Micing the shell

[palinilap]

I'm getting my first ribbon mic (Fathead) soon and want to try it on many different sources. I've found some great threads on the subject, but just want to clarify a few things:

- When someone refers to micing the shell of a snare drum do they mean the mic is just slightly peaking over the top head, or is it below the top head, literally micing the shell?

- When micing a kick drum with a ribbon is it a good idea to have the mic at a 45 degree angle facing the floor, and at least 18" back?

- Should I use a pop filter most of the time (getting the Cascade metal pop filter)?


I'm sure by experimenting I'll end up answering all my own questions, but don't want to ruin my mic in the process!

[MoreSpaceEcho]

When someone refers to micing the shell of a snare drum do they mean the mic is just slightly peaking over the top head, or is it below the top head, literally micing the shell?

usually i have it on the shell proper, about i dunno an inch down from the top of the drum. sometimes peaking over the top though. depends. just move it up and down and you'll hear the difference. towards the top is more ping, towards the bottom is more crunch

[I'm Painting Again]

ribbon on kick!

lol!

that might be the perfect way to ruin it..be careful..

though I love the idea..the air blasts from the kick can stretch out the ribbon and render your mic useless..


shell micing is exactly that..micing the shell..if it's over the edge you're micing the rim..

or more generally it means different things to different people..

ultimately it doesn't matter..

put the mics where they sound right with each other for the material you're recording..

[palinilap]

ribbon on kick!

lol!

that might be the perfect way to ruin it..be careful..

though I love the idea..the air blasts from the kick can stretch out the ribbon and render your mic useless..

Yeah, I'll be very careful with that... only for really subtle stuff that I myself am playing drums on, and still a few feet from the resonant head.

[Frank Wall]

ribbon on kick!

lol!

that might be the perfect way to ruin it..be careful..

though I love the idea..the air blasts from the kick can stretch out the ribbon and render your mic useless..

Yeah, I'll be very careful with that... only for really subtle stuff that I myself am playing drums on, and still a few feet from the resonant head.

I use an STC 4038 on kicks all the time. It sounds amazing for a lot of the rock bands that I deal with, but I do generally keep it a foot or so off of the drum. If I'm feeling unusually uncomfortable I will turn it about 45 ?off.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I also do ribbon on kick fairly often. The Apex 205 is one of my favorite kick mics ever.
You just have to come to terms with the idea that you might blow it up.

[inverseroom]

Beatles had a ribbon on kick for most of their career!

I mic the shell of my Acrolyte with a 57...about three inches away, pointing at the vent hole but off-axis. And a 201 on top, pointing straight down to a point about an inch and a half from the rim.

[Rodgre]

RIBBONS ON KICKS: I often mic kicks with a ribbon as well. I'd never put it right inside or near the hole (if there is one) where there is going to be a major blast of air, but somewhere in front of a resonant head has been fine. I like ribbons as a general "mono" drum mic, and while it often doesn't sound like much on it's own (sometimes, it's perfect though) it really gels the kit together in a meaty way, when combined with other mics.

THE SHELL! Yes, that has been a favorite trick of mine for years, but on the kick, not so much the snare. I haven't found the right combination to make it work on snare, but on the kick, right up on the shell, where the 2nd rack tom would normally be, not only gives great punch and focus to a kick (without the clicky Metallica beater sound) when blended with a front mic for bottom-end, but it often has a great blend of the rest of the kit from that position too. Sometimes the ride, if it's too close, will be a little obnoxious, but otherwise, I like that technique a lot.

Roger

[Marc Alan Goodman]

yip, I also use a 4038 on the kick from time to time. Usually a foot or so back, and usually with a kick with a full outer head (no hole). Then I just doghouse the crap out of it.

Those things are surprisingly resilient. The only time I've ever blown a ribbon is when I was micing a snare and the drummer sneezed right into it. Drummers.....


-marc alan goodman

[MoreSpaceEcho]

but on the kick, not so much the snare. I haven't found the right combination to make it work on snare, but on the kick, right up on the shell, where the 2nd rack tom would normally be

what kinda mic are you using there? omni?

[Rodgre]

but on the kick, not so much the snare. I haven't found the right combination to make it work on snare, but on the kick, right up on the shell, where the 2nd rack tom would normally be

what kinda mic are you using there? omni?

I tend to use a cardioid LDC facing the kick shell, something like a R?DE NT-2 or NTK or a Shure KSM-32. I have also used an omni there as well, probably a Stapes. The omni is good for the whole kit, but I like the midrange punch of a cardioid against the kick shell. All that punchy midrange that gets sucked out when you put something with a "smiley" EQ curve like a D112 or a Beta 52 inside the kick.

Some people don't want that midrange in the kick, but I kinda dig it.

Roger

[MoreSpaceEcho]

me too. i find it hard to make a midrangey kick work in the context of a rock band with loud distorted guitars though.

of course, making ANYTHING work around distorted guitars is always a challenge. stupid guitars.

[RefD]

*switches back to violin*

[ideaofnorth]

- When someone refers to micing the shell of a snare drum do they mean the mic is just slightly peaking over the top head, or is it below the top head, literally micing the shell?

Didn't Andy Hong write a TO article about micing a snare shell with an omni/earthworks style mic? I've done this with my Stapes with good results. You can move the mic closer to the top head for more snap, and towards the bottom for more snare. Anyone else try this?

[Kyle]

Yes! Mic the snare with that ribbon.

I love to mic the shell of the snare with a ribbon. These are the best snare sounds that I have ever captured. Move the mic up and down on the shell to find the sound you are looking for. You can get a lot of variation with a slight adjustment, more top head, more snare, etc. It also helps to use the null of the fig 8 pattern to control the hats.

I use the Nady ribbon into the seventh circle A12. I also mic the snare bottom but I might not use it on every song.

It's worth a try!