Levels and settings for Tamborines

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prometheuswire

New member
I am having trouble mixing in some minor tamborine parts that I added. I can't find the right level and effects. I want the tamborine to be present but not a "part" of the song, just an embellishment. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Courtney
 
what i like to do for tamborines is pan the main track say 50% left, and then send it to an aux bus panned 50% right. On the aux bus i put pretty heavy reverb, with the wet dry mix at 100, in other words only reverb, no original signal. So you have the dry signal on one side and the wet on the other.

I know sometimes ill have the tamborine really strong and think it sounds great, but the next day i listen to it and say 'what was i thinking' only to lower it too much and start the whole process over.

This will help keep the definition but allow the tamborine to sit a little "further back" in the mix. Reverb is a great way to add that third dimension to a mix.

Eric
 
Another Suggestion

I have had to drastically cut a lot of eq on tamborines before to make them fit as simple embellishment. Basically just leaving the high end chink to add movement to the out edges of panning also doing sort of what KingstonRock suggested, but I pan them further out.
 
Tambs are like drums in that the transients are so quick that they can fool you into setting a level too hot so that the signal is actually clipping. Minus 15-20 dB is a good safety margin on input.
In honor of Harvey's "buried cowbell" trick, try the same with the tamb. Mix the tamb down (quarter notes on the beat) untill it is just under the level of audibility. Compare by muting the track. You should notice extra drive and energy with the "buried" track vs the muted track.
As for EQ, you can roll off the lows, of course.
 
I think a common mistake is to track them too hot.

The tambo is actually a much louder instrument than you'd think; it's easy to distort your mic pre at the input. You have to back off a good 3 feet or so more than what you're used to or comfortable with.

The best mic I've ever used on tambo, by far, is the Behringer ecm8000. I'm not particularly thrilled with it on drum overheads, and I hate it on accoustic guitar, but it's a whole different beast for tamborines and shakers, and it's only 35 bucks.
 
I agree, an omni condenser with space on some percussion... The way to go a good portion of the time.

Although, I have found the ECM8000 excellently useful on acoustic guitars, but I had an LA-3A in the chain (brutally dominating the signal), also, brand new strings on the guitars was the big key there.
 
chessrock said:
The best mic I've ever used on tambo, by far, is the Behringer ecm8000. I'm not particularly thrilled with it on drum overheads, and I hate it on accoustic guitar, but it's a whole different beast for tamborines and shakers, and it's only 35 bucks.
Click to expand...

That mic does work well for percussion. I think it's because it so flat sounding that you would have to try pretty hard to make an ECM track be harsh or overbearing.

A good way to put something back in a mix is with a large room reverb. Don't use a Hall because that can just make it mushy. A good realistic room verb or better yet a good room sound on the mic (ECM again) can help a track sit back in the mix.
 
I like to use a couple of the Behringers in Jecklyn Disk / Binaural setup on tambo and shaker. Natural panning and spacial placement. Just move around untill you get it where you want. Sounds fantastic.
 
generally I only use neumann m50's in a decca tree arrangement. On top of that I indivdually mic each "tambourine thingy" individually with akg c418's, both top and bottom. as an individual, be sure to "flip" one of each pair of the "thingys" so they are not out of phase. Or is that polarity? Then I put a contact mic on the "skin thingy". Some individuals use only ribbon mics on tambourines but that is the old school method and is a hotly debated topic amongst audio engineers. Many individuals are full of vitriol and malice when it comes to the "micing the tambourine properly" subject. I've been working on a new method where each "thingy" is placed in a separate isolation booth and played by separate individuals individually but at the same time getting a collective sound. It is dry and in your face and oh so good. but not yet perfectly perfected. but then again it all sounds like shit on my ns10's.
 
sweetnubs said:
Then I put a contact mic on the "skin thingy".
Click to expand...

I believe we should use the proper terminology:

Mic'ing the front side of the "thingy" is called the foreskin technique. If you mic from underneath, it's called subcutaneous mic'ing.
 
touche on thee modded m50's. However I thought the 418's would add more home style "thinginess". DPA's are snobby pro equipment and this is homerecording dot.com after all. I think the whole instrument should be referred to as a "thingy" since it is a more apt description. Actually I like calling it a "super happy action thingy." hey there, has anybody tried one of those new unviersal audio tube mic preamp thingy's? I'm getting one on thursday along with a oktava ribbon mic for $300. I'm gonna try the oktava just for laughs. I've already got some 4038's and a royer. I'm hoping for something decent out of the preamp thingy-ma-bob though.
 
prometheuswire said:
I am having trouble mixing in some minor tamborine parts that I added. I can't find the right level and effects. I want the tamborine to be present but not a "part" of the song, just an embellishment. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Courtney
Click to expand...

It really depends on the song!!Is it a speed rock tune, mellow
ballad, acoustic country /folk or????

T
 
Had someone show me where taping off about half the little thingys adjusts the sound. A density control.
Wayne
 
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