Go-to drum mic setups

vintageblue · Post by **vintageblue** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:16 pm

Here are a few of my setups:

Full kit-

1 - MXL 990 on Kick (outside)
1 - SHURE PG56 (inside)
2 - Behringer C-2 SDCs (1 on top snare, 1 on shell of snare)
1 - SHURE SM57 on snare bottom
2 - Sennheiser e609s on toms
2 - M-Audio Novas as OH
1 - MXL V67g as a room mic, or
1 - MXL R44 Ribbon as a room mic

Folk/Jazz/Dance kit-

1 - MXL 990 on kick (outside)
1 - Behringer C-2 SDC on snare (shell)
2 - M-Audio Novas as OH
1 - MXL V67g or R44 as room mic

Behringer, DBX, Bellari, and Studio Projects are the preamps for the mics.
Great stereo imaging and very little bleed with these mics. I'm always happy with my finished product.

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:14 pm

the usual variations for my place, some stay the same if working in another place

kik in- e602- api 3124
kik out - at4047- topaz pre, gonna try the ehx 12ay7 next time
snare top - beta 56 or beta 57 - api 3124
snare bottom - stedman n90- topaz pre
toms - either atm25 (wish i had 2 more, they rule on bass as well), 421's or oktava mc012's - topaz pre
OH's - mc012's in ORTF or XY - moddified sx-202 with burr brown chips
HH - mc 012 - topaz pre
Ride - whatever i got left - topaz pre
Room- TOMB ribbon, cad e300 either mid side or mono, depending...

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:10 pm

Wow, you guys all use a lot of mics. I'd feel weird using six. This probably comes from me being a hack, huh? Or am I some sort of minimalist? No, it must be because I'm a hack.

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:02 pm

Judas Jetski wrote:Wow, you guys all use a lot of mics. I'd feel weird using six. This probably comes from me being a hack, huh? Or am I some sort of minimalist? No, it must be because I'm a hack.

or you just go for a different sound/technique/style.

I record punk, metal, loud rawk stuff.. got to have close mic's in there.

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:14 pm

here's my typical setup - it changes if the music requires it and I don't always use every track, but I do record it just in case I do need it.

kick inside - Audix D6
kick outside - DIY subkick speaker/mic
snare top - SM57 or Audix i5
snare bottom - Audix D3
rack toms - Audix D2
floor toms - Audix D4
overheads - AKG c414 B-ULS
ride - MXL 603 (modded w/better caps - not too bad..)
hihat - AKG SE300b (until I find the perfect hat mic...)
room - Studio Projects C3 (Omni) or Nady RSM-2 (modded) or NSonic NS-1 or NS2 or MXl V69 or...

If the song is right I love putting the room mic out in the adjacent stairwell.

Mike

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:21 pm

Judas Jetski wrote:Wow, you guys all use a lot of mics. I'd feel weird using six. This probably comes from me being a hack, huh? Or am I some sort of minimalist? No, it must be because I'm a hack.

Not at all man. I posted my typical set up. Yesterday I had an MC012 with cardioid capsule as an overhead, D12e on BD and another MC012 also with the cardioid capsule as a room mic, pointed away from the drums. Console pres, no EQ, no compression, straight to tape at 15ips IEC.

Recycled_Brains · Post by **Recycled_Brains** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:36 pm

I definitely need to get an E602 after hearing it at the drum workshop over the weekend.

And a Beyer M201.

And a U47.

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:58 pm

After seeing your avatar, I just want a second cat.

I'm using four mics to record punk... but it's kinda garage-punk, and I've been told I use a lot of "room sound." I guess that "room" must be my basement... a suitable environment for the kind of music I'm making.

And BTW, Recycled_Brains... until I posted this we had exactly the same number of posts. 1162. Weird, huh?

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:08 pm

the drummer last weekend showed up with just kick, snare, hat and a ride. i thought "cool, i'll go really minimal too" and i still ended up with 8 mics on him....

Ryan Silva · Post by **Ryan Silva** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:12 pm

MoreSpaceEcho wrote:the drummer last weekend showed up with just kick, snare, hat and a ride. i thought "cool, i'll go really minimal too" and i still ended up with 8 mics on him....

ott0bot · Post by **ott0bot** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:54 pm

I just recorded drums for my band with a really simple set up. It really helped that he only plays with a kick, snare, hat, and ride.

It went like this:

FOK: re20>ua710>summit tla-50 in bypass
Snare: 635a>ua610
oh L (3 feet above snare): josephson c24>summit 2ba-221
oh R (3 feet right of snare near the ride): josephson c24>summit 2ba-221

kinda glynn johnsy.

all into a analog 5-8 in a stock 003.
thats it. He kinda plays minimal, and we're a psch/folk

I had a room mic ready...but we liked the sound without it.

I usually have a much more "elaborate" set up like this:

Kick: re20 or md421
snare top: 635a, e609, or sm57
snare bottom: md421 or akg perc 200
toms: 421's or re20's or oktava 012's or studio project c4's
oh's in xy or spaced: jos c24's or the c4's

Then I'll use something like this depending on the room or style:
FOK: at4050
over shoulder back a few feet: at4050 or c414 in omni
mid-side under heads or spaced: at4050's
blumlein or spaced ribbons of some sort(modded apex's)
distant corner mics: some cheap dynamic
hallway or stairwell: ldc's or sdc's in omni.

My usual plan of attack is to set up some blankets or gobos and get the kid sounding good in the room and go from there. Then have some fun.

djgout · Post by **djgout** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:07 am

hmmm, it definitely varies for me....

we've had some stuff with 3 mics get out there and sometimes it'll be up to about 12.

3 mic stuff is usually

Kick RE-20
OH Coles 4038
Room U-195

Works great with a powerful hitter.

Other times it'll be

kick in D-112
Kick out 4047 or U-195
Snare top and bottom SM57
Toms 421
hat RE-15
OH KSM137 in ortf or some borrowed fancy LDCs
Rooms what ever SDC's are available
Isobooth with door open 4047 or u-195

my favorite thing though is that coles as a mono overhead, individual mics on the drums and then stereo rooms. you get some cool punch with the toms panned and the highhat/cymbals spread comes from the rooms.

-justin

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:49 am

vintage blue, how do you like that mxl r44? i guess the fact that you're using it means it's at least usable, haha. i've been aching for a ribbon on a low budget, and i can't find enough info on the r44 to see how it compares to those nady rsm4 and 5 (or even which is better between those two - i think i read something michael joly said about the shape that the circular rsm4 would be better than the ovalish rsm5). Any insight about that or opinions of the r44?

Patrick McAnulty · Post by **Patrick McAnulty** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:03 pm

MoreSpaceEcho wrote:the drummer last weekend showed up with just kick, snare, hat and a ride. i thought "cool, i'll go really minimal too" and i still ended up with 8 mics on him....

What did you end up using to mic his set?

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:01 am

Pretty simple, here...

Kick (in): e602 or sm7
Kick (out): GT Velo8 or Lomo M1
Snare: sm57 or beyer m69
Overheads: 2x mc012 in ORTF or Glyn Johns
Crotch: fostex something-or-other

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Go-to drum mic setups

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