Led Zep Technique......

  • Thread starter Thread starter JazzMasterWil
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JazzMasterWil

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I've heard a few people mention "the 3 mic led zep technique". Sorry to ask such a dumb question but what is that? Is it 2 overhead and one in the kick. Or is it something complicated?

Thanks, -JMW :D :D :D :D
 
Place an overhead directly over the snare at a length of about 2 1/2 drum sticks, place another overhead over the drummer's right shoulder 2 1/2 drum sticks from the snare. Put a mic in front of the kick.

Pow.

I just used that technique last weekend to record a band.
 
some compression won't hurt for that zep sound either :)
 
JazzMasterWil said:
I've heard a few people mention "the 3 mic led zep technique". Sorry to ask such a dumb question but what is that? Is it 2 overhead and one in the kick. Or is it something complicated?

Thanks, -JMW :D :D :D :D
Click to expand...


Actually, it wasn't a 2 mic technique, there is a third overhead mic in front of the kit. I have a picture of Bonzo's drumkit in the studio, and it has the mics in the picture, iwth bonzo at the kit.

It's like they set the mic's up like a triangle above his head, and they weren't all pointing the in the same direction!


Tim
 
At 2.5 drumsticks above the snare that would even be higher than my crashes. (My are about at my eye level when sitting down (I'm 6'2" though). Does that sound right?

I really do appericate the help guys. I'm not having much luck with close micing everything. It's just not a good sound for me. Thanks again :D
 
JazzMasterWil said:
At 2.5 drumsticks above the snare that would even be higher than my crashes. (My are about at my eye level when sitting down (I'm 6'2" though). Does that sound right?

I really do appericate the help guys. I'm not having much luck with close micing everything. It's just not a good sound for me. Thanks again :D
Click to expand...

Don't feel bad - I don't really like the sound of close mic'ed drums anyway. LOL

Try this:

From behind you, put an overhead directly over your head using a boom stand, and aim it straight down. (make sure the mic is secured, otherwise it might drop on you and knock some sense into you. LOL - You'll be going "Why'd I start playing drums? :p )

Before you do any EQ'ing or anything - listen to the recording of the drums just through that overhead - then if you have to retune or anything, try that.
Once you are happy with the flat sound coming just through that overhead,
then add a kick mic, and repeat the process.
Then add a snare mic.(and you can actually aim the snare mic at the snare's shell to cathc more "body" of the drum.)

Then, once you have these mic's in place - then play with the EQ a little.
Generally, I just scoop out the mids a little.

Record some test tracks flat, and see what they sound like, and do a little eq'ing after you've recorded flat tracks - if you need to boost highs a little, I would boost them before you record - but that's just me. When i was recording on tape, I found that boosting the highs before gave me the extra highs I wanted, without boosting the hiss - which is what would have happened if I boosted the highs on playback.

Both of the songs at this site were recorded live with overdubs using a D112 on each kick, a Beyer #M422 inside the snare, and an Audio Technica #813 (SCD) directly over the drumthrone, and pointing straight down at the top of my head.


http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=3073&alid=1122


Tim
 
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jeff5xo said:
Damn Tim, you sound like the guy from System Of A Down!
Click to expand...


Drumming or singing?

LOL

If it's singing, I also kind of look like him... so it could be the shape of the head or some weird crap like that. :p

I'd rather sound like Dio - but thank the heavens I don't look like him!


Tim
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the help guys. I added to everybody's rep.

I did a test run of the 3 mic technique mentioned in jeff's post. My preliminary results were fan-freaking-tastic even using my crap tubes. (Opps I meant to say mics).

Tim, you should have a p.m. from me. I'm going to give your 1 overhead method a go this weekend. I have to either use a "pencil condensor" or a real cheap l.d.c. that I have. I'll try both and let you know how it works out.

I probally will stick to either 2 or 3 mics. My snare mic is so horrible that it's not even worth messing with. I figure that if I can't add stuff to make my sound better, I can atleast elminate stuff that makes my sound worse.

I'm going to use the increadibly technically sleeping bag around the bass drum technique, and mess around with 2 mic and their over head postions. Thanks for the help guys. And that one link is golden.

