Kick mic vs Snare mic.

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Re-tox_stl

Re-tox_stl

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Hi all. So I am going to start tracking drums for a friends band monday, and I am in a bit of a predicament. I currently own 4 mics: an sm57, a Studio Projects B1, and a pair of Behringer c2's (Im a 16 year old on a budget). Now as you can see.. i have no kick mic, which is a bit of a problem. So my question is if I use my 2 SDC's as over heads in the recorder man position, would it be more beneficial to put the 57 on his kick or snare? It works for both (snare better than kick obviously), but I just don't know if it would be better to have control of the snare, or get more kick in the mix. All input is appreciated :)

Much love, Drew
 
I would use it on the Kick drum because you will get more snare in the overheads. The kick would be tough to use with only overheads imo.
 
Some songs need the thumping kick more, others have the snare as the backbone. Whichever one is more important to the song/arrangement/feel is an important consideration. Also the drummer is a factor; if he plays loud, you may not need to mic the snare so much; if he play like he's holding wet noodles in his hand, the snare may need more support.

G.
 
I'd try to find a place to put the B1 on the snare then you can put the 57 on the kick. Or, put the 57 on the snare and put the B1 out in front of the kick. Either way, I'd definitely give it some more space away from the drum than you would if you were using a dynamic mic. If you have em, you might was well try and use them.
 
I'd go with the 57 on snare and the B1 somewhere in front on the kick.

It's a good chance to experiment though...so you might want to try both ways just to gain some experience about mic placement and getting to know your mics a little better.
 
It would also be my first instinct to go 57 on snare B1 on kick. I have used the C1 on kick with great results in the past, and 57 is a natural on snare.
 
Hey Drew, I take it that the band has absolutely no microphones to throw into the pot?






:cool:
 
I'm assuming they're bringing the drums, so you don't have the luxury of testing & tweaking before they get there, right? If that's the case, here's my advice: as much as we all like to look like pros and jump right in and nail everything on the first try, you have to be up front with them. Let them know there are a couple/few different options and you want to try them all to see which is best.

To make the process as painless as possible, map out the options on paper beforehand, then set em up, track em, listen and compare. If you just guess at what's best and stick with it, you might think you've nailed it, go through the whole session, only to find a week later when mixing that it's not right. (Yep, I've done that before).

Trust me, taking the extra time to find the best setup on their kit, with their drummer will make you look like more like a pro, not less.
 
I agree with the B1=Kick / 57=Snare... Just don't throw the B1 right into the sound hole... Experiment with placement and I think you might be pleasantly surprised... Try it on the beater side as well...

Good luck and let us know how it turned out

:)
 
As someone who's been there, done that (and continues to do it) RE the teenager on the budget thing, here is probably what I start off doing in this situation...

C2s - overheads
SM57 - snare
B1 - room mic, over the rack toms, hi-hat, or whatever suits the song/style best

Then throw a pair of headphones in the kick and use them to trigger a nice kick sample that suits the song. Not ideal, but it gets the job done and gives you an extra level of flexibility.

Not everyone will agree and it does depend hugely on the sound you're aiming for, but hey, its another suggestion. If, for example, you wanted to record laid-back jazz then I would probably do recorderman overheads, SM57 on the snare and the B1 out the front of the kick.
 
I'd use the dynamic mic for the kick, and the condensor for the snare.
 
Nakatira said:
I'd use the dynamic mic for the kick, and the condensor for the snare.
Click to expand...

What is your reasoning? I suggested the B1 on kick because it can record lower frequencies than the 57. I suggested the 57 on snare simply because a million people have made it work before.
 
Chibi Nappa said:
What is your reasoning? I suggested the B1 on kick because it can record lower frequencies than the 57. I suggested the 57 on snare simply because a million people have made it work before.
Click to expand...

My reasoning, is if I only had 3 microphones two Sdc's and a sm57 I'd use the dynamic on the kick, due to the fact that the snare usually gets a nice represenatation from the Oh's (sdc's).

I generally prefer dynamics on kicks, I think you can get away with using a condensor on a snare, If I'm not mistaken it has been done on quite a few good sounding records.

besides the sm57 has a roll of at 40hz if I'm not mistaken, so it should be doing allright:)
 
i would keep the 57 on the snare and use the b1 on the kick. my favorite setup is using the h4n in 4 track mode using the condesers as over heads 57 on snare and a behringer b1 on kick. the kick is awesome tight and cuts thrue perfectly.
 
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