drum mic techniques

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Slider
george martin
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drum mic techniques

Post by Slider » Mon Sep 08, 2003 12:52 pm

what mic's, pre's, compressors Eq's, ect. are folks around here using to record/mix drums?
i find it endlessly facinating to see what people are using to track/mix their drums.

d franko
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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by d franko » Mon Sep 08, 2003 1:35 pm

I've been using

ATM 4033s as overheads
57 on the snare top
sm81 on the snare bottom
beta 98 on toms
akg 451c (as room)
beta 52

Kinda weird, but I've been pleased with the results. All into a presonus digimax lt.
Last edited by d franko on Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

MoreSpaceEcho
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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Mon Sep 08, 2003 1:50 pm

usually:

d112 or at4050 on kick
at4040 on the side of the snare
akg c33e stereo overhead
shure ksm 141s for room

quick n dirty:
4050 on kick
141 as mono omni o/h

i'm never really recording any super big loud rock stuff so i never bother with tom mics, there's usually enough in the o/h's...

pre's are (shudder) bellari and art. lately i've had some focusrites on loan.

those are better. :D

scott

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joeysimms
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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by joeysimms » Mon Sep 08, 2003 1:56 pm

OH - shure bg4.1
kik - EV 665 or senn. 421
snare - 57, although used a 59 last time

The OH is around 5 ft. , over the right-handed drummer's right shoulder, pointing btwn sanre and kik beater

Kik is just outside the drum, off axis pointing at beater

Snare is just over shell, away from hat. Next time I'm going to try micing the shell.

mjames08
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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by mjames08 » Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:08 pm

OH- TLM103's
Snare - 57
Toms - 421's
Kick - d112
Room - Rode NTK

cactus
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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by cactus » Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:31 pm

for rock kits
O/H- Baby Bottle or AKG 414 w/ HPF@300Hz -> Trident S20
Sn- 421 on "S" -> UA6176
Tom- ATM23/25/421 -> Trident S100 or UA2108 or digi001pres
Kick- ATM23+MK012w/LPF -> UA2108
Last edited by cactus on Mon Sep 08, 2003 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by Red Rockets Glare » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:30 pm

I was just writing this out when you posted so;

Method one:
Kick - D112 - Grace 101 - Summit tube levelar
Snare - 57 -Joe Meek Britsih Channel
OH's - Royer-Mod 603's - Aphex 207 - RNC's if needed
Rack - Audix D3 - Presonus Blue tube -Alesis 3630
Floor - 421 - Studio Projects VTB-1 - Alesis 3630

Method two:
Kick - 421 - Studio Projects VTB-1 - RNC
Snare (upper) - 57- Aphex 207
Snare (lower) - Royer-Mod 603 - Aphex 207
OH (mono) - 2001 MXL Royer-mod - Grace 101 - Summit Tube levelar
Rack - Audix D3 - Presonus Blue tube -Alesis 3630
Floor - D112 - Studio Projects VTB-1 - Alesis 3630

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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by penrithmatt » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:39 pm

kick=AKG D12
snare=SM57
o/h=beyer 260's
Kit=U47 (behind drummer,by his head)
room=AKG C24
Stupid mic=PZM's on the floor about ten feet infront or a Coles somewhere between the kick and snare.....
If it's not distorted,what's the point??

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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by Red Rockets Glare » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:43 pm

penrithmatt wrote:kick=AKG D12
snare=SM57
o/h=beyer 260's
Kit=U47 (behind drummer,by his head)
room=AKG C24
Stupid mic=PZM's on the floor about ten feet infront or a Coles somewhere between the kick and snare.....

wow! don't you run into a lot of phase issues?

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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by Jay » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:50 pm

R121 overhead and an RE20 in the kick works for me! Sometimes a Beta 87 condenser on snare.

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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by penrithmatt » Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:13 pm

no,not really.gotta be carefull with the relationship between the kit mic and the kick.the stupid mics are there for effects.
the bulk of the drum sound comes from the kit mic,and all phase relationships are built around that.
it's either the c24 or the pzms.not both.and if i use them i often don't use the kit mic.i like to ride faders.different mics come in and out for different sections.
also,we have a furman self mix cue system.the talkback mic in the cue box has some kinda savage limiter built into it.i'll sometime tape down the talkback button on the drummers box and print that too.

www.allairestudios.com
If it's not distorted,what's the point??

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tintern
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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by tintern » Mon Sep 08, 2003 8:10 pm

overheads: Oktava 319's through an Aphex 107 - overheads about 4 feet above the drumset facing downwards and angled a bit depending on the set.

kick: CAD E100 through an ART TubeMP

snare + floor tom: SM57's straight into a Delta/MAudio Omniport using it's preamps.

cheap, yet effective.

-j.

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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by AstroDan » Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:20 pm

OH: TLM-103 > Neve 1272 > FMR RNC (pure gold for rack toms)
Kick: A 6" Speaker > Neve 1272 > dbx 161
Snare: SM57 > Sytek
Floor tom: MD-421 > Sytek

This set up covers everything, works well with soft or aggresive playing, doesn't take up all the good pres, and isn't a phase nightmare.

And I hate to be a gear snob, but one MUST track with Neve if he/she wishes to truly reach Nirvana.
"I have always tried to present myself as the type of person who enjoys watching dudes fight other dudes with iron claws."

