Ride cymbal - close or overhead?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Quagmire02
  • Start date Start date
Quagmire02

Quagmire02

New member
How do you all record your ride cymbal? I can either close mic it or just use the overhead recording for it...which do you all suggest?
 
I close mic the ride and hat. The overhead picks them up as well, I just use the close mic'd tracks (when I use them) to ad clarity the those cymbals.
 
Depending on the ride, I will choose to close mic it. Right now, my drummer has this A series ride that has alot of "ping" to it, and it picks up in both overheads causing it to be a lot more centered than desired. So I mic it, and bring it up just enough so I can pan it in the stereo image. But sometimes, some rides aren't as bright so the overheads will do just fine.
 
Im not getting much reverb on my close mic'd ride, a lot of ping and short decay. But then again, my oh ride sound isn't defined enough...combine them?
 
That decision to me is always made by the way the drummer plays, and how he/she sets up their cymbals. If it is completely covered by other cymbals i will often mic it. Sometimes I even like to throw a small diaphragm condensor (usually an AKG 451) underneath the ride and get it all the way up under the bell a bit. It really helps you shape the ride cymbal a lot come mixdown.
 
Except in rare circumstances I never mic the ride cymbal. In fact, some of my best drum sounds neither the hat or ride were mic'd. Heck my favorite recorded drum sounds of all time that I did were 2 overheads, 1 room, kick and snare... and that was it. Sounded amazing.

More mics doesn't mean better sound.

But it can mean more phase problems, more stuff to eq/compress later and generally mess with, and a longer setup time. :)

Of course, my advice is to use whatever mics you think you're going to need. If you are unsure if you need something--MIC IT. You can always throw that away come mix time anyways.
 
Im doing heavy metal, so a nice ride that is prominent is what I want, just not overpoweringly pingy.
 
Quagmire02 said:
Im doing heavy metal, so a nice ride that is prominent is what I want, just not overpoweringly pingy.
Click to expand...

Try a different cymbal. There is only so much you can do with mics and placement. A lot of folks nowadays seem to want a big crash for a ride.
 
The reason that I occasionally mic a ride cymbal from the bottom is so that I can really control that ping. First, micing form under the bell gives pretty decent rejection from other cymbals. Secondly, it seems to deemphasize the "ping" part of the ride, at least the high pitch pings. It allows me to add a lot of body from the ride back to the mix. Before I mic a ride from the bottom though I always make sure I am getting a decent sound in the overheads first. Its kind of like a snare bottom track. I love them, but never on their own, always blended with the primary mic. With bottom micing a ride, the primary mic(s) are the overheads. The bottom mic is to reinforce that sound and add some body back in to the ride sound in the mix.
 
Cloneboy Studio said:
Except in rare circumstances I never mic the ride cymbal. In fact, some of my best drum sounds neither the hat or ride were mic'd. Heck my favorite recorded drum sounds of all time that I did were 2 overheads, 1 room, kick and snare... and that was it. Sounded amazing.

More mics doesn't mean better sound.

But it can mean more phase problems, more stuff to eq/compress later and generally mess with, and a longer setup time. :)

Of course, my advice is to use whatever mics you think you're going to need. If you are unsure if you need something--MIC IT. You can always throw that away come mix time anyways.
Click to expand...

Good advice.
Nobody ever put their ear a 1/2" from a drumhead or cymbal to appreciate the sound of a kit. There is zero ambiance in close-mic'd drums. Overheads plus a room mic give the real flavor of a kit, with just enough close mic'd individual elements (usually just snare and kick) to add in a bit of punch.

Close micing (not just drums either) should be reserved more for when tracking multiple instruments in the same room at the same time to reduce bleed. Or if the room itself sounds crappy (bass traps anybody?)
 
Would a room mic take away from the "tightness" of drums that people usually desire in a heavy metal drum sound?
 
Quagmire02 said:
Would a room mic take away from the "tightness" of drums that people usually desire in a heavy metal drum sound?
Click to expand...
If you are doing metal, close mic everything. A lot of what you hear on metal albums are triggered drums anyway. It really depends on what sub genre of metal you are talking about.
 
Farview said:
If you are doing metal, close mic everything. A lot of what you hear on metal albums are triggered drums anyway. It really depends on what sub genre of metal you are talking about.
Click to expand...

I'd say pretty much like 80's thrash metal, but with better sound. Maybe a good example is the new Judas Priest album. Or even their Painkiller album.
 
Those were Ddrums. That is not an acoustic kit. If you are going for the painkiller sound, get some triggers and a Ddrum module. The only mics you will need are the overheads, hat and ride.
 
Quagmire02 said:
Would a room mic take away from the "tightness" of drums that people usually desire in a heavy metal drum sound?
Click to expand...

IMHO the heaviness of drums comes from a more room sound.

For example: compare Metallica's "And Justice For All" versus the "Black Album" for drum sounds--AJFA sounds tinny and small (mostly direct mics) versus the big room, huge sound of the Black Album.

Honestly, I kind of hate the sound of direct mics. All they are good for is some crack and attack. The real tone and meat of the drums are in the overheads and room mics.
 
Cloneboy Studio said:
IMHO the heaviness of drums comes from a more room sound.

For example: compare Metallica's "And Justice For All" versus the "Black Album" for drum sounds--AJFA sounds tinny and small (mostly direct mics) versus the big room, huge sound of the Black Album.

Honestly, I kind of hate the sound of direct mics. All they are good for is some crack and attack. The real tone and meat of the drums are in the overheads and room mics.
Click to expand...

That's a good comparison. I think I'll focus on overheads and room sound some more and see how it sounds.
 
Cloneboy Studio said:
IMHO the heaviness of drums comes from a more room sound.

For example: compare Metallica's "And Justice For All" versus the "Black Album" for drum sounds--AJFA sounds tinny and small (mostly direct mics) versus the big room, huge sound of the Black Album.
Click to expand...


Two words: Bob Rock!

tim
 
Most drums we hear on albums have wuite a few close mics on them as well. Do you really think Danny Kerry doesn't get his toms mic'ed?
 
xstatic said:
Most drums we hear on albums have wuite a few close mics on them as well. Do you really think Danny Kerry doesn't get his toms mic'ed?
Click to expand...
You mean Danny Carey of Tool? Another one of those kits that I think uses more room mics than direct micing. While on the subject of room mics, what would you guys recomend for where to put them?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top