Drum kit overhead micing problem

[premiumdan]

A friend tried out some of those Audix flexible drum-rim clip-on
condenser mics recently. No amount of gain-reduction/padding
would fix the clicks. Playing the kit VERY softly was the only
"solution"; although to be fair, those mics MAY have been
faulty... In this situation, the mic element was overloading.

Try different mics and see what happens. OR, check the kit
with an SPL-meter and see if the mic performs as-advertised.
Maybe you could get 'em replaced if it's spec's aren't up to snuff...

Cheers!

-Dan

[madhatmark]

Always pad the mics as transients from drums can clip on recording, if you can't pad the mic then I would suggest finding a pair of mics that you can as padding the desk does not stop the mic capsule from overloading. This would also apply if you were also using room mics ( depending on how far away the mics are. Yep you can use a ?60 dynamic mic on a snare drum or bass drum, but you need to spend a few extra spondooliks on a good condenser for overheads, hats, ride, room mics etc

[heylow]

It's the sound of inexperience!

So, you've never been there, right? how does one get experience without experiencing, learning, fixing, and moving on?


Sheesh, man....be a dude once in a while, will ya?




[dt]

[C_R_J]

i love my nt5s

i have never had the same problem though. maybe try raising em up higher? i know that mine pick up everything, and on my firepod, i dont even turn the gain up at all, and its still plenty loud enough for my kit.

[chris harris]

Always pad the mics as transients from drums can clip on recording

I rarely pad OH or room mics. I actually only decide to engage pads on a case by case basis.

if you can't pad the mic then I would suggest finding a pair of mics that you can as padding the desk does not stop the mic capsule from overloading.

Neither does the pad on your mic.

You can get great OH and room sounds from a variety of different condenser, ribbon, and yes, dynamic mics in a wide range of prices.

[timmymacdd]

clicks could be a mic going bad, It just happened to me. I thought it was everything else except my mic....cause that was expensive and how would a mic go bad? HEHE

But My guess that I haven't seen on here is the whole computer soundcard and keeping up with like 8 tracks recording at once......especially if you have other stuff that you are playing along too on the song that the computer is also running as it is trying to record 8 more tracks. That would be my guess.

[C_R_J]

it could be latency issues possibly yes. i didnt even think of that.

[chris harris]

it could be latency issues possibly yes. i didnt even think of that.

???

Do you know what "latency" is?

[timmymacdd]

Yes-Latency is what causes your sound card to crackle and skip as it records audio....especially in large numbers of tracks or with a slow computer or with a broke WD hard drive. THe crackles that latency causes are ok.....but when they throw off the sync that is too slow of a computer.


It shouldn't always be the same track with the same mic though......that would be the mic or cord.

[C_R_J]

it could be latency issues possibly yes. i didnt even think of that.

???

Do you know what "latency" is?

i do. wait. i "do"

i didnt thoroughly read the post. i apologize if i "offended you" with my disregard of your knowledge of "latency"

[chris harris]

The problem he's having has absolutely nothing to do with "latency".

GUARANTEED.

[C_R_J]

i record extremely loud drums with the exact same mics and have no problems whatsoever. hmmmm. no clue.

[Ryan Silva]

It's the sound of inexperience!

Jeff,

If you not going to contribute something useful to the thread please don't bother!

Sometimes I wonder if Jeff is just a necessary evil on this board designed to pull the rest of us together as a community against him. I mean, what would god do without the Devil? Just play a lot of Golf I guess.

[Nick Sevilla]

I'm getting a "click" noise on playback when recording drums that is showing up on the overhead tracks; sometimes the left or right mic and sometimes both. The click occurs mainly on a kick/crash cymbal hit. It occurs about 90% of the time, so a few 'hits' have no click. Reducing gain does not help. I've tried repositioning the overheads in countless arrangements. The only thing so far that reduces the phenomenon is moving the mics very far over the kit (about 5 feet), but then the drums sound too distant. I'm using a pair of Rode NT5 mics, Mackie Onyx 800R, EMU 1820, Cubase SL. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hi,

I learned form a name producer, the following :

Use AKG 451EB or 451B mics for overheads.

Pad them by 10 dB, or 20, if the drummer hits hard.

Also, use the 150 Hz filter, especially if using a lot of mics, like one per drum head. if not using that many mics, use the 75Hz filter.

Problem solved, and great overhead sounds gotten every time.

Also, make sure you can place the snare in the middle of the mics stereo image. this requires an asisstant to move the mics until you get the snare excatly in the middle of the two mic's stereo image.

Cheers

[C_R_J]

I'm getting a "click" noise on playback when recording drums that is showing up on the overhead tracks; sometimes the left or right mic and sometimes both. The click occurs mainly on a kick/crash cymbal hit. It occurs about 90% of the time, so a few 'hits' have no click. Reducing gain does not help. I've tried repositioning the overheads in countless arrangements. The only thing so far that reduces the phenomenon is moving the mics very far over the kit (about 5 feet), but then the drums sound too distant. I'm using a pair of Rode NT5 mics, Mackie Onyx 800R, EMU 1820, Cubase SL. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hi,

I learned form a name producer, the following :

Use AKG 451EB or 451B mics for overheads.

Pad them by 10 dB, or 20, if the drummer hits hard.

Also, use the 150 Hz filter, especially if using a lot of mics, like one per drum head. if not using that many mics, use the 75Hz filter.

Problem solved, and great overhead sounds gotten every time.

Also, make sure you can place the snare in the middle of the mics stereo image. this requires an asisstant to move the mics until you get the snare excatly in the middle of the two mic's stereo image.

Cheers

or you could just do whatever you want, and it will probably sound fine.