alcohol_ Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 Has anyone ever built a Bass Drum tent for sound isolation? I want to try this in my home studio. If anyone can give any advice or point to a link that deals with this I'd be much obliged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendmik Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 I reached into my childhood and remembered how to make a fort out of the couch cushions, then I tossed a moving blanket on top. But lately, I've been enjoying the kick signal I get in the overheads. Isolated drums sounds come in and out of fashion depending on trends that I should pay more attention to. What year is it again? Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform. Mark Twain (1835-1910) -------------------- Reporter: "Ah, do you think you could destroy the world?" The Tick: "Ehgad I hope not. That's where I keep all my stuff!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
where02190 Posted August 14, 2004 Share Posted August 14, 2004 If it's a smaller bass drum, 18-20", a 24" shell works great, and if you're using a speaker mic technique, which is essentially suspending a speaker and connecting it to a preamp, the shell makes a great resonant chamber for it. Otherwise, a 3' diameter concrete form available from Home Depot, or a couple of snare boom sized mic stands and a packing blanket will do the trick. I use a 24" shell for our house 20" kick, with a 15" Altec suspended for the speaker mic, along with usually a Beta 52 and an SM91. Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcohol_ Posted August 14, 2004 Author Share Posted August 14, 2004 What about the front drum skin. Leave it on or take it off for this technique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted August 14, 2004 Share Posted August 14, 2004 Depends on what you're after... you can do either one - leave it on or pull it off. If the hole in the front head (for the "close in" dynamic mic) is too large, you might as well not have a front head at all. Pulling the front head gives you a less resonant tone. But again, you can use it or not - depending on what you're after tone wise. My advice is to get the drum itself sounding as close as possible to what you want first (before tossing up any microphones or tents / tunnels) and then go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
where02190 Posted August 15, 2004 Share Posted August 15, 2004 Even with a mic hole, I prefer on. Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbroni Posted August 15, 2004 Share Posted August 15, 2004 Has anyone ever built a Bass Drum tent for sound isolation? I want to try this in my home studio. If anyone can give any advice or point to a link that deals with this I'd be much obliged. If you're going to isolate the bass drum, with a tent. Don't use absorbtive material. Absorbtion only reduces sound intrusion of high frequencies. Its effectiveness is determined by thickness. 1/12 of wave length is a rule of thumb. 1/4 of wavelength is better none the less the thickness for low freqs would have to be too thick to be usable. Go with a barrier material. Heavy like 1 lb /sq. ft you could get away 0.5 lbs/sq.ft. The heavy weight is how you isolate low frequencies. Note the weighted material should be limp. Like rubber. Heavy hardboard will convert airborne noise to structure borne and back very easily so they are not as effective. Also, with barriers leakage is very important. No more 10% open areas or having the barrier is useless. Have you ever seen those heavy rubber mats for the back of a full size pickup truck so you don't scratch the bed of the truck. That would be perfect. Together all sing their different songs in union - the Uni-verse. My Current Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
where02190 Posted August 16, 2004 Share Posted August 16, 2004 Typically the purpose of a kick drum tent is to reduce the mid and high end spill from snare and cymbals, isolating the kick drum from them. Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Gauss Posted August 16, 2004 Share Posted August 16, 2004 call me crazy, but does it matter that much? let it bleed! it's not like it's bleed from the scratch guitar. personally, i can't stand when a kick drum sounds removed from the kit. aren't the drums one instrument, not 5? i say let 'em rattle, let em bleed, and hell yeah, leave that front head on. famous recording scenes from the past..... 70's engineer: "excuse me mr. bonham could you step away from the kit just a second? i'd like to take off your front bass head, close mic your kit and build a blanket tunnel." john bonham: "fooking hell you will, i'll take YOUR head off. now piss off you bleeding wanker!" -d. gauss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
where02190 Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 Given a decent drummer, well tuned kit and good room, I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately I am seeing more oand more inexperienced players who cnnot tune and insist on using their crappy sounding kit, thus I need the isolation to later trigger some decent samples when they ask "hey can you make the drums sound like ___________'s drums on their last CD?" In fact, given a decent drummer on our huse kit (64 Yamaha D series) I typically use no more than 4-5 mics, oh's, room, kick and mybe snare. Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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