MD421 on Toms - any special technique?

[jpfour23]

I use a couple of MD421's on toms... not too excited about the sounds. Just wondering if any of you use any special techniques with these mics... how to aim at the tom or what to use on bass rolloff.

Thx,
jp

 

[xfinsterx]

I usually move the mic around till it sounds best.
If that dosent work then i tune or rehead, or completely swap out the problem drum.

Bad sounding drum=Bad drum sound.

Seems simple enough dosent it?

At the preamp stage ill usually highpass to about 100hz on rack toms, and ill highpass to about 60-70hz for floor toms.

 

[Track Rat]

I usually move the mic around till it sounds best.
If that dosent work then i tune or rehead, or completely swap out the problem drum.

Bad sounding drum=Bad drum sound.

Seems simple enough dosent it?

That's it in a nut shell. No mic on earth will make a drum sound good if it doesn't already sound good. It IS that simple. And if it doesn't sound good with a great mic, that should be telling you something.

 

[mshilarious]

I use a couple of MD421's on toms... not too excited about the sounds. Just wondering if any of you use any special techniques with these mics... how to aim at the tom or what to use on bass rolloff.

Thx,
jp

I'm going to ask a stupid question, but it's happened before, so . . . you are aware it's an end-address mic If so, please feel free to respond with derision

 

[Yareek]

What these guys said.

I saw a neat illustration once, where it showed the head of a drum split into three sections. For about the outside 10-20% of the head (what I'll call Zone A), that is where the ring and overtones of the drum are located. In the center 20-40% of the head (I'll call this Zone C), that is where the attack and stick of the drum are located. The remaining middle section (Zone B) is where the fundamental tone lies. Depending on the sound that you want, aim the mic at one of those sections.

I have my e604's clipped to the hoop (too cheap for stands plus they get in the way) and pointed at the "Zone B" area of the drum. I find that a good amount of attack gets picked up by the overheads and I band-pass boost the highs for more attack as well. If you are looking for more attack, just point the mic at the center of the head. You can try and capture the two by angling the mic and kind of aiming between the center and "Zone B" of the head.

A couple inches above the head pointing at the desired section is a good place to start. I'd leave the bass rolloff all the way off for big floor toms and roll off as desired up the toms. I wouldn't kill too much bass if you like huge tom sounds though; it's generally easier to cut than add frequencies. The MD421 should give you some huge sounds (I need mine back).

 

[Raw-Tracks]

I saw a neat illustration once, where it showed the head of a drum split into three sections. For about the outside 10-20% of the head (what I'll call Zone A), that is where the ring and overtones of the drum are located. In the center 20-40% of the head (I'll call this Zone C), that is where the attack and stick of the drum are located. The remaining middle section (Zone B) is where the fundamental tone lies. Depending on the sound that you want, aim the mic at one of those sections.

Very true, good advice to mention here. It bears repeating that good heads are required as is proper tuning.

Finster, when you highpass the racktoms at 100Hz, do you add a little bump back in at about 100-120Hz, or no? Are you sucking out somewhere in the 400-600Hz range as well? Just curious.

 

[xfinsterx]

Finster, when you highpass the racktoms at 100Hz, do you add a little bump back in at about 100-120Hz, or no? Are you sucking out somewhere in the 400-600Hz range as well? Just curious.

In most situations my proxcimity is quite close to the head, say 1 to 3 inches.
The bass response this causes in a mic like a421 gives me all the 100hz i need with out needing to add it back in.

And yes i almost always bus my toms to a C4 (watch that latency!) and band compress some of the boxy mids down.

 

[Yareek]

Finster, when you highpass the racktoms at 100Hz, do you add a little bump back in at about 100-120Hz, or no? Are you sucking out somewhere in the 400-600Hz range as well? Just curious.

Here's a great page for mixing tips and techniques (Slipperman's famous distorted guitar thread and tangents):

http://www.badmuckingfastard.com/sound/slipperman.html

Go to the bottom and listen to the MP3's regarding snare, kick, and tom mixing. I learned quite a bit, especially regarding trapping frequencies with shelves and high- or low-pass filters.

Before, I was trying to cut excess lows and notch out problem frequencies, but now I just shape the crap out of the tom and it stands out in the mix MUCH MUCH better. At least for rock and metal.

 

[Raw-Tracks]

Finster, when you highpass the racktoms at 100Hz, do you add a little bump back in at about 100-120Hz, or no? Are you sucking out somewhere in the 400-600Hz range as well? Just curious.

Here's a great page for mixing tips and techniques (Slipperman's famous distorted guitar thread and tangents):

http://www.badmuckingfastard.com/sound/slipperman.html

Go to the bottom and listen to the MP3's regarding snare, kick, and tom mixing. I learned quite a bit, especially regarding trapping frequencies with shelves and high- or low-pass filters.

Before, I was trying to cut excess lows and notch out problem frequencies, but now I just shape the crap out of the tom and it stands out in the mix MUCH MUCH better. At least for rock and metal.

Thanks Yareek, but I was really only interested in what Finster does. I am comfortable with my methodology, and have heard some of Finster's work and was curious what he does.

 

[Yareek]

Thanks Yareek, but I was really only interested in what Finster does. I am comfortable with my methodology, and have heard some of Finster's work and was curious what he does.

Ah...well carry on then

 

[xfinsterx]

Id agree that the slipperman post is informative.

But its a pain in the ass to read, he just rambles on about nonsense for half the thread.

 

[Yareek]

Id agree that the slipperman post is informative.

But its a pain in the ass to read, he just rambles on about nonsense for half the thread.

Yeah, but his narratives are great, and actually keep me from screwing around at work! I listen to the crap on headphones and take notes instead of reading BBS' like these...

Oops!