Recording real drums with only 1 mic?

A

alex0203

New member
I'm too broke to go out and get more mics, so would it be a good idea to just use one. All I have is a large diaphragm condenser (AT2020). Can I mic the kick with that condenser or will that ruin the mic?? If I wanna go "all out" I can use two extra dynamic mics that I have lol. What do you guys think?

Oh yeah, i'll be recording onto a Portastudio in my basement.
 
What other dynamics do you have? It might be a better idea to use one of those for the kick and try something like the "recorder man" method with the other two. You can get a pretty good sound with just 2-3 mics that way.
 
Well, I have a dynamic Seenheiser E816S, a condenser AT2020 (Audio Technica), and a cheap Peavey dynamic that came with my PA system. What is the recorderman method? Where can I find that at? Sorry, I'm a noob!
 
alex0203 said:
Well, I have a dynamic Seenheiser E816S, a condenser AT2020 (Audio Technica), and a cheap Peavey dynamic that came with my PA system. What is the recorderman method? Where can I find that at? Sorry, I'm a noob!
Click to expand...

google "recorderman" to find out what it is--it's a fantastic OH technique.

based on what you have, though, i'm not sure that's your answer. my starting point with those limitations would be:

put the e816s on kick, and put the 2020 out as a room mic. you could even try your peavey on snare, but i doubt you'll get particularly usable results. i have one of those cheap handheld peavey dynamics too, and it's been sitting in a zipper pouch for about 10 years.

i can't tell you what the best place for a room mic would be b/c there are too many variables. the best way to find the sweet spot is to just keep moving it around and doing sound checks.

if your room is really bad-sounding, you could even try using the 2020 as a single overhead mic. in fact, that may even be a better starting point than using it as a room mic. i'd definitely try both ways and see which sounds better.

good luck! :)
 
Chuck the cheap peavy mic on the kick drum

Put the Sennheiser on the hats, pointing away from as much of the rest of the kit as possible.

Use the AT as a single overhead. Maybe, directly over the snare?

Thats my suggestion anyway! :)
 
Since you're this limited I'd say screw stereo recording, you probably won't be able to do that with what you have now. I'd also say, use that condenser as a overhead, one dynamic for the kick and one dynamic for the snaredrum. And maybe put that condenser in front of the kit like here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VISJfkjydqg
For me it worked like a charm when it was all I had.

But hey, my advice is free, and worth what it costs. :rolleyes:
 
I say 2020 about 2-3 feet above the snare, angled slightly toward the middle tom. Whichever dynamic sounds better on the kick, use it there. That will get you a decent sound to start with. If you feel like you need more of something (snare/hat/ride), stick the other dynamic on it.
 
You know, you guys really got me thinking. Maybe I'm not gonna sound as bad as I though! Believe me, I will try all of these suggestions out and let you guys know which one of them sounds the best.

Just curious, why wouldn't you put the condenser inside the bass drum? Will that damage the mic?
 
So much is going to depend on the room's acoustics and the kit (new or old heads, correct tuning, cymbals, etc), that said, I'd start by putting the condenser approx., 6ft out front and about chest high aimed across the top of the kick. Check the results and move the mic (slightly) if necessary until you find a good balance of sound, then introduce the dynamics trying them in different places until you are happy with the results.

:cool:
 
i agree with ausrock, i've used this method with a Edirol R-9 (stereo mic, pointing left towards the snare and right away from the kit) and had some really good results.

caveat : make sure everything is tuned well together or your fooked :)
 
alex0203 said:
Just curious, why wouldn't you put the condenser inside the bass drum? Will that damage the mic?
Click to expand...

possibly, but not likely since the max spl is 144 dB which is pretty decent. if anything, the mic's output would clip.

but it's a question of application. as a general rule, an LDC will pick up more detail and more high end than a dynamic will. this makes condensers more suited for OHs since the OH is trying to capture the entire kit and cymbals.

a kick drum, otoh, is producing low frequencies that can be sufficiently and even preferably reproduced by a dynamic mic. ideally you'd be using a large-diaphragm dynamic, but ideally you'd also have stereo OHs.

what we're all suggesting is the best way to utilize each mic at your disposal. most importantly, you need some overall picture of the entire kit, and that's where an OH comes in. the LDC is the best choice for OH. the next 2 important things (imo anyway) are close-miking the kick and snare, but i'd place a little more importance on kick since your OH should pick up enough snare. the sennheiser is most likely a better mic than the peavey, so that's why i'd put it on kick. then i might try the peavey on the snare just to see which way sounds better--with or without it.

in the end, just experiment with everything and let your ears make the decision for you--we're just suggesting sensible starting points, but your ears are the only ones that are actually in the room listening. :)

check out the stickies in the mic forum. many many questions can be answered by reading those threads.
 
Mike the kick and snare with the dynamics and use the 2020 as a single room mic some distance in front of the kit. Experiment with placement so that you have a good balance of kit components in the 2020.

If you follow my signature, you'll see a link to a song called Green Magic.

The drums and rhythm guitars were recorded simultaneously with a single AT 4050 in omni, with moderate post-production compression.

Miking the kick and snare is ideal because compression can make the brass a little overpowering if placement and technique aren't just right.
 
don't laugh

i use the "crotch" mic technique :D, it works quite well, just position the mic between the floor tom & snare (away from vents) pointing at your crotch - don't fart while recording!!

Joking aside it does work quite well, i use a sm57 but don't expect amazing results, i use it when jotting ideas down. ;)
 
Id say if you want to use just one mic and capture the whole kit. Place the mic 5-6 feet out. centered between the snare and the kick, with the mic bottom on the top of the kick. Check out www.myspace.com/Stringerrock all the live from the wood recordings were done with one mic placed just like I said.
 
alex0203 said:
Just curious, why wouldn't you put the condenser inside the bass drum? Will that damage the mic?
Click to expand...

you know that you could do. This technique is best for heavy rock where you want a faster "clickier" bass drum sound. place the mic next to the mallets on the drummer's side of the bass. Although this is mostly to get that fast effect it might aid you as you don't have a mic made for low frequencies. you can always play with slight touches of reverb to make this bass sound seem a lot deeper.
 
For tracking a kit with one mic (which I do alot), I like placing an AKG 535EB about one ft. off of the floor and about 6 in. to the snaredrum side from the front edge of the kick drum. I aim the mic at the bottom head of the snare. A dab of compression during tracking and mixing and a little EQ bump at about 70Hz to fill out the low end and a bit of midrange cut does the trick. I will sometimes back the mic away to get less snare if it a real loud one.

dj
 
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