Hey Bobby,
Haven't miked up this particular kit, but have some ideas. I would feel free to change out the snare if it's not getting you where you need to go. I would go with LD condensers for OHs to get a "fullkit" OH sound with more bottom than SD mics. I would try a combo on the kick, with a mic inside for the attack and a mic outside for body. If the room is noisy from yer rig, try creating a wall between to lessen noise. Maybe SD condensers on the OHs if noisy. Better yet, rent Daniel Lanois' place in New Orleans for a couple of days. Hope none of this is too basic. Doc

I think the doc has a good thought with the LD mic's, but you say your room isnt that great? I would first treat you room. Even if you just hang blankets on the wall, deaden it as much as possible, then mic it up. With the close mic on the kick, try and go for a boomier sound. The kick is gonna be snappy in those overheads, and if you mic it a little too much on the boomy side, it's easier to roll it off than it is to add it in after.
Also, if you find a lot of tom ring coming through in the overheads, you could dampen the batter head, and mic the resonant head. The overheads will color the toms, and a close mic on the bottom still gives you power.
If you are after a heavier attack kick, tape some hard plastic in front of the beater.

Good luck!

thanks guys. I could do a better job on the treatment, but it is our home office/studio so theres not much I can do as I know the importance of a true drum room.

I'm wondering with a small low volume kit what kind of results I might get especially with the 16" kick..thats why I want to close mic the toms, snare, kick. and of course the overs.

my thinking is a tight sound that relies more on the individual drums as apposed to the big bash sound of a larger kit in a proper room.

thanks

Oops, for some reason I thought you were living in Louisiana, Bobby. Why did I think that? Doc

Not sure, maybe its my last name "Loux" having that Louisiana association?

:c:

i've got the rick morrata hip gig.it's almost the same thing. i've done several sessions with it.

the main thing i find is if you are a bouncer or a masher regarding the kick beater. if you mash, get a whole in the front 4 to 8 inches, you need to move some air. a bit of muffeling works well.

i also find that if i tune the beater head down to the point where it's almost completely loose i get some meat if i aim the mic off to a corner a bit.

if you bounce tune it up to the point that you get resonance, muffeling is the most important thing here. just enough to cut out the high overtones, but not too much to choke the drum.

for the toms i find they need to be tuned lower than i think to get a nice resonance because they are soo small.

a quick room treatment of sorts could be blankets hung fairly close to the drums on somekind of stands or hanging from the ceiling try to get them near the overheads, this effects the sound the most. the closer they are the less room sound.

good luck

chris perra

If you can't, or won't do some treat ment with blankets, place a towel on a mic stand and drape it behind your over heads. This really cuts down the room.

I have a small Mapex kit I record with all the time.
18" kick 8/10/12toms and a 13" snare. Sounds really good for jazz and Pop. It is actually a benefit to have quieter smaller drums when you have a not-so-good room. It is easier to mic without getting too much room. The sound is more focused.

I play a rather large kit - and can't comment on the more jazz set-up's - but one comment i have relates to the cymbals.

The custom "A" (and almost all my brass is "A"'s) is a very thick and long lasting brass - tend to resonate forever (it seems) you might want to borrow some cymbals that have a faster decay - or - you can try what i did (but you have to play with it and be real anal/fussy to make it work) - take a standard sheet and cut some cymbal mufflers........ and they need to be quite small - i have to use them for recording on everything except my 10 & 12" splash cymbals and my 12" Custom "A" recorder high hats..........

they leave the brightness of the "A" but speed up the decay.

Have a great weekend

Rod