Recorderman Micing Method?

[kidkage]

...so is it natural to feel like im going to hit the mic over my right shoulder or can they be placed however?

 

[kidkage]

I just need to figure out how to capture the drum sound I hear when I play. It's frustrating and definitely the most dificult part of the recording journey I've been on. I'm confident in the tracks of my stringed instruments and my singing. But the drums just... are definitely the weakness of my productions

Im spending all day tomorrow getting this right

 

[Greg_L]

Don't try just the Recorderman method. It can work great, and I've used it myself, but it gets way too much credit. It's not better than anything else. You need to experiment with all kinds of overhead setups to find which one works best for you in your room. It might be X/Y, it might be spaced pair, it might be ORTF, it might be mid-side. You won't know unless you try em.

 

[bdenton]

I just need to figure out how to capture the drum sound I hear when I play.

In order to have your drum record the sound you hear when you are playing them, you have to forget about the sound you hear when you are playing them.

It's not unusual for drums that give a great recorded sound to sound a little bit lame when you're playing.

Tune your drums so they sound good through your recording chain. Then adjust your playing style so you get a balanced sound (where all of the kit pieces are the right level) through your recording chain.

Just keep in mind that the only thing that counts is the sound you are able to record...

 

[grimtraveller]

It's not unusual for drums that give a great recorded sound to sound a little bit lame when you're playing.

I've found this to be true. Perhaps it says something about my lack, but what I hear in the room isn't the same as what I hear on playback. Whether it's better or worse isn't the issue ~ it's different. I recall when my friends that drum would have the toms deep how they like them and tape the snare etc. And the recordings sounded like it was going to be a fight to get the drums to cut through. Now I know differently and that doesn't happen anymore.

Don't try just the Recorderman method. It can work great, and I've used it myself, but it gets way too much credit. It's not better than anything else. You need to experiment with all kinds of overhead setups to find which one works best for you in your room. It might be X/Y, it might be spaced pair, it might be ORTF, it might be mid-side. You won't know unless you try em.

This is also so true. It can be tempting to assume that there's only one way of recording anything, but it's rarely true in practice because there are so many variables to take into account. As far as I've experienced there are actually quite a number of ways to record drums and the overheads make for an important part of that equation. As ever, the song and the style you're going for make more of a difference than 'general advice' takes into account.

By the way, depending on where certain mics are, you need to be adept enough not to hit them. It makes an interesting sound ~ once.

 

[RAMI]

I use a hybrid Recordrman/Glyn Johns method. Which means I put the "shoulder" mic a little closer to the floor tom, between me and the floor tom. This way, I don't feel like I'm too close to hitting it all the time.

One thing you have to be careful of though, is the height of the "shoulder" mic. I once did a drum track and then couldn't figure out why my drums sounded weird and un-balanced whenever I went to my ride cymbal. It made no sense to me until I realized that I had the mic a little too low and at an angle that caused my arm to get between the mic and the snare. So, my arm was blocking the the sound from getting to the mic.

You've got to play around and find what works for you. For what it's worth, I only measure the distance between the 2 mics and the snare. I don't bother getting them the same distance from my kik.

 

[Greg_L]

For what it's worth, I only measure the distance between the 2 mics and the snare. I don't bother getting them the same distance from my kik.

Same here.....

 

[kidkage]

I just tried out XY, and G.J. method. I'm using a kind of morphed recorderman thing now. just having equal distance from the snare and not worrying about the kick helps. I threw a 57 on the kick too.

thanks for the help

 

[VomitHatSteve]

You've got to play around and find what works for you. For what it's worth, I only measure the distance between the 2 mics and the snare. I don't bother getting them the same distance from my kik.

Is that the trick? I've been having trouble getting the distances to work right. Things only seem to line up if I put the mic over my LEFT shoulder.

 

[drumslinger]

pretty much. same distance to each mic from the snare. i play with the height and distance to get the sound i'm after. I go back and forth with two mics or one single dual element mic (which is way easier).