Albums that used one microphone to record drums

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jckinnick
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Albums that used one microphone to record drums

Post by jckinnick » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:13 pm

I heard thats how they used to do it back in the day, anybody know some of the albums that used this technique
Last edited by jckinnick on Fri Jun 09, 2006 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

kayagum
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Post by kayagum » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:29 pm

I can't speak to the classic albums, but....

* I've had good luck putting 1 LDC microphone 3-4' in front of the kit, pointing halfway between snare and kick.

* The mic by the drummer's ear trick also seems to work too.

* A third option is the "heart" mic (basically an omni in the middle of the kit- do a search on this board for more details).

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Post by mjau » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:41 pm

Aren't some of the drums on the Soft Bulletin single mic'ed?

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Post by jckinnick » Tue Jun 06, 2006 2:19 pm

mjau wrote:Aren't some of the drums on the Soft Bulletin single mic'ed?
The Flaming Lips album? Ill check it out, I just want to see what some sounds are I can get with only one mic.

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Post by ;ivlunsdystf » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:18 pm

Papas Fritas, I think, if anybody remembers those masterpiece albums.

To me, a non-drummer, all drums/mic combos sound the same as long as the drummer stays in time and doesn't overfill...

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Post by Mix413 » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:51 pm

At the TapeOp convention in NO a couple of years ago Cosimo Matassa said that he used an Altec M20 Lipstik mic to record drums. Placed it over by the side of the snare below the hihat. This would be evident on the late fifties's - early sixties stuff like Fats Domino, Little Richard, etc.
It was common in the fifties to use an RCA 44, RCA 77 or Altec Saltshaker as the drum mic. Sometimes there was no mic on the drums at all. It wasn't untill the early sixties that it became common to have more than one mic on a drumkit.
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Post by mikehattem » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:02 pm

Tigermilk by Belle & Sebastian was done with just one mic on the drums.

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globalsize
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Post by globalsize » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:18 pm

I believe Ulysses "010" was done with the entire band recorded on just one mic (and vocal overdubs were done seperately)

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Post by AGCurry » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:39 pm

Never got to album status, but here's one my band (Billy Spears Band) recorded in 1977. Nice vintage sound, partly because the drummer, Bud Pettit, insisted on one drum mic, overhead. That's Junior Brown singing and playing guitar, and me on the upright bass. Billy Spears on fiddle.

http://www.andycurry.info/BS_Band/Mount ... shower.mp3

Some of the drum-like noise you hear is my bass.

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Post by lyman » Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:43 pm

Tatertot wrote:Papas Fritas, I think, if anybody remembers those masterpiece albums.

To me, a non-drummer, all drums/mic combos sound the same as long as the drummer stays in time and doesn't overfill...
hey, i know "helioself" and their self titled album. i'm from boston though, so what do you expect. they were a great band.

you're on your own with the 2nd statement you made though...
Last edited by lyman on Wed Jun 07, 2006 1:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by drumsound » Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:53 pm

Lets not forget "When the Levee Breaks"

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Post by herodotus » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:26 pm

drumsound wrote:Lets not forget "When the Levee Breaks"
For real?

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Post by nestle » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:35 pm

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Post by flocentblack » Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:00 am

drumsound wrote:Lets not forget "When the Levee Breaks"
"Legend" has it that it was a pair of M160's a quite a distance from the kit. But I question the accuracy of those claims. Its been a while since I've listened to it, but in the begining of the song where there is the echo effect on the drums, I only hear it on the kick and snare...

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Post by Recycled_Brains » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:15 am

drumsound wrote:Lets not forget "When the Levee Breaks"
beat me to it. was it done inside of a really large stairwell in a castle? or have i been repeatedly bullshat upon in that regard.
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