This can result in an unrealistically largesounding drum kit, if the overhead tracks are panned 100% lr. Audix has recently completed a video series on how to mic your drums. Recording drums overheads and the ortf technique audiofanzine. Jun, 2016 4 microphone drum setup sound pure gear tip duration. Our bassdrum pedal has a clamp mount ensuring a secure connection with the bass drum. There are lots of mic techniques for getting a great kick drum sound.
Tape gauze pad or handkerchief on top head to tighten sound. Following this, some fundamentals of microphones, instruments, and acoustics are presented. View and download shure pgadrumkit4 user manual online. Master mic techniques with recording engineer max jaeger big sean, no i. Typically the modern studio reaches for 12 or more microphones to capture the entire kit well. A combination of stereo overheads, close mics on each drum, as well as room mics seems to be the doctors orders for a modern, punchy. Join renowned audio engineer bobby owsinski as he walks through the process of miking and tracking a complete song by underground sun recording artist iyeoka and alist session musicians in a topoftheline studioin a way that is applicable to any recording space and. A good way to think about it is that each mic gets half of the kit so they should be placed accordingly.
To find out about other great snare mics and even hear what they sound like, check out my article best mics for recording snare drums. The simpler approach of using an overhead pair that sees the whole drum kit puts the dynamics of playing much more in the hands of the drummer. Microphone techniques for just above top head at edge of drum, aiming at top head. Microphone techniques the selection and placement of microphones have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system. The result is a selection of familiar, authentic vintage sounds suitable for rock, pop, blues and more. Make sure the kit and the drummer are on top form before proceeding with anything else.
How to mic a drum kit drum mic placement for beginners duration. In large venues under close micing techniques, its typical for drummers to use 2ply heads because the sound is more muffled or controlled. Shure pga studio microphone kit user manual pdf download. Pga drum microphone kit5, pga drum microphone kit7 user. Microphone techniques for live sound reinforcement english. A poorly setup and tuned drum kit, will only ever produce a disappointing result.
No matter where you place the mic, you can reduce the amount of boominess from the drum by placing a pillow or blanket inside it. Head to head comparison heres how the techniques compare. To minimize room sound, lower the oh microphones and point them toward the center of the kit. Consider using additional shure microphones placed on individual drums for more mixing flexibility and a thicker sound. If the front head has a hole in it then you can get the mic inside the drum and that will bring out the attack of the beater hitting the drum head.
The choice of mics and their placement around the drum kit can have a massive impact upon the recorded sound and, while there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to mic placement and choices, here well look at some of the most popular options for getting quick and easy results first up. Drums to see a listing contents hide 1 single microphone full kit techniques o 1. This article documents how to record drums as a kit. While you can get a pretty good drum sound with only a single microphone, using two mics is even better. There is also no one ideal way to place a microphone. Regarding the placement of the mics in relation to the kit, i recommend you to place them behind the drummer, clearly above his or her head and tilted towards the upper rim of the first drums. There is something beautiful about simplicity, especially when it comes to music making. Over the past few months, weve explored miking a drumset in a studio environment by adding microphones one at a time. This article takes all of those concepts to the final stage, as we look at how to handle a fully miked kit that includes room mics. This means in order to get the best separation between the drum you want to pick up in a particular mic and the ambient sound around it. But legendary producerengineer bob clearmountain the rolling stones, bruce springsteen shows you an. Drum kit microphones how to mic and record a drum kit. Depending on the design of the bassdrum pedal, a fixedly mounted base plate may also be available.
Fundamentals of drum recording online drums course. Stand in front of the drum kit and look at it as a whole. When recording a kick drum, most recording engineers choose a dynamic microphone. In fact, this was a classic setup for so many hit records of the 50s and early 60s, heres how its done. Pga drum bundle pg alta drum microphone kit pg alta microphones congratulations on the purchase of a new shure pg alta series microphone. The pg alta series delivers professional quality audio at. Mar 31, 2015 in all recording applications, good results start at the sound source. Popular options for live or recording uses are the shure sm57, telefunken m80, and audix i5. In this case, this step does not apply carefully read the separate owners manual for your bassdrum pedal. Perfect for stage or studio, this selection of dynamic mics features exclusive audix vlmtm capsule technology o. Guitar center workshops drum microphone techniques youtube.
