MC-012's as overheads question

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tom18222

yes
I just got a pair or these. Whats a good placement for them? and also, should i use the -10db?


thanks.
 
an x/y pattern somewhere over the kit / the drummers head works for me. i try to get the snare right in the middle of the picture most times.

have also used them as a mono overhead directly over the snare.

I used no pads for overheads applications.

used them on snare and toms this weekend...-10 pad used.

pax,

Mike
 
Like bigtoe, I use 'em in X/Y. I generally do use the pad.
 
i usually only have to refer to the pad when useing them as overs if the drummer is a crusher (loud)

try without the pad first, it will become appearent if you need it.
 
tom18222 said:
I just got a pair or these. Whats a good placement for them? and also, should i use the -10db?
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Ultimately, the placement of your overheads is going to depend on your room, your kit, and the close mics that you'll be using, if any. It wouldn't be a bad idea to start with an X-Y pattern over the kit. That'll get you a general feel for the sound of your kit in the room and the sonic character of the Oktavas without introducing any phase problems. If you don't like the balance between the snare, kick, toms, and cymbals this way, you might want to consider fooling around with a spaced pair. The pair could be in any number of positions. Typically, one mic could be over towards the ride cymbal, while the other could be over towards the hi-hat...sort of like this . (Notice how this setup actually has a dedicated ride cymbal mic.) However, you can get creative and do things like placing one mic about 4-5 feet over the snare and one mic over the drummer's right shoulder, pointing at the kick drum, also about 4-5 feet away from it. If you aren't planning on using any close mics, this technique might get you a nice overall balance of drums and cymbals. When recording a larger drum set, I personally like adding a third overhead and doing a poor man's Decca Tree (with MK-012s instead of Neumann M50s) over the kit.

Hop on the web sites of some of your favorite drummers. There's a good chance that some of them will have some studio pictures where you can look at the overhead configurations. I stole the Decca Tree idea from a Shure brochure that had some pictures of a Simon Phillips session. (They also used a mid-side array for room mics in this session...that's an idea worth stealing, too.) Not everything will work on your kit with your mics in your room, but it's worth experimenting.

I usually use the -10 dB pads on the MK-012s when recording drums.

Good luck!

- Jerfo
 
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