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wing
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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by wing » Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:27 pm

i was pretty pleased with my last setup, though pretty minimal...

kick: akg d112
snare: sm57

overheads: mxl v67g (2)
room mic (placed out front): oktava mk312
(setup in a sort of triangle placement)

i've used the room mic and sometimes the snare through my bellari RP503 pre/eq/comp... most of the mics go through the pres in my wheatstone 3224 console. nothing else, really... so pretty minimal i suppose.

i also tend to like a one mic technique, like just a room mic into the bellari pre. sounds nice and gives a weird sound... but usually i gotta have the snare and kick mic'ed, just because it rounds it out and gives the punch that the snare and kick need.

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Re: drum mic techniques

Post by cgarges » Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:47 pm

Kick: U47FET, D112, EV 666, Altec 633A, Beyer TGX50, AT 4050 (omni), or AT 4047. Often a Shure SM98, Crown GLM100, Sennheiser 421 or Beyer M201 on the batter side in conjunction with D112, U47FET, 4047, or TGX50. Almost always an API 512 preamp. Also dig Neves and Oram MWS. If compression is appropriate, dbx 16O/161, ART VLA, or Distressor (10:1, opto). In mix, any of the above or Neve 3310, Urei LA4, plus the occassional API 560B or 550A EQ.

Snare: KSM141--That's it lately. Before I found this excellent mic: AT4050, KM84 (not 184!), KM86, AKG C414, Beyer M201, Shure SM98, and occasionally Shure SM77. Before the 141, bottom mics would have been Sennheiser 421, Beyer M201, or Audix D4. For brushes, AT 4051, cardioid. Again, API preamps. Have also enjoyed Focusrite Red 6, Sytek, ATI, Joemeek VC6Q, Neve 1073 (but not the broadcast modules), and Oram MWS. Mix: Aphex 612 for any type of expansion, dbx 263X for eliminating hi hat (this is a new trick that I'm enjoying), API 560B EQ, Distressor, ADR Vocal Stressor, dbx 160/161/160X, 1176LN, Neve 3310, Altec 436C, FMR RNC and sometimes an LA4 or for softer stuff, even (oh God, here it comes) an Alesis 3630.

Toms: Most typically Oktava MC-012s with cardioid capsules. Also dig KM84s, KM86s, 4050s, C414s, C451s, Sennheiser MD504s, sometimes U87s or U89s, and on floor toms, AT4047, Sennheiser 421, AKG D112, or U47FET. For late-seventies, early eighties Kenny Rogers-type stuff (I used to record alot of sound-alikes), Shure SM57s and/or 421s. I like just putting them up at random. You know, 57, 57, 421, 57, 421, 421 57 (then on an eighties kit, you get to the floor toms) 421, Re20. Whatever preamps are available. Usually something with a mix bus is preferable and lately I've been using ATIs. Focusrite Red pres are great, too. For mix, sometimes API 560B EQs and Aphex 612 expanders.

Overheads: Can't get away from C414s. Love 'em in front of the kit, overhead, coincident, Blumlien, spaced-pair (omni or cardioid), MS, whatever! For more organic music, I really like AT 4051s on either side if the drummer's head, using head to block snare from center image. Also like M160s when a pair is available. Pretty much always stereo. I really dig APIs, Syteks, ATIs, and Focusrite Red Series pres. Almost never compression, but I used to use the Variable MU a bit and if I need a really vintage thing, either LA4s or Drawmer 1960. Sometimes I'll use a pair of MXR DynaComps for an effect in the mix.

Room mics: Spaced pair on floor is usually B&K 4003s or recently (thanks to motormantra) Stapes. Sometimes 4050s in omni in rear corners of the drum room. Syteks preamps work great for this, as do ATIs. Often a Blumlien pair out about 10 or 12 feet from the snare drum side of the kit, snare level, with the sort of null point of the pair pointing at the snare. The Drawmer 1960 rocks for this setup. Spaced cardioid pair in a room is often facing the walls or a pair of music stands. If facing reflective surfaces for bright room tone, Oktava MC012s, U87s, AKG 451s or AT4051s. Spaced pair in a large room is also often cardioid U87s, Telefunken U47s, or AT4050s facing the walls with baffles sometimes placed between the mics and the drums, close to the wall. Coles 4038s work really great either near a wall or in a free field. I wish I had enough Distressors to use them on room mics more often than I do. 1176s are cool, as are Neve 3310s. But sometimes no compression at all is totally rockin' too.

I almost never use a hi hat mic. When I need to, it's an AKG 451 and whatever mic pre is around. Come to think of it, some of the AT small diapraghm mics have worked well, too. Sometimes I use a hard gate. Just kidding.

Effecty stuff usually consists of Shure SM77, Sennheiser 421, Sennheiser MD504, AT4050, RCA BK-11, Altec 633A or Akai ADM-11 (I think) through SansAmp Classic, Shure Level Loc, MXR Dyna Comp pedals, 1176s, 1960s, plastic tubes, or inside boxes, cases, bags, or other drums. Above a working ceiling fan is cool, too, if the studio has one, or you can just get the band's annoying friend out of the control room by having them walk around swinging a mic during tracking. (Something So Far, this isn't about you guys!) Sometimes a bit of Tube Screamer is just right on snare drum in the mix. Sometimes drums are subgrouped and run through Variable MU, Summit DCL200, ART VLA, or FMR RNC.

Then there's the other stuff...

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

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