Micing snare/bass drums

[getupkid0717]

so im new to recording drums and have had hard times doing so. i record to a Fostex VF-160 with Shure Mics:
PG 52 (kick)
PG 81 (overhead L and R)
PG 56 (one on each tom and one on snare)

Snare:
i am used to using the provided clamps and micing the snare drum about 1 in from the top head. ive heard pointing to the center of the drum is a good idea but i havent noticed too much difference. the main problem is that it is too quiet and lacks some punch compared to the rest of the tracks; even after mixing. maybe some tips on tuning could help too.

Bass:
My Bass drum has a 6 in hole in the skin. im totally lost on how to get the best sound out of this drum... both the snare and kick sound great playing them in the room but arent as good for recording.

Overheads and Toms sound great to my ears without even needing to EQ. i would love any advice you could give. in the mean time i just plan to experament with what i have. i feel that the equiptment is capable of doing the job right but i need to learn how to use it better.

thank you for your time.

 

[Bulls Hit]

OK go back to first principles.

You say the drums sound great in the room, so all you have to do is capture that sound.

Therefore your room mics (overheads) will be the main source of your sound. Move them around, experiment with the best position - one that gives you a nice snare crack as well as good hihat & cymbal presence.

Do the same with your kick drum mic- move it around, back, forward, point it at the hole, at the shell, until you get a nice attack and boom.

Get those 3 mics working, watch for phase issues between oheads & kick, and then add in your close snare & toms mics

 

[LRosario]

In terms of miking a bass drum:


What it comes down to really is tunning and EQ. If you manage to have a perfectly tunned drum, chances are you don't need EQ.



Generally speaking, a condenser on the inside, and a large diaphram condenser at the sound hole.

 

[tattooyu]

On our CD "Famous", we used a 10" speaker hanging from a guitar stand as a mic outside the kick in addition to a Beta 52 inside the kick. I think it sounds great.

The low end that the speaker picks up is amazing. Think about it, it's basically a 10" diaphragm! You only get low end (<125Hz), but it's amazing how natural it is mixed with the other signal. I would also run a phase correcting plug-in so you can shift the signal (by samples) to be in phase with the other.

We used it also to mic a bass amp mixed with the direct signal.

Basically you just wire the hot lead of the speaker to pin 2 (hot) of an XLR cable and pins 1 & 3 go to the negative lead.