Mics for a nano studio

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Ekimtoor1

Member
For a very small studio, the only space I had to work with was a nook in my garage about 7x9 with an 8’ ceiling. In this space, I built a room, completely decoupled from the house, constructed of two layers of 5/8” drywall with green glue outside and inside, four layers all together, on 2x4 framing with rock wool. The door has similar construction and has a rather complicated seal that makes the room very tight. There are sound absorption panels on the inside walls.

I plan to record drums in this space. My question is, in this unusually small space, what mic pattern would work best?

Thanks!
Mike
 
It's very very tight - our drum risers are 8x8 and some kits get very close to this. It's going to be very tricky recording drums in there because every drum is close to a wall and reflections. The key will be close miking and lots of mic clips, not drum stands. So things like e604s will be useful. I suspect you will need to dampen the room down as much as you can as every drum is going to hear the others with the walls all so close. bass traps in the corners, and possibly the way to ceiling angles, plus perhaps even more absorption for the cymbals. It's going to get very hot - did you build in ventilation?

Cardioids are probably fine because anything else will probably not be noticed. It will be closer is better for this - for the overhead(s) cardioid condensers, or perhaps boundary mics actually on the ceiling? I've always wanted to try that one.
 
rob aylestone said:
It's very very tight - our drum risers are 8x8 and some kits get very close to this. It's going to be very tricky recording drums in there because every drum is close to a wall and reflections. The key will be close miking and lots of mic clips, not drum stands. So things like e604s will be useful. I suspect you will need to dampen the room down as much as you can as every drum is going to hear the others with the walls all so close. bass traps in the corners, and possibly the way to ceiling angles, plus perhaps even more absorption for the cymbals. It's going to get very hot - did you build in ventilation?

Cardioids are probably fine because anything else will probably not be noticed. It will be closer is better for this - for the overhead(s) cardioid condensers, or perhaps boundary mics actually on the ceiling? I've always wanted to try that one.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the very useful reply. Yes, I installed a small window AC unit which transforms the room into a walk in cooler, so it will be comfortable.

I test fit my kit into the space before even starting this project and it does fit, even on the short side. It’s racked, so that keeps the footprint to a minimum. There is even room for two chairs where an arrogant guitarist and a likable bassist (if I can find one) can sit. Vocalists are an unnecessary distraction. Obviously, this will be headphones only.

On the cardioid pattern, what are your thoughts on a very tight pattern vs just cardioid? It seems like in this situation the tighter the better, yet I don’t want to exclude the tone of the drum.

Perhaps I’ll just hang a curtain around the perimeter because I agree that reflections will be extreme. Boundary mics on the ceiling is an interesting idea.

Thank you!
Mike
 
With drums in an open space, the problem is that you won't fit in mic stands, so it will be clips that get the mics close. I wonder if going tighter to super or hyper might be worse because of the these having more rear nodes that might make spill more of a problem. Many years ago in a college studio that was like yours, the only way we could record the drums was to cover the drums with a blanket - covered the snare and toms completely! Crazy way to record drums really, but it worked with loads of EQ.
 
Your space is very similar to my drum room.
I'm no expert on micing, but it is all work in progress, and experimentation.
I have a mic on every drum, using affordable Samson kits, with pencil mics on stands, and hanging from ceiling, aimed at cymbals.
 

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The 8ft ceiling did it for me. I guess it’s a typical a British single garage.one of those that us Brits never actually put a car into because you can’t get out.
 
RFR said:
Damn! that’s like a cockpit. Tight!
Click to expand...
The inside space is actually 2.8m by 2m, which in english is 9'2" by 6'7", so is a tad narrower than Ekimtoor1's space.
It is quite a big kit, but it works.
I could do with a bit more elbow room, when turning to the 18" floor tom.
All the mics feed into a behringer Eurodesk 32:8:2 mixer you see, which has to be vertical.
 
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Slouching Raymond said:
Your space is very similar to my drum room.
I'm no expert on micing, but it is all work in progress, and experimentation.
I have a mic on every drum, using affordable Samson kits, with pencil mics on stands, and hanging from ceiling, aimed at cymbals.
Click to expand...
That’s a lot of kit! Actually an encouragement for my project since I have less kit in about the same space.

Are your walls absorbent ?
 
Ekimtoor1 said:
Feet. I wish I had meters.
Click to expand...
You know, although it's a nominally small space, it's a good enough space to track drums in. If it's possible to make the 7 feet bit the width, then you have the 9-foot bit to give you the distance.
The vice is also versa.
Unless you're really fussy, there's not many spaces that drums can't be recorded in, as far as I'm concerned. Yes, it will need you to get creative and engineer-ish in achieving a sound you'll like, but what's wrong with that ? A home recorder is an artist as well as a craftsperson as well as a deceiver of ears and manipulator of sound.
 
grimtraveller said:
You know, although it's a nominally small space, it's a good enough space to track drums in. If it's possible to make the 7 feet bit the width, then you have the 9-foot bit to give you the distance.
The vice is also versa.
Unless you're really fussy, there's not many spaces that drums can't be recorded in, as far as I'm concerned. Yes, it will need you to get creative and engineer-ish in achieving a sound you'll like, but what's wrong with that ? A home recorder is an artist as well as a craftsperson as well as a deceiver of ears and manipulator of sound.
Click to expand...
I like that. From here, with the actual room ready, it will be step by step. Install the equipment, get some mics, start sound checking, dampen as needed then let the fun begin.
 
Ekimtoor1 said:
Are your walls absorbent ?
Click to expand...
It is an 'Esmono' booth. Look them up. The walls contain rockwool, and have perforated steel inner walls.
No extra treatment needed. However, the doors are plain steel, with glass windows, and if situated opposite each
other, can lead to standing waves. I needed two doors, because it doubles as a corridor.
 
My gut tells me close mic every drum with super-cardioids but I would experiment with less because I've never recorded drums in a small space like that before. I would try two, then four, then six just to hear it. You never know until you try.
 
Slouching Raymond said:
It is an 'Esmono' booth. Look them up. The walls contain rockwool, and have perforated steel inner walls.
No extra treatment needed. However, the doors are plain steel, with glass windows, and if situated opposite each
other, can lead to standing waves. I needed two doors, because it doubles as a corridor.
Click to expand...
Right! That does seem similar to what I built. I probably spent about $4k on it which compares to the cost of a ready made device. I don’t have any windows and my door is a self engineered thing that is about the same construction as the room when closed. I haven’t tested it yet because I’m still building the door, but it should be STM>58.
 
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