Kick Drum Recording...

[ez_willis]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of recording a kick without a front head?

I'm using an ATM25 on my kick right now.

And what's the general consensus(if there is one) of removing the front kick head when recording?

 

[Farview]

If you have the vent hole in the front head, that is the way to go. If you don't have the hole in the front head, take it off.

The front head gives you the resonance and the batter head gives you the attack. (over simplified explanation) With the vent, you get the best of both worlds, resonance and access to the attack of the batter head.

with out the hole, you won't be able to get much attack. Depending on the style of music, you are better off taking the front head off to stick the mic inside to get the attack.

 

[rory]

I'd say it depends on the situation. We've got a couple of kicks ready to go, different sizes and different heads for each size. With no head, you get a lot of attack with very little resonance. Great rock sound. The port is a great way to go, stick a mic near the hole and one a few feet away and you get a nice blend of attack and resonance that you can blend to taste. I really like a full head on the front too (thats what she said). This is, for me, the hardest to get sounding right, which could be why many people dislike it, but its a neat sound. You can slap two mics on the drum, one in front and one on the back, one for attack and one for res. Placement is tougher because you will probably get more bleed, but if you're going for a real natural sound I'd try this first.

Rory

 

[Farview]

I really like a full head on the front too (thats what she said). This is, for me, the hardest to get sounding right, which could be why many people dislike it, but its a neat sound.

People dislike it because it doesn't work for most types of music and most drummers don't have the skills to make it really work.

 

[ez_willis]

stick a mic near the hole and one a few feet away and you get a nice blend of attack and resonance that you can blend to taste.

I thought the two mic's should be the same distance from their prospective heads because of phase relationship?

Let me clarify my setup.

I have a 22" x 16" kick with a front head on but a hole cut in it. I use the ATM25 about 4" from the batter head pointed at the beater. I also have an SP B1 4" from the front head.

Removing the front head would not benefit me, correct?

 

[ez_willis]

most drummers don't have the skills to make it really work.

I barely have the skills to move all of my limbs at the same time!

 

[The Flame]

i like it on

i used to have my kick drum head off, and it sounded too open. i liked that closed sound for metal. so when i closed it up, my bass drum was louder, focused, and recorded a lot better. i just added some eq to make the sounds i need on the kick and it freakin rocks now. whatever you do, if you dont have the hole in the resonate head, remeber to take it off, as said earlier, otherwise you get this weird shake. i know my old kick sucked without the resonate head, now it rocks.

 

[cephus]

Overdub it with a sampled BD from my drum machine. I can never get a good BD sound.

I think alot of it is technique. When i play, I tend to stomp down the pedal and leave the beater against the head. Thud! If I try really hard, I can smack the head then let the beater recoil. Too bad when i try really hard, I end up playing like a prick.

I used to play with a drummer that had a trigger mic on his BD. When he stomped it triggered a sampled sound to the desk. That's for me, baby.

 

[Farview]

Removing the front head would not benefit me, correct?

Nope.
Try putting the mic just inside the hole, lining up the diaphragm with the front head. I have not used the atm25, so I don't know where it likes to be placed. A D112 likes to be placed where you have yours, a Beta 52 likes to be just inside the hole.

 

[Farview]

I can never get a good BD sound.

I think alot of it is technique. When i play, I tend to stomp down the pedal and leave the beater against the head.

I tend to do that too. If you are just getting a dull thud, you might need a new head, or you have the drum stuffed with a pillow or something. Try a hard beater, Evans EMAD head and take all the stuff out of the kick.

 

[LeeRosario]

Yeh,


Kick seems to be one of those things that really leaves all this room for interpretation. Cause on one end, you have the slap of the kick. That requires one seperate type of approach.

Then the thud or body of the kick, which sometimes requires a complete other treatment.

So eventually you start seeing these electret condensers up inside the kick and then another mic probably like a good 12 feet away (as an example). Lucky with DAWs you just go in there and nudge the hits in place.

The tunning always seemed to make the difference, whether full head, sound hole or no head, but that's out of my experience.

On the flipside, they say a hole bigger than 6inches in diameter produces about the same effect as not having a head at all.