Howdy Blue Sky,
Your question is so big, what you are asking for is an entire education in recording engineering. Start by checking out the Small Steps forum. If you are serious, go to school or intern at a studio. Learn how to mix live sound with a guy at a big bar with a good sound system. I am not trying to put you off, but what you are asking for is a huge topic. Best of luck, Doc.

Originally posted by blue_sky:
Ok,

i have a sm57 and some api312's -

Well, first of all, you're definitely going to need more than one mic!

Remember, when comparing your efforts to great commercial recordings, you have to keep in mind that they had the advantage of excellent room acoustics, great equipment, and talented engineers. And a huge budget. And let us not forget great musicians performing great songs. You're not going to be able to reproduce all those factors.

A lot of "huge" drum sounds has to do with room mic'ing. In real life, no one listens to drums by putting their ears 2 inches away from the skins. At least I hope not. But that is the sound you get when you only close mic. In a big room, with mic's set back from the kit you actually start to get a reproduction of what we hear when we listen to live drums.

While a sm57 is a classic choice for snares and guitar cabinets, I wouldn't be very happy trying to capture very low (kick and bass) or very high (drum overheads/cymbals) frequencies with it. You definitely need to start accumulating a basic mic collection to get better sounds. I would imagine you'd want at least one large diaphragm condensor for lead vocals and/or a drum room mic. A couple of small diaphragm condensers for drum overheads would also be nice. Then a specialized kick mic like an AKG D112 would be in order. With that much, you'd at least have a fighting chance of recording something you will be able to stand listening to!

And as Doc said, any tips we could give on such a broad subject would only be scratching the surface.
Good luck! :w:

:D After spending more money on gear I still find that sometimes the band can still sound like arse no matter what.

This has been mentioned many times before.
Good player, who has good gear and knows how to play the song are more important then a $3,000 pre amp.

With drums if the sound in the room and the sound on tape sound the same, then your completed step one. :w:
If you want that Nirvana sound then Littledogs right it is more the room mic sound compressed a bit(or a lot).
So start off find a place in your room when you walk around where the drums sound cool, place a mic there, use you ear/headphones and adjust it.
When you record the drums down with just that one mic only, play it back see what you are missing.
Tighten up the dynamics by compressing it a bit.
Maybe add some low end around 80-100 for the kick.
Suck out some 300-400 to get rid off some junk.
add a little 5k or something in the high mid top for the snare.
Now out of this one mic see what you are missing.
If the kick is to low add a kick mic and bring up these two mics and see how its sounds.
Yes I do record 10-12 tracks of drum mics, but I only have two ears.

Recorderman had a great thread on his two mic setup for overheads, which I started using and it sounds great. But if you want that room mic sound you have to find a spot for it.

Ok bass, I started using a Bass pod a year or so back and a lot of bass players have been very happy with the sound. Yep I know it aint a real amp, it sounds better then just plain DI, and it shits on a lot of cheap amps. Maybe try a guitar amp down volume down low, a pedal whatever

What are you recording too anyways.

hope it helps ya

I would hire a pro for a day or two and get him to teach you.

Bass gtr... often basses deliver FAR TOO MUCH bass!!! (for recording) Sometimes you need to adjust that boomy frequency DOWN on the bass itself. And re tweak the 'live' amp settings for a less tubby 'studio sound'.

:)