Room mic technique

[oedipus_complex]

A few questions for those cluey on drum miking:

Where should a room mic be placed in relation to the kit (distance and direction)

Should the mic be stereo? Should you use more than one?

What is the best type of mic(s) to use in light of the above?

Would you still use overheads if you have a room mic?

[nightshadecrisis]

most often for room mics i use a large diaphragm condenser. the mxl 2001's are a budget solution and sound pretty good, but i often use Neumann TLM-103's if i have an extra pair. room miking is subjective, and will change depending on the desired sound. for example, i often place the room mics in the corner FACING the wall, and they pick up more reflection. for distance it depends on the room...the further away, the more "room," as it were. i usually shoot for 7-14 feet, balancing the mics carefully. also, depending on how much kick(mostly) you want, the mics will be positioned either in front or in back of the kit.
you should always try to get a stereo image with the room mics, adding ambience and natural tone. DEFINITELY use overheads even when using room mics(more to work with in the mix)

hope this helps,

[VanGuard]

ahh geez! nightshade, I didn't even think of putting a mic facing the wall! great idea! I'm gonna try that one next time I track drums..


btw night, you do tha facing a wall with a panel of diffusion on it? or just a bare wall? (excluding a wall with foam)

[where02190]

[QUOTE]
Where should a room mic be placed in relation to the kit (distance and direction)[/quote
Typically i'll place it about 2/3 the distance from the center of the kit to the opposite wall, facing the kit, at about chest height to the drummer, centered on the kit.
[QUOTE]
Should the mic be stereo? Should you use more than one?[/quote
I have two methods. 1, the mroe common, stereo overheads and a single room mic, or mono overhead and stereo room mics.
[QUOTE]
What is the best type of mic(s) to use in light of the above?[/quote
For the mono room mic, I use either a rode NTK or AKG C4000B in omni.(The overhead mic(s) is a shure VP-88)
For stereo room mics I'll usually go with a pair of AKG C4000B's in omni, and either an AT 4033A or 414 for overhead.

Would you still use overheads if you have a room mic?

always.

[Keith Owens]

I face the wall with my room mic also, the ADK TC

And yes you still use overheads. I use them crossed in stereo fashion. Those would be Josephson C42's.

[RBaker]

try walking around the room and listening. When you find a place that sounds cool, start there. (This doesn't always mean it will sound great on the mic, but it is a good place to start)

Stereo rooms are awesome. If you get it right in a good room with stereo room mics you'll find you might not need any verb on the drums.

[locosoundman]

Here's something you might want to try. Has worked for me in a different context.

Go XY on the overheads to get a sharp image and a narrow spread, then use a spaced pair in the room to get a diffuse image. Mix the room mics in just enough to get it a bit "outside the speakers." Just be careful of phase problems.

[nightshadecrisis]

btw night, you do tha facing a wall with a panel of diffusion on it? or just a bare wall? (excluding a wall with foam)

most often i'd place it against the bare wall to get some crisp high end that diffusers will often take away. see, the room mics most of the time help capture the live ambience that drums give off, so putting them facing the diffusers would be counter-intuitive. of course, it really depends on what you are looking for, so experiment, try pointing the mics at the ceilings, the floors, the drummers head, whatever, but just keep trying different techniques.

ev

[Naagzh]

TL II in omni mode (or any omni mic). Try one or a pair about 15 feet and closer to the ceiling than the floor. And compress judiciously.

[oedipus_complex]

So a large diaphragm omni mic is the go?