yeah, you need an entirely new approach to this:
The only thing that sounded decent was the kick drum.
I'll go down the list of problems and then a list on how to track and mix this the right way:
-Snare: way too much crack, very uncomfortable to listen to. The snare is either a piccolo or it's miced poorly. There's no body which means to lay off the compression (if any) or to use a thicker snare.
-Kick: Actually sounds fine, don't worry about that.
-Toms: they are non exsistent and they are not tuned optimally. They sound too roomy which means the OH and/or surrounding mics are picking up more of the toms than the actual tom mics.
-Overheads: Probably need to get them a little closer. Too far away for my tastes.
Now how to approach this:
-First, tune the drums correctly. Remember that your bottom heads are actually responsible for the shape of the tom. Not to say the top isn't important, but the relationship between the two need to be immaculate. If the heads are worn out and dented, you need to get new ones. I always advise Remo emperors for a heavier sound and quick decay or Ambassdors for a fuller "doooon" sound. So choose your pick.
On the bottoms, ambassadors work well.
- Micing:
Overheads:
2 condensors. If you're using the small diaphram condensors, then expect a thinner more focused sound....large diaphram cover a broader range, so they'll give you a fuller pick up. Place them at equal heights; one over your main crash cymbal and another over your ride. You do this because these are usually seperated well at either end of the drum set, and they more of a priority rythm factor.
Depending on the mic and preamp, you can usually place them anywhere from 3-8 inches above the source. Usually you'd use the 3 to 1 rule to prevent phasing issues. That means: "The miking distance should be less than 1/3 the distance between mics. For example, if two mics are 12 inches apart, they should be less than four inches from their sound sources to prevent phase cancellations."
Snare: Place a dynamic mic at the edge and point towards the center of the head; I'd say about 2 inches above the head. Point it towards the edge of the head if you want more resonance than crack. I'd avoid "clip ons" cause I'm particularity choosy about drum vibration, although it's not much.
Toms: Do the same as the snare but point it towards the center of the head.
Kick: You can still do what you where doing.
Extra: If you had an extra condenser or dynamic, I'd put it on the hi hat. Aim it towards the side that you play for more thickness or aim it towards the edge for less thickness and a little more sizzle. Also about 2-4 inches away from the source.
Tracking:
-Pull up all your faders at zero or a little under. Usually the board manual should tell you what "Unity or Unity zero" is. Thats going to be the optimal position to set the faders based on the cleanest sound the board circurity can provide.
Once you do that, get a good balance by using your gain dials, not your faders. Generally the kick and the snare come out a little more than everything else. Cymbals follow in close second. Toms in close third. The hi hat close forth.
-Avoid compression if you can, but usually the rule of thumb is about a 4:1 ratio on the drums. I prefer 2:1 going in.
-Avoid EQ unless you absolutly need it. If it was a tremedous console, then EQ is fine, but cheap EQs really do horrible things for the natural sound of an instrument (unless you like that "cool" effect).
Mixing:
This one is more of a freebie and personal taste thing. But I'd say as a starting point:
-Kick and snare up the middle
-Hi hat either slightly left or right (depending on perspective)
-Toms a little less then half way left and right. Probably like a 2 and 10 position.
-Overheads spread out a little more than half way but not fully left and right.
And REMEMBER: The mic relationships! If you decide to have your Overheads a certain way, then the toms and hi hat should be on the correct side!
Reverbs: I leave up to you cause then I'd have to talk about aux sends and all that jazz.
Hope that helps!
