the mic (normally a LDC) at least 4 or 5 feet, and some substantial cuts in certain hi freq regions (varies depending on the other instruments in the mix).
 
heatmiser said:
Yeah, I struggle with this seemingly simple task myself quite often.

Some past tambourine tracks of mine have been compared to static or crunching glass.

I think the more successful attempts involved staying back from the mic (normally a LDC) at least 4 or 5 feet, and some substantial cuts in certain hi freq regions (varies depending on the other instruments in the mix).
Click to expand...


I will try removing myself from the mic once the kids next door are just about to get into bed. Just kidding.
 
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