Help me LEARN!

[silverlode]

I'm trying to get a better drum sound. I want to learn about mic placement and techniques, eq, whatever. I was hoping some people might help me out. I recorded myself playing kit in my basement studio with a particular mic setup, as follows:

MAIN Studio Projects C1 - main kit sound about 5 feet in front of the kit.
ROOM shure model 300 - room sound placed right over the C1.

The previous 2 are an attemp to learn and use mid-side techniques.

KICK Shure Beta52 - inside the kick about 4 inches from the batter head, off center.
SNARE Shure SM57 - right on the snare, pointed at the shell.
OH AKG c1000s - 2 of them in an x/y pattern above and slightly in front of the kit.

The mp3 I linked below has a specific program, as follows:

Bars 1-8: MAIN mic only, -4.6db
Bars 9-16: add ROOM, -10.3db
Bars 17-24: add KICK, 0db
Bars 25-32: add SNARE, +3.2db
Bars 33-40: add OH, -7.2db

So, take a listen and let me know what you think. I'd appreciate any feedback. If anyone wants to hear individual mics, I can isolate those out, too. I'm willing to move mics around, remix, whatever.

There are no plugins or any kind of effects on this. The mics went either straight into my 001, or through an HHB Radius 10 mic pre, then into the 001.

1 Minute Drum Raw Mix

[Kenny Gioia]

There is no way of telling you how to fix this drum sound based on that sample.

In the right song, that drum sound is perfect.

In the wrong song, it's awful.

You can't judge a drum sound all by itself. Unless it's a drum solo.

[silverlode]

I get that...thank you for the feedback.

Yeah sometimes i get sounds I'm relly happy with within a certain context, other times...no.

It's hit or miss at this point.

[RobMacki]

It sounds to me like around measure 13 it goes from all room to "oh, there's the snare" almost as if the snare mic was off or muted for those first measures.

[tj_davies]

I use closer micing more:

2 mics: Bass Drum (inside near skin + outside)
2 mics: Snare (top and bottom skin)
1 mic: HiHat
1 mic: per tom
2 mics: overhead
+ if needed: extra mics for cymbals.

That way you have great control of each individual sound that you'd like to alter.

Invert phase on one of the snare mics.
Inside bass drum mic is mainly for attack, outside mic is more for the depth of the bass drum.

Hope it helps.

Tim

[charko]

I also agree that there is not one best drum sound. It totally depends on what you are going for.
I thought I would also post a rough mix of a song that I am working....a straight forward rock tune. Just rough.

www.leaflinkproductions.com/cory/nyc-vox.mp3


the drum set up was as follows:

Audix d-6 on the inside of the kick

(2) sm57s on the top and bottom of the snare

Sen 421's on the 2 toms

(2) Akg 414 Bls overhead

rode nt5 on the high hat

(2) Audio Technica 4047 as a stereo rooms about 10 feet away (Slammed with a 1176)

All mics were run through a Presonus Digimax into a 192.

[charko]

I thought I'd also post a quick video to show you my basic drum set up:

www.leaflinkproductions.com/cory/clip.mov

[silverlode]

Charko -

The drums sound good - i even like them in the video. Tuning is key. I need new heads and a day to tune.....

So you're compressing the room big time on the way in? I'll have to try that.

Silverlode

[Seeee]

good work charko! I am nodding my head. that's all that matters.