If I knew how to contact a "higher up" around here, I'm beg them to make that a sticky. (My comment on the post was something like "sticky sticky sticky sticky, please for the love of god sticky sticky sticky sticky".

Take care everybody. :D :D :D :D :D
 
keep in mind

The thing that really made those sessions happen wasn't just the mike set up - it was Bonham's ability to listen to the playback and adjust his playing accordingly. If he heard one of the toms was'nt loud enough he would hit that one harder to compensate.

Imagine that - actually listening AND adapting! :cool:
Cheers, Rez
 
RezN8 said:
The thing that really made those sessions happen wasn't just the mike set up - it was Bonham's ability to listen to the playback and adjust his playing accordingly. If he heard one of the toms was'nt loud enough he would hit that one harder to compensate.

Imagine that - actually listening AND adapting! :cool:
Cheers, Rez
Click to expand...

problem is, we're not as good as him!
 
Tim Brown said:
Drumming or singing?

LOL

If it's singing, I also kind of look like him... so it could be the shape of the head or some weird crap like that. :p

I'd rather sound like Dio - but thank the heavens I don't look like him!


Tim
Click to expand...

Singing.............you sound ALOT like him!
 
check out bonzo's page on drummerworld.com. there is a video clip where his tech, jeff ocheltree, explains bonham's set up and sound.
 
funkydrummer said:
check out bonzo's page on drummerworld.com. there is a video clip where his tech, jeff ocheltree, explains bonham's set up and sound.
Click to expand...


I've got Jeff Ocheltree's DVD, and I wqill promise you, that it is worth every penny to have it. Evidently, even the last Tool drum recordings were done this way - it has Danny Carrey on it, and he says that Ocheltree changed his life and gave him a new perspective on allowing the drums room to breathe.

If you go to the main Drummer's World site -these a video of Danny Carrey, and it is taken from Ocheltree's video. Listen to how his kit sounds just using mic' s on the kicks, overheads and snare.




Tim
 
jeff5xo said:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=39030&highlight=mic+technique

Try this thread, it gives details! :)
Click to expand...


I had more time to experiment with this technique and I've got to tell you. Hands down it's the best sound I've EVER gotten out of recording my drums.

I have a crap-o-rific CAD drum mic package. And I'm using the 2 overhead pencil condensors and the kick mic and even with thoose crappy mics it sounds wonderful.

Thoose crappy mics plug into a crappy board, and that crappy board plugs into my crappy 8 track record....... But, my drum sound is WAY WAY WAY less crappy than it was a week or two ago (close micing everything).

I'm going to experiment around with another mic on the snare (I do have a sm57). But, I'm really happy with the 3 mic set up.

I can't give you guys anymore postive rep before I "spread it around" but once I give some more away, I'll hit you guys up again.

Thanks again :D :D :D And if a newbie is reading this, this is a great way to record your drums. I'm a complete idiot, and I got a good drum sound doing this with crap. So, you definately can too.

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Thanks man. :D

I should have a sample up by the end of the week. My band's e.p. is coming out very soon, and we're going to put an mp3 up of the single, so you all will be able to hear the 3 mic method in action. I'll let you know when we "release" the single. (As in I upload it to myspace and hope somebody listens lol)

:D
 
Zeppelin used 6 mics. 2x Kick (beater+front), 2x overhead and 2x ambience (ambience mics not often seen on the photos). Most often being MD421, RE20, 2x C414 and 2x C12 in that order, with the ambience mics being quite some distance away, requiring a big room to do it in.
 
Stefan Elmblad said:
Zeppelin used 6 mics. 2x Kick (beater+front), 2x overhead and 2x ambience (ambience mics not often seen on the photos). Most often being MD421, RE20, 2x C414 and 2x C12 in that order, with the ambience mics being quite some distance away, requiring a big room to do it in.
Click to expand...


According to Eddie Kramer, they did the first album with 1 Mic that Bonzo set up. Bonham warned them that if anyone moved it, he was going kick their asses, because it took him about 30 minutes to adjust his playing to sound like he wanted through the mic.

After the mid 70's, I've read that they did close mic the kit - but I'm not sure if they really released anything using that except maybe on In Through The Out Door, which definitely has a little more modern sound, yet still retain's "Bonzo's sound."



Tim
 
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