overhead mic & technique suggestions

[packupthekids]

i generally record loud bands live in their practice spaces, some large most small. i was wondering what you guys would suggest i use to record overheads with. i'm not too concerned with some bleed but would like it to be somewhat controlled. also are there any micing techniques i could use to help me accomplish a better drum sound in this configuration.

thanks
james

[saldiamond]

what kind of mikes are you using?

if you can get closer to the drums and point some small condensers away from the other instruments it might give you a little more control over the
the kit.

strategic placement of the amps is also a possibility

can you throw up some gobos for a little isolation?

but yes, in this situation, you must embrace the bleed.

[surf's up]

it depends on what sort of drum sound you want and if how much close miking you are doing. I tend to prefer large condensers as drum overheads. The 'Glyn Johns' technique (do a search for it here) is a great way to capture the cymbals while retaining an overall kit balance and requires few mics. the X-Y stereo technique can also be a neat technique, but can take some fiddling around with to get a good stereo balance. I like using the X-Y if im using small condensers on overheads.

Id recommend cardioid mics if you are using mostly untreated spaces. The way the drummer sets his kit up and plays will invariably have an impact on how you decide to mic the kit. cymbal bashers can create problems.

[centurymantra]

One of my current fav OH drum apps is a single mono Beyer M160 over the right shoulder, basically pointing at the snare. I compress it to tape with a nice opto compressor. I've used it in a situation similar to yours and it works great and, in this application, gets a cool, kind of crunchy but laid back sound. . It's basically a dynamic mic and, as such, is not as sensitive as condenser mics. Bleed is usually pretty minimal. A figure 8 pattern on a mono OH can also be useful in this situation by using the null position of that pickup pattern to minimize bleed.