Originally posted by ken:
Hi All,

I am recording some drum tracks for my bands demo/CD project this weekend. We are using an 8track recorder, so we can only use one channel for drums. I have a Mackie 1402VLZ-Pro mixer to submix the mics and send to the recorder. It is a Boss BR8 in case you are interested. How would you mic a standard 5 piece kit in this situation?

Here are the mic available:
1 Marshall V67 (large diaphram Condensor)
2 AKG C1000s (small Diaphragm condensor)
1 AKG D-112
1 Audio Technica Pro25
3 Shure sm57s
1 sm58
5 other dynamic mics of varying quality

thanks. I am looking forward to your ideas, suggestions, and tips.

Be well,
Ken

Well, I couldn't access mp3.com (it's me, not you), but here's what I'd use:

1 Marshall V67 (large diaphram Condensor)
Use that as a room mic, if needed.

2 AKG C1000s (small Diaphragm condensor)
Overheads, aimed at the cymbals.

1 AKG D-112
1 Audio Technica Pro25
Use whichever sounds best on the kick and use the other mic on the floor tom.

3 Shure sm57s
One each on the high toms, one on the snare.

1 sm58
Remove the ball and mic the high hat if necessary (from the backside).

Listen very carefully to some trial mixes before you commit to tape. Make sure the drum track has a little more top end than normal, just in case.

Hi Harvey,

Thanks for the suggestion and all the other advice you give people that I read.

Why the 2 overheads if in the end the track will be mono?

Also, the Mackie only has 6 preamps. I couldn't use as many mics as you suggest.

Ken

It all depends on the drummer. If you've got a drummer who hits pretty evenly, and you can hear the toms OK when you're standing in the room, then I would go with fewer mics. Start with the Marshall (I've always hated C1000's, not that that's rational) above or in front of the kit (experiment) and get as good a sound as you can. Then, spot mic what you need to hear more of- most likely this will be the kick, and possibly the snare.

If you have a drummer that's not all that balanced, then you may have to close mic more stuff- move the Marshall to 'cymbal duty,' put the D112 in the kick, and use 57's or some such on snare and toms. No matter what you do with the EQ on individual channels, make sure it's balanced- you will be in a lot more trouble if you find that the cymbals are too bright and the snare is too dull than if it's overall too bright or dull.

Or go the Motown way and find a good sounding corner, stick a mic out front, and be done with it! :)

Here are the mic available:
1 Marshall V67 (large diaphram Condensor)
2 AKG C1000s (small Diaphragm condensor)
1 AKG D-112
1 Audio Technica Pro25
3 Shure sm57s
1 sm58
5 other dynamic mics of varying quality>>

Well, you can put batteries in the C1000's and that'll free up some phantom power. i recorded a friends band with similar mics, onto an R8. Jon is so right on about getting the room sound first. Use the Marshall on the room. I used a BLUE Dragonlfly for a room mic [and actually spent more time on listening for that sound than on the other mics], and tight mic'd the snare and toms with a 57, D112 on the bass drum...and on the floor tom [we had an extra]. I had 2 C1000s as overheads, on near the left cymbal and hats, the other near the right cymbal and the ride. beforecommiting, i just made sure the sound was balanced. this came out to a more "tight" sound, with the drums all in your face, but if youre looking for more roomy or "natural", you could easily just mic the room [marshall], snare[57] and bass drum[d112].

just a humble noise-maker! ;)

If this is an overdub, i.e. no leakage issues and the kit sounds great in the room, I'd go for a three mike setup trying different mikes as an overhead six feet or so over the snare drum and then filling in a touch of the snare and kick mikes for definition.

A few tips:

1. Pay attention to the phase of the drums and mikes. The sound coming from the back of a drum will always be out of phase with the sound coming from the front.

2. Discuss the possibilities of reducing the size of the kit with the drummer and remove ALL drums or cymbals that aren't being used for the song from the room.

3. monitor through an equalizer to make sure you can at least partially control the balance between the kick and snare by using eq. You want to use as little eq as possible on the track so that when you need to pull a final mix together you have some room left to use eq for balance before things sound unnaturally colored. I've been told that George Martin used to overdub drums last as a means of learning what the part should be and what balance might be appropriate.

4. I have never heard stereo drums that sounded as good as well-recorded mono drums.