A drum kit also called a drum set, trap set an abbreviation of the word, contraption, or simply drums is a collection of drums and other percussion instruments, typically cymbals, which are set up on stands to be played by a single player, with drumsticks held in both hands, and the feet operating pedals that control the hihat cymbal and the beater for the bass drum. You can vary the amount of room sound by playing with the height and the distance to the kit. Number of microphones positioning alternative positioning reference one two three four five use as overhead kick drum and overhead and kick drum, snare, and overhead or kick drum, and. See stereo microphone techniques for overhead placement options if the kick drum resonant head has a hole in it, place the microphone inside for improved isolation from other instruments aim the pga57 towards the center of the snare drum head to capture more stick attack, or closer the edge to capture more overtones. Lets walk through how to mic a drum kit, all the way from kick and snare to toms, overheads and rooms, including mic recommendations and placement. Kick drums come in lots of sizes, from big, wide bonhamstyle 14. The glyn johns method is a simple, fast and reliable way to achieve an open, live and realistic drum sound using a small amount of recording equipment. Position the microphones so that each one is at a 45degree angle, pointed down at the drum kit, approximately 7 or 8 feet above the floor or drum riser. Fm radio in portland along with drum clinician mike snyder, is a step by step analysis of how to mic up your kit starting with kick, then snare, overheads, toms, high hat. Apr 09, 2015 want to learn how to record better sounding drums.
Drums microphone techniques 4 for general rules microphone technique is largely a matter of personal taste whatever method sounds right for the particular instrument, musician, and song is right. Recording a drum kit is arguably the most difficult of all sound engineering tasks. Unique ways to mic up the kit pathetically resonate the drum head, like pushing a kid on a swing. This position allows the two microphones to see the entire drumset. Over the typical way to mic a snare drum is to put a mic. Cardioid condenser microphone pga81 user guides shure. Take one of the most complex instruments to record, an acoustic drum set. Many times this is due to the phase relationship of the sounds arriving at the microphones. In the case of dave grohls kit, i used an akg d12 and a fet 47 on the kit, and then we built a drum tunnel consisting of old drum shells attached to the bass drum and extended out about six feet.
Legendary producer bob clearmountain on recording drums. Studio microphone kit pgakit user guides shure publications. In fact, you can find some largediaphragm dynamic mics specifically designed to record kick drums. Pga drum microphone kit5, pga drum microphone kit7 user guide.
The pg alta series delivers professional quality stereo recording using two microphones adds realism by audio at an affordable price, with solutions for capturing nearly capturing sound similar to the. Drum overheads xy example place two smalldiaphragm condenser microphones on an xy stereomicrophone holder bar. Full, smooth one microphone over center of drum set. A less conventional approach by jonah altrove my father used to say, son, opinions are like drum miking techniques. Looking down on the kit, turn the mics clockwise a bit so that the bass drum and snare are close to the center point between the mics. Head selection for microphones will likely be different than without. Discover the industry secrets to recording crisp, rich instrument tracks and vocals in any type of recording environment. Join renowned audio engineer bobby owsinski as he walks through the process of miking and tracking a complete song by underground sun recording artist iyeoka and alist session musicians in a topoftheline studioin a way that is applicable to any recording. Ambient miking can really make your drum sound even when youre not blessed with the greatest of spaces. There is no one ideal microphone to use on any particular instrument. The drum snare drums dont all sound the same, just like all acoustic guitars dont sound the same. In this course, hell walk you through his four favorite techniques for recording drums at home or in the studio.
How to mic up your kit drum microphones, instrument. Microphone choice has a huge impact on the sound of a snare drum. Even with a house drum kit, a drummer might bring his own snare because of its sound. Place in front of the drum kit to capture more of the kick drum, or as an overhead above the kit, facing down to capture more cymbals. Flip the polarity on the drum sub and its excursions are now opposite those of the drum head, which can actually damp the head a bit and buy you a few extra. Bfd vintage recording techniques is an expansion pack for bfd3 that uses a variety of vintage microphone techniques to capture a beautiful ludwig classic maple drum kit.
In an ideal world, wed always be able to record drums in a greatsounding room one of a decent size that, with just a little knowledge of mic technique, makes it almost effortless to capture the sound of a live drum kit, enhanced with nice room ambience. For information on microphone techniques for individual drums please search category. The glyn johns drum recording method recording revolution. Refer to the stereo microphone techniques section for details. Page 2 pg alta microphones microphone techniques for stereo recording congratulations on the purchase of a new shure pg alta series microphone. When we think of professional drums being recorded in a studio our mind usually draws up images of complex mic techniques utilizing anywhere from 8 to 12 or more microphones. Microphone techniques 7 for just above top head at edge of drum, aiming at top head. You are looking to get a nice stereo spread between the mics and a natural drum kit sound. The 7kit drum microphones have cardioid pick up patterns, which means they pick up sound directly in front of the microphone, and reject the sound behind the microphone.
Microphone techniques for when there are limited microphones available to record a drum kit use the following guidelines. That way you can move the mic back three to four feet, and the u47 was a little farther away from where the front head would have been. The pg alta series delivers professional quality audio at an affordable price, with solutions for capturing nearly any source, including voice, acoustic instruments, drums, and amplified electric. Congratulations on the purchase of a new shure pg alta series microphone. This technique can be used in live applications as. The farther outside of the drum you place the mic, the more low end you. In all recording applications, good results start at the sound source. Technique one the first 4 mic drum recording technique uses a stereo pair of overhead mics. Microphone techniques for introduction microphone techniques the selection and placement of microphones have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system.
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