I'm just pondering this right now. 

I have a rather basic kind of drumset now, and, of course, have been mucking around with the mics, such as I have here, and am thinking more in terms of getting this thing mic'ed up...what does one need to properly mic a drum kit up? And what positioning is used where?

trimph1


I'm just pondering this right now. 

I have a rather basic kind of drumset now, and, of course, have been mucking around with the mics, such as I have here, and am thinking more in terms of getting this thing mic'ed up...what does one need to properly mic a drum kit up? And what positioning is used where?

Really it depends on your budget.

Get the core right first, starting with a pair of cardoid pattern condensers (even Behringer C1's at £60 a pair will be a good enough starting point) for the overheads an inside kick that can cope with the high SPL of that function an AKG 112 would be ideal there, the ubiquitous SM57 for the snare no point trying to save a few pennies on that one because the 57 is cheap enough and is ideal. Optionally any spare mic you've got to serve as a room mic, mono is fine for that and whether it is dynamic or a condensor is down to taste.

Once you've worked out the basics from that set-up you will find where you'd like to beef up your sound with additional close mics, that's the time to start spending $000's on mics, once you've worked out what if anything is lacking.

Once you've experimented and made some placement choices, figured out that a good sound starts at tuning phase, and got good mixes out of those basic 4 mics you will be adept enough at making any kit sound good with what ever else you want to add.  It seems less of a mystery when you work out that your basic overall stereo image is coming from the overheads on any complex multi-mic setup.  Spend time getting those where you want them, everything else is for emphasis and getting complete control of the mix and as such is an option.

Here's a good link to start off at.

http://www.soundonsound.c.../dec97/drumiking1.html

http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/

interesting article link above. first sentence in article is "You have two microphones and two hours. How many ways can you mike a drum kit?"


thought I'd share.

Yeah, good one.

But don't be to concerned with all the 'buzz' producer names that these things get called....

I use the 'Chuck N E Where' method and adjust to taste.

Most likely when you've found a good place to put them it is likely because some of the 'laws' contained in those methods have been 'found' without a need to be aware of them in the first place.

I use the 'Chuck N E Where' method and adjust to taste

totally agree.


a lot worry about micing everything.
I can appreciate simplicity.
three mics.... done.  maybe room mic. (if room is big enough)
 2 oh's, one kick, if it sounds good (to me) = me happy camper.

Great goto sites!! Thanks guys!!

Put the mics where it sounds best. That's it. Its easier said than done though. and of course there are techniques that have been used as staples in recording drums. Mics on kick snare and over head, glyn johns, recorderman or even just 1 mic out from of the kit. Try them all til you find the ones you prefer.

I use a pair of these and have found that actually being able to hear what the mics sound like as I move them around helps when I am trying to find a nice place:



http://www.gk-music.com/ultraphones.htm


best regards,
mike

Definitely! I use in ear monitors, but quality headphones are CRUCIAL to really hear how the mics sound during the set up process.

My setup: Sennheiser E602 on the kick, SM57 on the snare top (I just modded mine with the Granelli mod), anything I want on the bottom but usually an Audix or EV 468, SM81 on the hi hat, Audix Fusion mics on the toms, Oktava MK12 on the ride and a pair of Audix F12 condensers on overheads. Thats the mics I normally use. The E602 is placed roughly midway into the hole cut in the front head. If I want more isolation I'll move it in closer to the beater head. The top snare mic is about at the edge of the snare sort of angled towards the center of the snare. The bottom mic is anywhere I feel like placing it but about 2-3 inches from the bottom. The hi hat mic is above the hi hat pointing down about 1/3 in from the edge. The tom mics are all about at the edge pointing towards the center (like the snare). Ride mic is above and pointing more or less at the area where the stick usually hits. The overheads are generally pointed in the X-Y pattern above the set but not always - depends on the drummer and how hard they hit the cymbals. I've had to move those mics right up close to the cymbals sometimes because the drummer hits them like a sissy ha ha. After all that - gate and EQ and compress to taste. YouTube is full of how-to videos these days. Watch a few. Have fun!