Intro Please to Micing Drums (trap set)?

[thegibsonkid]

I use a tascam US-800 with Ableton Live 8 and Pro Tools 9. The interface has 2 stereo inputs and 6 mono inputs on the back. I have never successfully mic'd a drum set before (without just using one or two mics-doesn't sound great) and I want to know what I need to do. Sure, I could plug EACH mic cable into EACH input on the interface, creating 4 separate mic tracks (I plan on micing with 4 mics), but I know there MUST be an easier way. What would I need to do to compress the 4 mic'd tracks from the drums into a single track that combines all of them. This way, it will be much easier to manage when mixing the track. So I guess basically what I am asking is what do I need to do to mic drums besides using 4 different input tracks for each of the mics? I'm thinking maybe a small mixer with a single line out? That would just be my first guess. If anyone can help I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[Dogbreath]

nah...seriously dude...use the 4 inputs.
If you try to get em all on one track or even a stereo pair, you'll have NO control of the drums when you get em into a mix. You'll want that later.

Google up the "Recorderman" or "Glyn Johns" methods of drum miking. Both will say something about using 2 OH's and a kick mic but I add a snare mic as well.
4 inputs.

Then you'll have control over each. Kick...snare...2 overheads.
Much better sound that way.

Some things you just can't short cut and still expect quality.

 

[thegibsonkid]

Okay...I can definitely understand that...and I would prefer to have more control over that later on in the mix. However, I mic the bass...and I would like to mic the snare. As far as the toms and cymbals (I just have 1 crash and 1 ride), just trial and error on looking for the right place to positions the overheads?

 

[Dogbreath]

huh uh...look up those two techniques I was yappin about up there.
Good techniques.
check em out.
The OH's will catch your cymbals, toms...the whole kit. And that's what ya want. Capture the whole kit, as one instrument with the OH's...then bring your kick and snare mics up til they blend just right.

 

[thegibsonkid]

Okay...just checked out a pretty detailed user guide PDF of the Glyn Johns technique...can't wait to try it out. But they said to use a mixer...even though it may mean a loss of control later on, do people typically use a mixer to get a single input line out?

 

[xbxrxixtx]

I just did a project with a group and I used two condensers and two dynamics. The dynamics went on the snare and kick, and I used the condensers as somewhat overheads. I put one about 46 inches above the snare, and the other to the left of the drummer at about head level 46 inches away pointed at the snare. This gave me a good vintage type sound.

Now when it comes to mixing I'll create an aux track and send all 4 channels to that aux track to control the entire kit. This way I can process each mic in the kit with EQ or compression, and panning or whatever. Then I'll mix the levels to my liking on the aux track. Once that is done I have one fader for the entire kit to mix with everything else rather than having to mix every piece of the kit with everything else.

If you aren't sure how to do that you will create a new aux track. Then select a stereo bus as the input. For me its bus 1-2. Then set the output of the kit tracks to bus 1-2. This will take your 4 kit tracks and bus them to a single stereo track. This allows you to process each piece of the kit to your liking, and then you can process the entire kit on the aux track if you wanted to add a reverb, or compress it or whatever you want to do. It makes mixing a kit much easier.

^^^Thats how I do it in Audiodesk, but I'm sure most programs will be similar.

You could also use a small mixer and take the output of that into your interface. The problem with that would be that if once you got it into your software you would lose individual control over each track. If the snare is a little low you would have to try and EQ it back in or something like that. For me I would want the control over the tracks during mixing but everyone has their own taste.