Micing drums

[JohnBJohn]

So far recording has been pretty intuitive for me but the one thing that I can't do no matter how hard I try is get a decent drum recording and it's been surprisingly hard to find anything on the web about drum placement that doesn't involve a ridiculous amount of mics. I've got an LDC and three dynamics which I realize is no where near ideal but does anyone have advice on what kind of placements I could make half decent tracks with?

 

[Dogbreath]

What LDC and what 3 dynamics?

Is your room treated? What's your placement?

Do a search for GIK Acoustics and Ethen Winers sites. They've got tutorials that'll help.

Also do a search for the Recorderman Technique and the Glyn Johns method. Both are good mic setups and don't use alot of mics. I use the RM technique except I add the snare mic.

Happy hunting man...

 

[JohnBJohn]

I like the look of both the recorderman and glyn johns methods but I'm not so sure my mics can handle them. I have an MXL v67g an sm57 and two sm58 style dynamics which would probably be to directional to use as overheads?

 

[dualflip]

Ok, first of all how are you placing the overheads?, thats very importat because you may have phase problems, second, how good is you drum kit?, you cant expect to get the metallica drum sound if you have a "satan" drum kit. And as mentioned before, how about the room you have?, is it good sounding?.

 

[KineticSound]

I like the look of both the recorderman and glyn johns methods but I'm not so sure my mics can handle them. I have an MXL v67g an sm57 and two sm58 style dynamics which would probably be to directional to use as overheads?

I've been able to mic a small kit in a good sounding room using just this... two SM-58's as overheads and SM-57 on kick (using the Glyn John's method). We were going for a MMW-style sound (very organic), and it came out fine.

Expiriment a little. Maybe try the 67g as the center OH (assuming the Glyn John's method again here) and a '58 over by the floor tom; '57 on the kick. Then try swapping the mic's and see what you like best.

 

[Massive Master]

Keep in mind - I'm not exactly making an "assumption" here, but 90% of the time I hear "I can't get a good drum sound" it's due to not having drums that sound good.

Very few people I know (and even fewer drummers) know how to actually tune a kit. The best sounding drums in the world are only as good as the guy who tuned them. And a great sounding kit is pretty much going to sound great through a telephone.