How to record acoustic drums?

UbiquitousBubba


I'm stupid, so this post may be overly simplistic, contain factual errors, and be of no use at all.  However, since I'm an idiot, I'm posting it anyway.

There are a number of things to consider here.  The type of mics used, the placement of the mics, the acoustics of the room, etc.

If you're trying to capture only the sound of a particular drum on a given mic, you want to select a mic that has a very narrow pickup pattern and has the "right" frequency response for the instrument in question.  Many people starting out slap a few vocal mics on the drums and hope they sound good.  If you're like me, your options for available mics are rather limited.  (Others here have fabulous collections of mics.  Don't envy...)  A mic designed for vocals may have a wide pickup pattern (omnidirectional or cardiod) which will pick up other sounds around the kit.  Also, vocal mics may not have the right sound for that particular drum.  If you have different mics to choose from, try listening to them in different positions around the kit to see what sounds best.

Part of selecting the right mics is selecting the right position.  Placing the drum mics approximately 1/2" to 1" from the batter head may be a good starting point.  Your mileage and playing style may vary.  Close placement helps to isolate that particular instrument.  Overhead mics are essential, however to capture the "room sound".  A drum kit is not a single instrument.  It is a collection of instruments that each have their own sonic characteristics.  The sound of the kit is due, in part, to the overall sound with all of its interactions.  Depending on the size of the kit, the playing style of the drummer, and the type of sound desired, some have recorded fantastic sounding drum parts with only a handful of mics strategically placed.

Recording drums in a small basement room with concrete floors and cinder block walls will sound very different from recording in a large carpeted room with a vaulted ceiling.  Knowing how the room affects your sound is an important part of getting the sound you want.  Sometimes, the solution to a recording problem involves moving the kit to a different room.  (Especially after long, sweaty sessions in mid-summer.)

Once you record the tracks, noise gates on the close up tracks will help you block out the extraneous noise.  The Sonitus effects are simple, but effective.  They're a good place to start.  EQ is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal.  Time spent studying the art of using EQ is time very well spent.  Compression or Limiting should be used with restraint.  It's easy to just squash everything to eliminate peaks.  It's an art to keep the transients, preserve the dynamics, and tame the tracks at the same time.  Less is more here.  (It can always be turned up later...)  Reverb, Delays, etc. are powerful tools, but a little too much can turn your tracks into last week's soup.  A little study in this area can be very beneficial as well. 

Track manipulation.  I get it.  Humans make imperfect drum machines.  Human timing on the best drummers is rarely 100% accurate.  There's a temptation to edit the timing of tracks individually to "fix" problem areas.  It can be done.  It can be done successfully.  Tools like AudioSnap can help.  Here's the problem.  Drums are not a single instrument.  The kit is a collection of instruments.  Fixing a hi-hat track may fix one problem, but the original hi-hat is still audible in the overhead mics.  You can drive yourself crazy trying to fix each individual track through a series of creative gating, eq, and automation.  Alternatively, you can attempt to fix the timing on the entire drum mix.  Sometimes, this will be the easiest choice.  In my opinion, the best solution is to re-track it.  This may be accomplished either by recording multiple takes or by punching in/out.

In my opinion, the drum part is not just a mechanical timekeeper.  It's an expression of the drive, passion, energy, and soul of a song.  If the recording captures that soul and is less than technically perfect, you've done well. 

Hope that wasn't too painful.

Middleman


Bleed can be your friend. Look up the Glyn John's drum recording technique. Given your microphones, it is probably your best approach.