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Suggested Microphones for Drums |
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Toms and Snares: Sennheiser E604, Shure SM57 First: The fewer microphones used to record drums, the fewer problems there will be. This is because when multiple mics are used near a sound source, comb filitering and phase shift effects will occur. Mic placement is critical and should not be overlooked. It's better to capture the drum sound properly than to try and fix it in the mix. Most people however want control over individual drums and that means more microphones. Second: The less processing of the sound the better and more natural your sound will be. By processing I mean anything that alters the sound like equalizers, compressors, reverb, and other effects. I record my drums directly from the pre-amp to Digital and then into my computer. The PreSonus DigiMax offers an 8 channal mic preamp with ADAT optical output. Tips on Miking and Recording Drums: It's better to re-position the microphone(s) and find the sound you are looking for, than it is to "Fix it in the mix". If you find yourself saying "We can fix it in the mix", then take a break and re-think your approach to the recording. Why are you here? Purchase the best quality microphones you can afford! Try and get a medium grade mic such these below. You may not get a bunch of mics but you'll get a much better sound. If you feel rushed then try to relax and calm down. If however you are not properely prepared, you don't know your part, then STOP! Go back to the rehearsal studio and learn the song. How much time do you spend on EQ'ing a poorly recorded track? I can tell you it's not worth it. Stereo Pairs: When using a Stereo Pair setup I think the drums sound best when the mics are positioned in front of the drums (towards the audience) anywhere from 1 to 10 feet and anywhere from 3 to 6 feet off the ground. Rule of thumb: The higher above the ground the more cymbals will be heard - lower, the more the kick drum will be heard. The closer to the drums you get the more direct drum sound (dry) you get. While the further away the more room sound (wet) you get. Find what works for you by using your ears. If you can have someone else move the mics while monitoring then that's probably better. Make sure you test what the stereo pair sounds like in mono. You can do this by taking the pan-pot positions and moving the to the center positon. If it sounds thin and phasy or if it sounds hollow then you need to reposition the microphones. The Rode NT4 is designed to not have this problem. You can also purchase a dual mic holder for AKG's C1000 mics and similar microphones. One of the main problems with getting a good loud drum sound is that the cymbals bleed into the tom and snare mics. Have the drummer move his cymbals up as high as he can comfortably play them. This moves the Cymbal sound source away from the tom mics. The Sennheiser E604's have excellent off axis rejection, meaning they only hear the drums and not the cymbals. You can always count on the Shure SM57 for snare and toms as well. I don't know how many albums have been recorded using the Shure SM57 on drums. Also while recording see if the drummer can play his/her drums harder than usual and play the cymbals softer than usual. For Toms and Snare: For Kick Drum: You can always place two mics in the kick drum: one close to the beater and one out away towards the front. Either way make sure you test it with the bass guitar and listen for any harsh or competitive frequencies. For Overheads: |
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