Justin Leedy
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Post by Justin Leedy on Nov 21, 2004 16:57:56 GMT -5
I've been trying for months to get a good live drum sound on tape. The way I've been doing it is to put a large-diaphragm condenser mic on top of the bass drum on the side closest to the drummer and hanging an SM57 type mic above the set. This usually sounds pretty good, but everything I've read makes it sound like my technique is just crap. Any ideas?
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niko
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Post by niko on Nov 21, 2004 20:09:43 GMT -5
the 57 is not a good drum mic, it dosent have that humph you need. now what mic do you have exactly, since you said 57 style?
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Post by sleepyhead on Nov 21, 2004 20:15:58 GMT -5
the 57 is not a good drum mic, it dosent have that humph you need. now what mic do you have exactly, since you said 57 style? well it's good for snares...
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Justin Leedy
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Post by Justin Leedy on Nov 21, 2004 20:17:32 GMT -5
the 57 is not a good drum mic, it dosent have that humph you need. now what mic do you have exactly, since you said 57 style? I'm using a Sennheiser dynamic mic, but I'm not using that for the drums themselves, it's up top for the cymbals and to get a little more top end out.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 23, 2004 17:51:34 GMT -5
be careful with that condensor. if you're going to mic the kick with it, be sure to bring it back a little so you don't damage the condensor. Even though it has a large diaphram, it still doesn't match the durability of a dynamic. There's basically two approaches to a live sounding drum recording. You can just mic the drums only from the places where they sound best to you when you're standing somewhere in the room (omnidirectionals would work pretty sweet because they pick up the verb reflections). But to get a really good live sound, you have to engineer it. Drums sound fake and unnatural in a studio after recording and before mixing. It's the mixing that makes them sound natural again with the full character of the set you're using. With what you've got, I'd switch the positions of the mics; put the dynamic sennheiser right above the kick on the resonant side pointing slightly at the snare and/or any toms in the area and hang the condensor about head-high a five or six feet in front of the set pointing at the throne. Live sounding drums have stereo imaging. With your two mics, good stereo imaging would be a bit difficult to acheive with good sound, but it's worth a shot. Try micing the set by pointing a mic at each side distantly and from the front, about waist high. Be sure to get the kick evenly in both.
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Justin Leedy
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Post by Justin Leedy on Nov 23, 2004 17:57:12 GMT -5
I've tried it with the sennheiser on the kick, but it doesn't have the range to make it sound deep enough. I do tend to put them in stereo, though. Each mic gets a different track so it sounds like the cymbals are only on one side. Sometimes I put a little Tascam dynamic on one side with the sennheiser on the other and pan them hard left and right so tom rolls sound like they're traveling across the room. Oh, and I'm not really mixing or anything. I record directly to a Fostex four-track machine in a little room in my bass player's house and then I mix to a computer through a dbx compressor.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 23, 2004 18:11:10 GMT -5
experimenting is the way to go, just don't damage that condensor, even if it means more low end. you can't repair them. Often times, the low end around 400Hz is cut from the kick and the 5kHz and 12kHz boosted for an attack and beater definition that cuts through the mix without adding mud. The stuff you feel is at and below about 80Hz. I don't think either of your mics have a very good response in that range, but I could be wrong.
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alfonso
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Post by alfonso on Nov 30, 2004 0:03:23 GMT -5
YES YES YES, Im about to invest in a nice kick mic here shortly...when i get the cash. I know the music store i like up in Virginia has a good Shure set with cables included for 200 bucks...Man, if i was still a bagger I would snatch that up in a heartbeat!
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 30, 2004 3:26:44 GMT -5
shure beta 52? that's what we used for our three songs. sweet sweet sweet mic for that low end i think i know that mic pack. again, sweet sweet
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alfonso
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Post by alfonso on Nov 30, 2004 8:50:27 GMT -5
shure beta 52? that's what we used for our three songs. sweet sweet sweet mic for that low end i think i know that mic pack. again, sweet sweet I just discovered that my buddies in Lucasta have just purchased this mic set recently and Im John (the frontman) is going to let me try it out, record some tracks and see how I like it. hes actually got the extended set that also comes with the two overhead mics...Very nice! Now all I need to do is catch up on all of this crappy school work so that I can get to recording again...
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Justin Leedy
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Post by Justin Leedy on Nov 30, 2004 17:19:32 GMT -5
So you guys would recommend me investing in some of these mics? If that's what it takes, I'll spend the money.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 30, 2004 20:15:42 GMT -5
i think i've been tainted by being lucky enough to record in a studio for free. I don't think I'll be able to spend less than a hundred on any mic other than the SM57 or it's comparable Sennheiser counterpart. When I start buying mics, I'll be spending well over a grand first shopping trip, easily. Some of those really nice drum mics don't go for less than $200, but you'll be paying for professional sound with minimal mixing effort. I'd say it's worth it. If you're looking to go high end, get a Sennheiser 421 (or a newer version if available at the time of sufficient funds) and be glad you spent the money. People use them on kicks, toms, snare (as long as you don't hit it with a stick) guitar cabs, all acoustic gear, and even vocals.
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Justin Leedy
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Post by Justin Leedy on Dec 2, 2004 0:29:08 GMT -5
Thanks, man. I guess I've got one more thing to save money for, now. How did you get free studio time, man? I don't even know who to talk to pay for studio time in Kodiak.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Dec 2, 2004 20:53:24 GMT -5
classes i guess in a way, tuition covers the cost of my studio time, but you can't learn without getting your feet wet. The moment I'm not in school anymore, I have to find someone that takes the audio series so I can keep getting in for free. It's not the greatest studio, but the quality is up there. Andy and I are by no means fantastic engineers, but if you listen to our one song released (so far), it'll give you an idea of what can be accomplished in that dead little studio. In fact, the engineering on that song is no longer up to par. The next one is soooo much more well done. You'll probably hate it, but listen for clarity and quality qualities
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Post by Forrest on Dec 5, 2004 13:12:10 GMT -5
I can play the drums on my belly. I haven't recorded it yet.
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cifirrekcuT
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Thanks. You'll be missed.
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Dec 8, 2004 1:26:55 GMT -5
i'd recommend a computer mic for that
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Post by Schmitt Industries Inc. on Dec 15, 2004 19:14:40 GMT -5
Yeah, just stick it down in yer navel and start beating.
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Post by Forrest on Dec 16, 2004 0:23:46 GMT -5
I had to see what Andy posted here, and, Lo and behold, it was about me! Weehee!!!111!!11
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Post by Schmitt Industries Inc. on Dec 16, 2004 1:13:20 GMT -5
Of course it was! Who else is deserving of my praise?
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YETI
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Post by YETI on Jan 10, 2005 23:27:56 GMT -5
I've been trying for months to get a good live drum sound on tape....Any ideas? recording drums isnt necassary
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