This sounds like crap to me.

[mrhotapples]

First off...This session was a joke. The performance is half the problem (notice during some parts the drummer seems to fade away as if he's about to stop playing). We recorded it all in one take except for a few little things that we overdubbed. The drummer had learned the song two practices prior.


File: 7megs

Mics:
14" walnut/maple snare with one SM57
16" maple/walnut floor tom with one I5, double-ply coated
14" maple/walnut rack tom with one I5, double-ply coated
OHs were two MXL990s in a spaced pair
Kick is a sampled from the Natural Studios free drum kit
Bass was DI from a POD
Guitars were a 50w tube head through a 4x12 at half mast with one I5 slightly off-axis dead center

Pre: FIREPOD!!!

The only thing that peaked above -12db during tracking was the snare.

My biggest issues with what my average recording sounds like are usually the snare and the toms. My snare is always too 'woody', there's way too much "nock-nock", not enough presence. The toms just...Well, they need more attack and I attribute that to the heads used. Kick is something I have to deal with until I buy a D6. It's drumagog and free samples-land until then.

I am happy with how the guitars sound. I didn't play very well, but the over-all recorded tone is fine with me. I'd still like opinions on guitars too though.

If anyone can give me some insight into some things to make doubly sure about drum micing (even tuning and such, I usually work with cooperative drummers) aside from my 'selection' of mics, and critique the overall mix and some areas where I can do to improve things...Well, that'd be swell.

 

[rightstarstudio]

Hi actually not too bad at all, You know your in your house (I assume) and not a million dollar + recording studio. and as far as the snare sounding "woody" try to pull some 400hz out of it and adding 5 khz for snap and 7khz for spring. those are all just general, estimates. But a little eq goes a long way. bass sounds great. I like the song all its missing is --- vocals! a little eqing on the toms sounds liek it wouldn't hurt. But i my be telling you stuff you already know in which case i'm not trying to insult your intellegence. Well anyway cool!
aC

 

[mrhotapples]

Heh, I do understand that there is going to be a difference between recording in an untreated bedroom with all but 700 dollars worth of equipment and recording at Abby Road. I am just trying to push what I have as far as it will go, you know?

As for EQ, I tried to cut pretty much all the mids out of the snare and boost the highs and lows, and that made it snap alot better, but I would like to correct my mic technique rather than have to EQ. I've never tried cutting so much midrange from a snare until you suggested that, and I can see it being invaluable later on, so thank you very much.

As for my snare mic technique...Using a 57 what should I do to pick up less tone? I usually put the mic about an inch off the head, about half an inch in and pointing towards the center of the snare with the xlr-end pointed at the high-hat.

 

[TragikRemix]

try an i5 on snare and put the 57 elsewhere.

i just switched to the i5 on snare, with 57's on toms. diffrnt sound, less 57'ness.

 

[mrhotapples]

Yeeeah, I'm tempted to...The I5 seems so much more tame. Kinda like all Audix's mics.

Here's a 'remix'. the snare's got no mids and the mix has a little presence hyke (1.5db) at around 5k. I think it helped.

After finding a good balance (to my ears at least) tonally, I realize again that I need a good kick mic and some treatment though. Things aren't quite as clear as I'd like them to be.