How would you record a whole drum kit with just one SM57?

[Bubba po]

Thick? Why? Because I disagree with you? Get your head out of your ass, you're being a little baby.

He used 57's as overheads. You consider OVERHEADS close-micing? Like I said, get your head out of your ass, you're being ignorant. You really think using a condenser in this case would be better? Learn something about recording and then get back to me.

What I'm SAYING is, that your example of the Hall and Oates recording is a non-sequitur because it isn't anything like the same situation. Why not reference a successful recording a kit using a single dynamic mic, like the OP is enquiring about?

 

[RAMI]

I use to do this with a Radio Shack mic behind me, about shoulder level, maybe a few feet behind my back, got a decent sound for what it was.

Seriously, it can't be that bad. An SM57 is so many times better than that mic was.

Stop it. You're going to make someone little bitch cry. You're being thick.

I'll pass on the rest of this thread. I've made my point.

 

[Bubba po]

And I think you have a problem in reading, cos I haven't once mentioned a condenser mic in this discussion.

 

[RAMI]

What I'm SAYING is, that your example of the Hall and Oates recording is a non-sequitur because it isn't anything like the same situation. Why not reference a successful recording a kit using a single dynamic mic, like the OP is enquiring about?

Why don't you reference a successful drum recording using just one mic of any kind. You're putting your foot in your mouth on a consistent basis here. Stop being so thick.

OK....NOW I'm out. I just happened to not be gone yet when this post came in. I've wasted enough time here.

 

[Bubba po]

Why don't you reference a successful drum recording using just one mic of any kind.

Why would I want to do that? I think it would be very difficult to do that kind of recording. I also don't think it would be pertinent to the discussion, because that's not the point I'm making.

 

[dreib]

I may run home from work and grab my Laptop then run to my studio and do a recording with one sm57 just for the hell of it.

 

[rob aylestone]

How about Elvis Presley - one U47 over the entire kit, detailed here by Bruce Bartlett.
Recording: In The Studio: Detailing The Techniques Used To Record Rick Nelson - Pro Sound Web
So many people only know multi-miked recording techniques, simply because they never had to work with less. The BBC (like the US companies) up until the late 60s didn't have much need for more than one mic, then when the kick drum became more dominant in the music they added a mic to the bass drum, then it expanded into what we have today. To suggest you can't have hit records with one drum mic is plainly wrong - you just can't have them now! Techniques evolved as needs and technology changed. Some of the early Buddy Holly recordings that have emerged direct from the studio tapes show very clearly what can be done with really simple mic techniques - and the quality really is rather good. I have no idea why people have got so incensed in this topic. Nowadays we wouldn't use a single mic, but you certainly could for some things. Didn't the Beatle's engineer get told off by EMI for using close mic techniques when the rule was distance only?

 

[Greg_L]

Newsflash - it's not the 50s anymore.

 

[RAMI]

Why would I want to do that? I think it would be very difficult to do that kind of recording. I also don't think it would be pertinent to the discussion, because that's not the point I'm making.

It's all good, man. It wasn't the point that I was trying to make either. Mentioning Hall and Oates (who I really couldn't give a fuck about) was just an off-hand response to show that 57's can be used as overheads, not only close mics.

Either way, we were both just being a little hard-headed and stubborn and off-topic. Anyway, the guy only has a garage, a 57, and a cassette deck. He doesn't really have much choice other than to use what he's got, it seems.

 

[RAMI]

Shit, I wanted to smoke a peace-pipe with Bubba, but: "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Bubba po again."

 

[Steenamaroo]

Consider it done.

 

[rob aylestone]

Quite agree - and Cubase 7.5 has some great video tutorials with people saying the new sampler sounds are sick! I actually agreed with that, or at least I 'think' I agreed - but maybe sick doesn't mean bad? Seriously, though - maybe the OP wan't kidney shaking kick drum, which ain't going to happen - but he might be into early rock 'n' roll when it might be just dandy!

 

[Farview]

Put the mic about snare height, about 6 inches in front of the kick, pointed at the snare.

Record, listen.

If you need more kick, move the mic more in front of the kick. if you need less kick , raise the mic up a few inches.

The kick and snare balance will be the key. Everything else will just be what it is.

 

[Bubba po]

Shit, I wanted to smoke a peace-pipe with Bubba, but: "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Bubba po again."

Sh*t - same here. Seriously, I must rep more. Glad we're not continuing to be at loggerheads - after all, I'll probably be asking your advice before long.

 

[grimtraveller]

The issues raised in this thread bring up what for me is an interesting sidetrack.
So much is made of the way in which drums were recorded in the 50s and mid to late 60s but in reality, multi miking of drums has been the standard way of recording drums since at least 1969. Even in the late 60s, the idea of one mic on the drums was passé and by 1971 few albums or singles, even in jazz, would allocate just one track for the drums.
So what we've been hearing for the last 45 years is "modern drums." Which begs the question, is there really anything new that can happen in terms of recording drums ? Are there any revolutionary techniques that haven't been thought of or is everything from here onwards simply going to be variations on a well trodden, familiar, though no less effective, theme ?

 

[Armistice]

The issues raised in this thread bring up what for me is an interesting sidetrack.
So much is made of the way in which drums were recorded in the 50s and mid to late 60s but in reality, multi miking of drums has been the standard way of recording drums since at least 1969. Even in the late 60s, the idea of one mic on the drums was passé and by 1971 few albums or singles, even in jazz, would allocate just one track for the drums.
So what we've been hearing for the last 45 years is "modern drums." Which begs the question, is there really anything new that can happen in terms of recording drums ? Are there any revolutionary techniques that haven't been thought of or is everything from here onwards simply going to be variations on a well trodden, familiar, though no less effective, theme ?

You could say the same about any acoustic instrument Grim.... there's no new cutting edge techniques to record acoustic guitar, or piano either...

Treatment of the recorded sound is another issue, especially with drums, what with those awful huge reverbed and gated snare sounds of past decades, and particular over-emphasis of tom-toms in the mix (IMHO, I know jack about it all really), and some strange panning techniques... (check out Ted Leo and the Pharmacists for drum panning strangeness..).

I so much prefer today's generally "tighter" less embellished drum sounds over anything I've heard in the past...

 

[grimtraveller]

You could say the same about any acoustic instrument Grim.... there's no new cutting edge techniques to record acoustic guitar, or piano either...

I agree. In some of the "how do I record acoustic guitar" threads that routinely come up, I've felt like saying that and I remember someone getting kind of shirty with me a couple of years back when I remarked that no matter how the acoustic guitar was recorded, it always sounded like an acoustic guitar to me......

Treatment of the recorded sound is another issue

And that's where a person's personal preference is King, I guess. This is the area of experimentation, but even there, there comes a point where you run out of new things you can do.

 

[muttley600]

Do it one drum at a time.

No no no... Move the mic round the kit really quickly...

 

[witzendoz]

After 2 days and 38 replies I have thought hard about the question "How would you record a whole drum kit with just one SM57?" and the answer is....... I wouldn't.

Alan.

 

[Mr Clean]

After 2 days and 38 replies I have though hard about the question "How would you record a whole drum kit with just one SM57?" and the answer is....... I wouldn't.

Alan.

^^^^^This^^^^^