what is your favourite configuration for micing snare?

[roughpetrucci]

Hello guys! I'm quite a newbie n' I'm experimenting micing drums.
I've got a question for you:

How do you mike your snare?
only top? only bottom? both?
which mic do you prefer?

I've tried micing top and bottom with 2 sm57s
I'd like to try with a 57 on the top (to get the "attack")
and a sm58 on the bottom (to get the "body" and and the tail)

what do tou think about it?

thanxxxxxxxxxxx!!!

 

[Wireneck]

"I've tried micing top and bottom with 2 sm57s
I'd like to try with a 57 on the top (to get the "attack")
and a sm58 on the bottom (to get the "body" and and the tail)"

For the most part the 57 and the 58 are identical except the 58 has the ball windscreen. I don't think swapping the 2nd 57 for a 58 is going to do much for you.
I really like the sennheiser 441 on top but I don't own one yet (haven't found the right deal). So most of the time its the 57 on top. You may want to look into the beyer 201? i think, alot of people love it for snare.

 

[Track Rat]

Every time I've miked the bottom, I've never ended up using it. For rock/pop type music I like a C-1000 out at least 6" away from the snare pointed at the top side of the shell and I try to get the hi hat in the null point of the mic to minimize the hat.

 

[chessrock]

I just put it wherever hi-hat bleed is most minimized, and I stick a LDC underneath, almost to the floor, facing up.

 

[MarkoPolo]

I use a 57 on the top 3 to 6 inchs off the top angled away from the hat and I use a 57 on the bottum facing up in reverse phase.
and I always make sure the snares on the bottum are tight other wise you hear the rattle of them.

 

[tubedude]

The 441 is very nice in that, not only does it just sound good, but the rejection is such that you can place it rather high over the snare to pick up more of the body, and still not get too much bleed. WAY less bleed than a 57. I mean a LOT less.

 

[Rimshot]

I use different configurations on different music and for different snares and rooms, It all depends on the sound you want to get. If you do a lot of rolls and grace notes and such with a lighter touch and you want that "jazz" acoustic sound, then I think mic'ing the top and bottom is a good way to go. I don't use anything fancy for that, just two Sennheisser e604's and I reverse-phase the lower mic. When I am playing a mellower piece with brushes, I use a Sennheisser e835 (yeah, it's primarily a vocal mic, but I love it on hi-hat and for brushes).These will all be on standard 5.5"or 6" X 14" maple or birch snares
I have a very deep snare 9" x 14" that I use for heavier blues and for rock when I'm called to play it and for that drum, I mic the side of the snare to pick up the resonant shell sound. If I'm playing cross-stick at all, I'll add an e604 to the top head.
There are times when you don't need anything more than just one mic on the head or even to just go with the overheads and no mic on the snare. You have to try it out. Different music, different rooms, different drums.
I'm real new to the mic'ing and recording of drums too. Then I got bitten with the bug to do it, and I'm surprized at how much I've picked up in the past year or so. I used to just let the sound guys do it then I started listening to what they were saying and doing and I took notes.

 

[roughpetrucci]

thank you so much!!!

..I thought to the 58 on the bottom because I've read that it is like the 57 but It's frequency response is louder on basses (due just to It's different geometry..)

I'm desperately experimenting because I have to record a rock-metal song that is full of ghost notes on the snare..

I think that right now my snare is sounding a bit thin.. I'd like it fatter n' warmer but I don't think that I can use a condenser mic (I've got a Rode NT1) because my drummer hits VERY VERY VERY HEAVY!