Overhead micing question???

[DAS19]

Right now I have the two pencil mics in a "V" shape in front of the bass drum but I feel like that way isnt really doing it for me.

Do you think that putting one mic right overhead hanging down over the snare and one over the ride cymbal using that type of configuaration instead.

Or even micing it in X/Y but from the top of my drum set pointing down right now it is in the front of the bass drum in an "V" and I pan it right and left it works but im just not sure if I will get better results the other way.

What do you guys think
thanks
Dave

 

[DM1]

Have you tried the Recorderman approach? It's kinda like what you described, with one above the snare, but the other one is behind and over the drummer's right shoulder.

Always works for me.

 

[RezN8]

How wide is the "V" and at what angle? Are the pencil mikes a cardioid pattern? Supercardioid? Are they matched? How high are you setting the mikes?

I set my overheads in a "V" not in front, but above the kit (basically above the drummer's head, but I try to stick close to the ORTF method - which is about 7 inches (17cm?) apart, at a 110 degree angle. The mics are facing down toward the kit. Occasionally I need to adjust b/c I get too much stick response, other than that it's my preferred method for overheads.


However, without knowing more about your set up, mics you use, as well as the room you record in, all I can say is: Experiment. I think it's important to consider the ceiling height (and treatment) and the distances between the mikes, the drums and the ceiling.

Hope this info helps! Cheers, Rez

 

[Yareek]

Depends on the mics.

I spent an hour this morning playing around with overhead miking. I have a pair of C4's with omni and cardioid caps.

With the omni caps, I couldn't get any "modern" drum sound. It always sounded like a room mic. Very cool if compressed and run through a saturation effect.

With cardioid, it was much brighter and more present. I'm usually happiest with OTRF miking, although I did like some of the X-Y stuff I was doing. Can't ever seem to get a good mix with spaced pair.

The best sound I've gotten has been out of my Rode NT2...but I only have one. Maybe it was lack of phase issues or the frequency response, but I really liked that sound. Fatter than the SDC's but with the presence of a cardioid.

 

[jamesduysen]

Have you tried the Recorderman approach? It's kinda like what you described, with one above the snare, but the other one is behind and over the drummer's right shoulder.

Always works for me.

How do you pan them after tracking like this???