Jay C
New member
when i did a search for mic bleed all i could find were discussions on getting mic bleed out. is mic bleed bad in drums?
Guitargodgt
New member
No it's not bad because it's inevidible. It's the nature of the beast.
I think there are times where getting rid of it is a good idea like a ringing frequency in one of the mics that could be notched out easily without messing up the source or a 2 min section where the toms don't do anything.
I also think bleed should be minimalised as much as you can durring the tracking process, but this is just a mic placement thing (like aiming the snare mic so the rear of it faces the hats for as much rejection as you can get).
The reason I believe it should be minimalised is because it's a drag when the drummer hits a drum softer than a cymbal and the cymbal ends up louder in the close mic. The ride and floor tom seem to be a magnet for this kind of thing.
My .02
I think there are times where getting rid of it is a good idea like a ringing frequency in one of the mics that could be notched out easily without messing up the source or a 2 min section where the toms don't do anything.
I also think bleed should be minimalised as much as you can durring the tracking process, but this is just a mic placement thing (like aiming the snare mic so the rear of it faces the hats for as much rejection as you can get).
The reason I believe it should be minimalised is because it's a drag when the drummer hits a drum softer than a cymbal and the cymbal ends up louder in the close mic. The ride and floor tom seem to be a magnet for this kind of thing.
My .02
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
Embrace the bleed. It CAN be your friend in most situations (well, for me anyways). A bit of the ambiance of the guitar leaking into the drum mics can add a depth. The down side is if you wanted a do over on that guitar part the leakage makes that problematic.
G
Greg_L
Banned
I totally disagree with that. That's just a mess.
But yeah, drum bleed is natural, normal, and it's a part of the reason why drums actually sound like drums in a good recording, and not a bunch of isolated sounds popping in and out of the mix.
Farview
Well-known member
In a live recording the guitar bleed can be neat. but if it is an overdubbed production, it is a nightmare.
The only time bleed is a problem when recording drums is when the drummer does not play with the appropriate dynamics. If he beats the cap out of the snare, but gently taps on the toms, that will force you to crank the tom mics, which will bring up the snare in those mics. since those mics are processed to make the toms sound good, it can make the snare bleeding through sound bad.
There are three fixes for that:
1. Sample replacement for the toms.
2. gates/editing
3. new drummer
the easiest being #3. I know that not everyone has the luxury of just replacing a drummer, but you at least have to let the drummer know that a professional will have a handle on things like that. If he is interested in being a professional, he needs to step up.
The only time bleed is a problem when recording drums is when the drummer does not play with the appropriate dynamics. If he beats the cap out of the snare, but gently taps on the toms, that will force you to crank the tom mics, which will bring up the snare in those mics. since those mics are processed to make the toms sound good, it can make the snare bleeding through sound bad.
There are three fixes for that:
1. Sample replacement for the toms.
2. gates/editing
3. new drummer
the easiest being #3. I know that not everyone has the luxury of just replacing a drummer, but you at least have to let the drummer know that a professional will have a handle on things like that. If he is interested in being a professional, he needs to step up.
B
BrentDomann
Has a Dedicated Member.
I agree with Greg that too much guitar bleed can be a mess, but one of my favorite sounds from my early days of recording everything live was hitting a big, ringing guitar chord and having the snare wires go apeshit as the feedback took over. It was totally obvious it was the snare rattling and nothing sounds "loud" like guitars that make other instruments play themselves.