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Since you guys know a lot of the hardware side, you must know a trick or two on the mic placing science...
I am recording a drum set, everything is fine except for the snare mic getting too much hi-hat signal, I am using a venerable SM57 into an Avalon 737SM (mercenary), using the snare preset...any suggestions..
Mic placement is two inches above the snare rim. I'm pointing towards the center of the snare drum (90 degree angle from the hihat..)
any hints...
BTW the bleed is so loud that in the mix I ended up "not" using the hi-hat signal of its own mic.

Val

Comments

anonymous Wed, 10/24/2001 - 08:07

You are looking to solve the problem the wrong way. While it can be minimized by mic selection or placement, this must be solved at the source. Get quiet hi hats (the new Paiste dark crisp hats are very quiet, but expensive) or get a drummer who can control the volume of his hi hat. Drummers who can do this do not exist in most parts of the world.

If you are really in a pinch, you can trigger a snare and mix it with your original to help cut down on hat bleed.

Guest Wed, 10/24/2001 - 10:05

Well this is an age old problem..

Some ideas..

Have a LOUD, well tuned snare with fresh skins so you minimise the amount of eq you have to crank in

Quiet, small hi hat's

Encorage the room to 'help' the snare, remove padding, add padding.. I put packing blankets over the Bass drum making a little tunnel, to reduce it's spill into the room (and vice versa)

try to get undersnare sound from the room mic's

Use an undersnare mic to get the crispy sound (I usualy don't dig these)

Make a baffle round the snare mic stand (sheet of foam or egg carton) to try to reduce the bleed...

Raise the hihat as much as is comfortable...

I dunno, we all get that problem...

One older engineer said to me, try to pick a mic where the hihat bleed has a NICE tone. Loud hihat via a SM57 on snare ain't so nice..

to continue with that - Tape a AKG 451 to the SM57 so the capules are level, use both mix to taste.

I dunno, we all get that problem... :)