Favorite drum miking techniques for small rooms...

[caz]

TapeOppers,

I am feeling a bit tired of my current drum miking techniques and am looking for a lil' inspiration from my able brethren.

I have a small room studio (approx. 10 X 12 with a 12 foot high ceiling). Would one call my ceiling vaulted? It is a peak that has been squared off.

Any help would help!

Caz

www.pascalgoespop.com

[lee]

...thats pretty small...

advice: electronic drum set.

[helmuth]

What technique are you using now that you're tired of then?

[caz]

Howdy,

No space is too small or too large...they are just spaces. Great records have been made in many less-than-perfect rooms.

That said, I have been using a combo of close mics and XY overheads with an overdriven mic either lying on the ground under the snare or as a room mic to be added to give space to the kit. Listen for an example: http://www.pascalgoespop.com/xmas.htm I made two EPs with some drum sounds I have been proud of...I would just like to expand my sounds a bit and see how other folks are doing in similar situations.

Thanks,
Caz

[helmuth]

http://www.mercenary.com/3micdrumstuf.html
I've been experimenting with that for a while, came out good though my room were far from ideal.

[JASIII]

have you considered using a single room or overhead and going mono? A nice tuben mic used this way can give a nice sound for some things, esp. when driven hard. Just move the mic around the room to find a nice balance of the drums, and in a room that small it should make that part easier!

[caz]

I have done a single mic/room sound, and yes it does work great for some things. I think I have been doing "roomy" types of drums and I really wanna attempt a solid, punchy, closed-mic sound. Any good ideas with deadening the room?

Caz

[caz]

Also...I am not looking to 'fix a problem', per se. I am really just attempting to get some good tips from people I trust.

Caz


www.pascalgoespop.com

[Snarky]

I like the drums on the sad x-mas song. The hi hat and snare work good and the kick has a nice punch. I don't really hear any toms but I don't think they are doing much on them. The OH's are beliveable and don't sound crunchy like a small room does. I think you've done well and should leave it alone till you can go use a bigger room one day. The drummer has a nice busy-ness to the HH SN thing. I like it.

[Brett Siler]

I agree I think you got a pretty good drum sound drum sound on that song.

Have you tried any Impulse Response verbs on a room mic?

[jc]

how bout a lil predelay and expansion on yr overdriven ambience mic?

~20 ms works WONDERS.

[Brett Siler]

Yes I secondd that! Put about 20ms of delay or some in you overheads or room mic(s). It really does add room and depth. Usually anymore than 20ms the brian recognizes it as a delay and it will have that slap delay effect.

[Devlars]

Pascal...you guys are a MI band yes? Good to finally hear your stuff, I'm in the detroit area and have had plenty of people tell me to check out your band. I agree the drums sound very good. If you want to have the drums sound "closer" then perhaps keep the level of the overheads down a bit more when you mix cos you can really only hear the room on the snare when everything is going and on the quiet bits of the song the whole kit has the room in it. But keep in mind I'm hearing this on a crappy pair of in-ear headphones from my computer. Kit sounds great by the way, I really like the snare a lot.

[moogplayer]

I record drums in a room that's 13' x 9' with 7.5' ceilings. Floors are carpeted and there's exposed fiberboard on the walls. I record pretty dead, close miking each drum, with a stereo overhead pair (akg 451s, about 5' from the ground) and sometimes a close mic on the hat and ride. I sometimes go a step further and use gaffers tape + small amounts of cloth on the snare and tom heads (both sides of the tom heads). Tune the toms low. You'd be surprised. In-your-face punch is very possible with a small room.

[SKEETER]

I have a specific mic for each one of my drums, I go for a very dead drum sound then add the ambiance with outboard devices later. I get a dead sound by hanging blankets on either side of the kit when I am recording. I have the kit facing a wall, right up on top of the wall so the kick is about 4 icnhes from it, I place a peice of mattress padding in front of the kick so the sounds don't bounce off of the wall in front of the drums. I put nothing behind me, and nothing above, I let the sounds reflect off of the ceiling. This works well for me, I get good isolation, without a lot of ringing tones, and get a real snappy snare sound.