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rightbrainnow

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I have limited space. I can either record drums in a 8X12 room with 8 feet ceilings, a 16X20 room with 6'6" ceillings, or think about selling my drums mics to get an electronic drum set. I really dont want to use an electronic drum set as im starting like the "art" of drum miking....and acoustic drums just feel better. My space is lacking so bad though to come out with a quality recording...are 6'6" ceilings much different from 8 foot ceilings? These are the ONLY spaces I have to work with...
 
rightbrainnow said:
I have limited space. I can either record drums in a 8X12 room with 8 feet ceilings, a 16X20 room with 6'6" ceillings, or think about selling my drums mics to get an electronic drum set. I really dont want to use an electronic drum set as im starting like the "art" of drum miking....and acoustic drums just feel better. My space is lacking so bad though to come out with a quality recording...are 6'6" ceilings much different from 8 foot ceilings? These are the ONLY spaces I have to work with...
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An 8' celing is totally doable, not a problem at all.
But now that I think about it - I might be able to deal with a 6'6" ceiling in a drum booth. I mean, my overhead microphones are only about 6' off the ground, so I'd just have to maybe lower them a few inches, but I would have to deaden at least some of the ceiling directly above the kit because that low ceiling slapback would suck royally.



Do you you have the option of trying the room out? If so, all you need is two or three mics. Put one directly over the drummer as high as you can, and aimed straight down on top of the kit, then go out as far from the kit as you can and aim one at the kit.

Then close mic the kick and snare. Don't add anything - meaning EQ, or effects - to this, and record each mic onto it's own separate track.


The goal is to see how bad the room effects the drum sound. Now that I'd thought about it for a few minutes, I'm betting the ceiling wont effect the overhead mic, as bad is it would the mic's out in the room.

Whatever you do, for God's sakes don't use any kind of cheap carpet or bedding foam for soundtreatment! Remember the Great White clubfire.



Tim
 
Yea, i really want to use the larger 16X20 space because I need to the space to put things. If i were to used sound absobtion on both ceilings...the results would probably be the same for the o/hs. I was thinking about hanging some plywood down to reflect the sound elsewhere...and have the plywood covered with some acoustic foam. While that sounds like a good idea to me, I dont believe there would be much room for that with 6'6" ceilings. Well, I guess i could angle it a little bit and that would be better than nothing. The 8X12 room has hardwood floors, and the 16X20 will have carpet though, so that kinda stinks. Maybe i could raise the drum kit with some sort of box frame.
 
how about using both rooms? :) i thought my 20X15 room was going to be large enough, but i just kept buying stuff... now i have a full PA, 7 piece drum kit, bass and guitar halfstacks, studio desk/rack, keyboard and it keeps going!
yeah stick some sound absorption on the ceiling, maybe some bass traps on the lower walls near the kit. possibly even use one of those drum shields? if you are recording more than just drums, you might need the room, because 8X12 is not much to work with.
 
The problem with a lower ceiling (in general) is that the standing waves will resonate at a higher pitch, getting into a range where it interferes with other sounds. Big rooms and higher ceilings, like concert halls, are good because the pitch of resonance is below the pitches we can hear. So, theoretically, the higher ceiling is better. But, the 8x12 room is 8' in two directions and that's extra bad for resonance. I would go with the larger room, shorter ceiling, and bass trap the heck out of it. Either room will need acoustic treatment to reduce standing waves. Sound absorption on the ceiling will help with reflections but won't solve the bigger problem of standing resonance.
 
Wow! That's a low ceiling! I know people that couldn't stand up in there.

Don't get electric drums. THEY SUCK!!!
 
If you go with the rroom with the lower ceiling, try the checkerboard type of foam placement on the ceiling. You'll have about 50% coverage. Then you'll need probably 4 or 5 bass traps. The traps helped my mixes alot.

jus my 2c.......... :D
 
Hey, my ceiling in my recording room is 2100mm (6'10"). I haven't recorded anything fantastic, but I do not have a problem with reverberation from it at all. I'm only doing rough demos at the moment, and I'm not getting the greatest sound I have to admit, but that has nothing to do with reverb or anything. I'm perfectly happy with the sound from the cymbals, despite the fact I'm using cheap overheads.

As the other guy said, you gotta try out the room and see. It'll depend on the genre you're playing, your personal playing style, the kit you're using, the surface of the walls and ceiling, and the microphones and other equipment. Most importantly, it's up to you whether it sounds good or not: some might like the reflections, some might not.

Let us know how you go.
 
Ive decided im definately going with the bigger room, shorter ceilings. Ive got everything in the small room right and its driving me nuts. All the cables snag everything and it honestly inhibits my inpiration to do anything. The big room isnt finished...so my brother and I are going to get that project started. Is there anything less reflecive than sheetrock? I plan on treating the room acoustically, but my brother wants to use to wood paneling down there....which im sure is better than sheet rock.
 
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