Which single mic for recording the whole kit?

rafspielman · Post by **rafspielman** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 9:35 am

Hi all,
I've lately been enjoying using a single mic for the whole kit. It's nice to cut way back on gear, and the resulting track sits well in the mix right off the bat.
I've been using a Beyer M88TG, more or less out of necessity, but also because it works well. But I was wondering if anyone had thoughts about what a good mic for this situation would be? A last caveat would be that fullness of sound is more important than detail of sound.

E.Bennett · Post by **E.Bennett** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:11 pm

An ev re55 works really well for this. Obviously, position is critical.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:48 pm

I've never done that but have been tempted to on occasion when I solo a ribbon room mic.

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:06 pm

I experimented with an EV664 once but again position was critical. in the end I think I liked it better with another mic on the kick combined with the 664 up higher (edit: by that I mean heartbeat or crotch level...)

floid · Post by **floid** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:21 pm

there's a tchad blake single mic method, think it was discussed on the tomb. sometimes i like an ev 635a in the heart for quick and dirty demos, it's as much about yr playing dynamics as tweaking position.

Randyman... · Post by **Randyman...** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:25 pm

Drummer's ability to "Self Mix" will have more impact than the mic and placement IMNSHO. Smash the cymbals and glance the toms? Will never work even with a $50K mono chain with a Fairchild.

In this scenario:

Drummer > Placement > Room > Mic (Placement is obviously going to have a huge impact, but must be taken in context with the drummer and what the room itself is reinforcing)

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:47 pm

I like a ribbon mic a foot or so out front of the kit between the kick and snare. You can move closer to the kick or closer to the snare depending on what you need. It's a pretty classic sound right off the bat. Not great for songs with lots of floor tom though. If the song calls for it I'll often do another ribbon as an OH above the floor tom/ride.

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:50 pm

PS. I've used all kinds of ribbons in both applications. Coles, RCA, Apex, Octava,etc. Better mics sound better but it's all in the same ballpark. The difference between mics isn't night and day, more like 20-30% better or worse.

rafspielman · Post by **rafspielman** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 6:15 pm

Thanks all for the solid advice. Intrigued by the ribbon idea but seems like the m88 i'm already using is a prime candidate for trying the Tchad blake method, so I'll be giving that a go.

Matt C. · Post by **Matt C.** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 6:54 pm

I usually use an EV PL9, which is very similar to the re55. I haven't even messed with placement much, above the kit pointing straight down usually sounds great. I like to run it through a tube preamp that's distorting a little bit, then boost the low end a little bit if the kick and toms need to be bigger.

blungo2 · Post by **blungo2** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:11 pm

I've used a few different mics for single micing the kit. My favorite has been the Cloud JRS34, but i bet i would get similar results with the R84. About three feet from the kit about a foot high or so kind to the left of the kick facing the snare has worked well for me.

Also have had good results with a Red Type B with Violet capsule. Can't remember if i tried this with an M88 or not, but i would expect it took work well.

JWL · Post by **JWL** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 8:22 pm

Randyman... wrote:Drummer's ability to "Self Mix" will have more impact than the mic and placement IMNSHO. Smash the cymbals and glance the toms? Will never work even with a $50K mono chain with a Fairchild.

In this scenario:

Drummer > Placement > Room > Mic (Placement is obviously going to have a huge impact, but must be taken in context with the drummer and what the room itself is reinforcing)

This. I think which mic is used is not nearly as important as these other factors. I've used a 57 for this, but I'd probably grab a ribbon these days, especially if the cymbals are overly bright.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:17 pm

Oktava MC012, Coles 4038, or Altec M11/21b.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

mn412 · Post by **mn412** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:57 pm

There was a cool demo video a while back with Eric Valentine doing a drum demo. It was a single mic setup. He used a m160 and it sounded great.

http://vimeo.com/m/26819325

mn412 · Post by **mn412** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:41 pm

There was a cool demo video a while back with Eric Valentine doing a drum demo. It was a single mic setup. He used a m160 and it sounded great.

http://vimeo.com/m/26819325

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Which single mic for recording the whole kit?

Which single mic for recording the whole kit?

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