Recording congas and djembe

I have a drummer coming over Sunday to record some percussion for some acoustic tracks.
 
For congas, I was planning on using two large diaphram condensor mics in a stereo configuration, above the congas a couple of feet. Aimed towards the heads?
For djembe, I wasn't sure if I should mic the top and the bottom? Or just mic it from a couple of feet away with the mic placed to pick up the full drum?
 
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!!

Thanks for sharing your experience! The comment about placing the congas directly on the floor surprised me. Does the bottom of the drum not contribute to the sound of the conga the way that it does for the djembe?

dlogan


Thanks for sharing your experience! The comment about placing the congas directly on the floor surprised me. Does the bottom of the drum not contribute to the sound of the conga the way that it does for the djembe?

The bottom of the conga does contribute sound as far as I know, it's more about loudness. 

My congas are fiberglass.  They sound good - but they are loud as hell.  In my small basement studio - the sound rings out loudly.  When I tried recording them, I got a lot of residual sound that was harsh.  When I put them directly on the floor - the residual sound went away and I was able to concentrate on getting the sound of the hand hitting the top of the drum.  For my busy mix,  the attack part of the sound is what I am trying to capture.  So far it has been sitting nicely in the mix. 

I think the main things you have to consider - the room where you are recording (Larger rooms are supposed to be the best for live hand drum sounds) and the song you're working on.  (fitting the drum sounds in the mix). 

The only way to know what works best is to experiment with different set ups until you find what's right.

Congas - used two RODE NT1s on a stereo bar, about 1 1/2 feet away from the congas, and about 1 1/2 feet above them. Pointed down toward the heads. Left them on the stands. Panned them hard right/hard left. Turned out awesome!! I'll post a sample soon. If I had to do it over again I wouldn't change a thing.

Djembe - end up using one condensor mic (my Blue Blueberry) placed about 2 feet from the djembe somewhere between the head and the bottom to pick up a balance of both sounds. It didn't quite capture the depth of the drum, but then again I'm not sure how much of that really low end I would have been able to keep in the mix anyway. But the performance was fantastic so I'm really happy with that track.