Best Mono Drum Micing Technique??

[Derrick]

Derrick, are you mixing these sounds to mono on the fly, or after the fact?

On the fly!

[logancircle]

Okay, how does comb filtering happen and how do you prevent it?

[monkeyboy]

Basically due to phase issues with multiple mics some frequencies are enhanced and some are subdued. Causing an unnatural/boxy sound in mono. The guy on the site below does a credible job explaining the problem:

http://www.trentradio.ca/sounds/tech/comb_filter/

Basically if you are doing a drums to mono, I would suggest a kick mic and some sort of room/overhead mic similar to the suggestions given by others here. It will make it simpler for you, and at the same time end up sounding better over the long run.

If you are careful you can get a decent sound with a bunch of mics on a kit going direct to mono, but almost always you will end up with a compromise that just sounds "ok".

[Derrick]

I know if I was readig this post I would say "Experiment and find out what works best for you". And I will however, but I was just wondering about others experiances and tips. It looks like Zeppelin has put all drums to one track on some sessions so that shouldn't be a problem, but mic use/technique???? I was thinking that for the open/airy/real/raw/powerful indie-hardrock-post punk sounds I like, maybe using a LC or SC overhead, a dynamic such as my SM-7 or AT Pro-25 on kick, and a LC room mic mixed together in mono to one track would be just the ticket. Would using this arangement going into one track in mono seem to be on the right track? Ultimately, I am trying to come up with the best mono one track drum track sound and figure out the best method of doing this (micing all drums or sparing mics like above idea).

[joeysimms]

I know if I was readig this post I would say "Experiment and find out what works best for you". And I will however, but I was just wondering about others experiances and tips. It looks like Zeppelin has put all drums to one track on some sessions so that shouldn't be a problem, but mic use/technique???? I was thinking that for the open/airy/real/raw/powerful indie-hardrock-post punk sounds I like, maybe using a LC or SC overhead, a dynamic such as my SM-7 or AT Pro-25 on kick, and a LC room mic mixed together in mono to one track would be just the ticket. Would using this arangement going into one track in mono seem to be on the right track? Ultimately, I am trying to come up with the best mono one track drum track sound and figure out the best method of doing this (micing all drums or sparing mics like above idea).

Sure, what you describe above could work.. Ideally, you get yourself a drummer to come over and play for a few hours while you try some different setups. Take notes or pictures of everything so you'll have an easier time of recreating it.. but then, with a different drummer you may be satrting at square one anyway..

You may also want to figure out if you'll be bouncing with effects at all? say, a slight (couple of ms delay) on the distant room mic, or a little reverb on the snare, or compression on kick, or compressing the kick and snare together to an open channel, or.. etc..

have fun!

[Seej]

I always record my drums at home studio with the one mic I have on a bar stool behind me and a bit to my left so i dont accidentally hit the stool. I always got too much kick when I put the mic in front. It worked pretty well.

At my guitarist's house, I always use 2 mics (the same brand so we dont have the phase crap) into a Y adapter into my 414mkII. Sounded good, although I felt boxed in when we put of the big cardboard wall in front of the drums so it wouldnt leak much on the other tracks and vice versa.

[timbaier]

I either read this here or in the mag, but it makes SO MUCH sense to me both in theory and in practice: All drummers play to what they themselves are hearing, and they hear the tops of the drums. That's where the drums are tuned better, and that's where they will sound better. If you're going to use one mic, put it right where the drummer is listening - by his head (where he won't smash it - i.e. beware of "Animal"-types), on the inside of the kit.

I've never had an experience where a "front of kit" mic has sounded superior to this. Which is not to say that it couldn't, just that it hasn't for me yet...

[Bear's Gone Fission]

Omni pattern dynamic mic (the EV 635a is a good cheap one) placed above the shell of the kick, below the rack toms, and pointing towards the snare. Tweak the positioning for best balance for the given kit/player/song. Cheap and quite effective when it works, possibly the unltimate portastudio single mic drum technique.

Bear

[Catoogie]

where the drummer is listening - by his head

Drummers are usually wearing headphones when they're recording so they're not really hearing the sound of the drums, they hearing the signal from the mic and that is a whole lot different than their ears.