Skip to main content

I know there are lots of solutions for the snare hi-hat problem - but I want to ask if anyone has tried this:

Stick an omni between them as the mic for both. The theory would be that you'd be getting most of it off the overheads anyway, and you are looking for shell sound from the snare in the close mic. At least this way, you would get control over the snare and hi-hat levels as a group, and NOT have any bad off axis sounds from either a snare or HH mic. Its kinda risky depending on the player - but you could always move the omni around to accommodate the correct balance. thoughts?

Comments

Davedog Fri, 05/30/2008 - 15:36

My solution for this is to properly place the snare mic so the hats are firmly in the null of the snare mic and then rely on the overheads for the hat. If you want more hat, simply mic it too, but be careful with the snare bleed from this. A low sensitvity mic as well as a hyper cardioid works well.

The problem you might find with an omni in this position is the amount of everything else you would pickup and the phase anomilies that would result between this mic and the overheads. Not something you're gonna want to try and fix in the mix.

One of the main reasons the SM57 as well as the Audix i5 and the Beyer 201 are such go-to snare mics. The null on each of them is very definate.

Thats another reason I still like the Audix D2 on the snare. There aint nuthin gettin in the back of it. Plus on a big wooden snare it makes the speakers move a lot of air.

sammyg Fri, 06/06/2008 - 23:32

tell the damn drummer to stop smashing the daylights out of his/her cymbals!
Its amazing how many drummers dont realize that they are hitting the cymbals/hats way to hard in context to the whole drum kit. If they complain, tell them thats why you have these things called microphones!

I was amazed at the drum sound simon philips had when I saw toto, he taps his cymbals but the kit as a whole still sounded mighty.

A cymbal being swiped sounds much sweeter than a cymbal thats "poling" because its being hit too hard!

cheers,

SammyG