Recording Drum Room Mics: Mid/Side Configuration

Hi gang,

I am about to splash out on a new Hendrix Bubinga drum kit and lots of other new toys for it. Mics for drums have gone by the by over the years all I really have left is a fusion f25 I think. I am considering a 4 mic set up. Bass drum Shure beta 52a, snare or Hi-hat a Shure SM-81-LC and finally overhead a pair of RODE NT5 matched mics. @pcrecord Marco and others, thoughts on this?. I'll be putting these through my Apollo Quad preamps. Room is treated and I have done drum mics before but usually 7 mics. Kit will be 6 piece, 22 Bass, 14 snare, 10 and 12 rack and 14 and 16 floors. 15inch hit-hat, 18 and 20 inch crash, 24 inch ride, 8 splash.

May add roto toms too, but, I'll see :)

Cheers,

Tony

scenario; recording to analog tape. 8 mic lines from the studio into 8 mic inputs in C/R. recording bands live. rhythm section, then overdubs, horns if needed, vocals last.

assume there's 5 - sm57's and 2 - 414's in the collection already. we're on a tight budget. what 8 additional mics would you choose for the mic locker?

I have free access to these mics (in matched pairs): Neumann M49, Neumann M149, Neumann M250, Neumann M269, Coles 4038 and RCA MI 6203. Which ones would you choose to record a Yamaha C7? My mixing console only allows for 6 simultaneous mono mics. Thanx!

Whatever your opinion on these, it's always useful to be able to recognise them and know what they're really like.

I always but them, when I spot them to have a look. Some new ones - with rather odd performance this time.

Decide for yourselves, and beware on Ebay - I sense these are the new SM57 and 58 flood the market types.

Hi -

I'm trying to figure out the best option for purchasing a portable recorder and mics. I'm mainly looking to record solo piano right now, but I will probably also use it in other situations down the road, such as jazz combo.

I've been looking at the zoom H5 and H6, as well as the zoom F4 and F6 and the Sound Devices MixPre-3 II. For mics, I'm mainly looking at the zoom capsules, the Audio-Technica AT2022 X/Y Stereo Microphone, and 2 RODE NT5 mics with additional omni capsules. I've also considered the Tascam DR-100mkIII.

I'd like to keep the budget as low as possible, but at the max it's around $1,000 for recorder and mics.

I'm wondering how important 32-bit float and getting to 192 sample rate are. If I don't need these, it seems I can be ok with the zoom h 5 or 6 might be better off investing the rest in mics. On the other hand, it might be nice to have the option to use the the zoom f or mix pre as an interface with my laptop when I have it for more serious projects.

I definitely need 2 tracks, but I think I would probably need 3 tracks at the most. I'm trying to balance portability and ease of set up and take down with quality.

Any advice or other options I might consider?

Thanks -

We're having lots of comments that seem to be stating an almost 'rule' that if you have noises in your recording space that you don't want in the recording, then you go dynamic, and not condensers - and it's been said in many topics that this is an established fact.

I personally don't happen to agree with this, and I've spent some time trying to find examples of the science from respected sources, and I've failed. Loads of unsubstantiated comment, but no facts from any of the popular manufacturers, apart from the obvious ones.

Things I found mentioned that support the theory are that the mass and size of dynamic mic diaphragms prevent them responding to short high frequency transients. Low frequencies, with more substance, do produce output. HF sources far less so. Handheld mics, which represent far more dynamics than condensers have the body in the path from the rear, which is the quietest direction of their polar pattern too.

These features are the ones that do mean dynamics can capture less background noise. Condensers, especially side fire ones, have the body out of the way.

I'm hoping somebody can produce something tangible to support the notion that dynamics are better at reducing noise. It could be true, but what is the physics? What is it that started the 'rule' so often mentioned.

I cannot find anything of any substance to support it or shoot it down. I'm just one of those people who cannot promote a techniques as solid until it's explained, detailed and corroborated. I cannot just accept it without proof. If we're saying condensers respond better to the noise, then they also respond better to the wanted signal and all we're left with is wanted signal to noise nuisance ratio.

Fell free to shout the physics that we can then research and digest, but opinion needs a solid foundation, and I can't find this bit!

Hello :)

Based on the feedback I got from respected members of this forum I ordered dynamic mic(s) to eliminate the background noise because all the other options (whichever was possible at my end) I already tried and getting mic was the only fix.

I've a home studio setup where I create educational video course and currently using MXL 770 with Scarlett solo 2nd gen.

FYI: So far I got SM57
and SM58 is in transit and I will try both of them whichever works best to eliminate the background noise I'll keep that and return the other one.

I did 1 Minute demo recording at 3:30am:

Note: Fan and Ac was off and only, some noise was coming from outside...

First test:
Scarlett solo 2nd gen: Gain 75%
MXL 770 - It picked up a lot of noise

Second test:
Scarlett solo 2nd gen: Gain 79%
SM57 - I recorded noise for first 30 seconds then spoken something for 1 minute.

Recording: https://www.dropbox…

1. Request - I request you please listen to the recording and check whether the background noise is completely removed or not as I don't have monitor headset.

2. I listen to the recording, even though gain was 79% but still volume is low. I guess If I increase more gain than mic will pick up noise and audio interface may also generate some noise isn't? So whats the solution for it? Should I use Audition/Audacity to increase the gain (using Compressor or Amplify effect) but I guess that will also increases underlying background noise (if it is in the recording)?

Please forgive me, I'm afraid, after listening to SM57 it sounds like it-isn't have rich and warm sound like MXL 770. It sounds somewhat flat but I'm grateful I got this.

In this video, I demo some bass drum mics and show you can EQ them to fit in a mix. Sennheiser E602 II Sennheiser MD421 AKG D112 Shure SM57 Audio-Technica Pro25 Microphone-parts DiY T47

• Sennheiser E602 II
• Sennheiser MD421
• AKG D112
• Shure SM57
• Audio-Technica Pro25
• Microphone-parts DiY T47

I have a problem that I have had ever since Mac updated to Mojave. No one at Scarlett knows what the issue is so I am hoping someone here can help. I dont use any software. I have the Scarlett plugged directly into the mac by USB and I have a mic in position 1 and 1 in position 2.

The mic in #1 works fine meaning I have sound when I do my Podcast. The mic is #2 does not work, meaning there is no sound, but I do see the lights on the Scarlett light to indicate its working. I tested this issue by switching the cables/mics from position 1 and 2.

When i switched them, the mic that has previously not worked, now works fine and the one that worked before does not work anymore. So this tells me that the cables and the mics are not the problem. Im guessing that somehow my mac is no longer able to distinguish the 2 inputs and is treating it like one single mic.

Any one have any ideas how to fix this?