Proper drum mic placement

[myke]

Can someone tell me the proper mic placement for recording drums in a studio?

I will be using 9 mics: 1 for kick(AKG D112), 1 for snare(Shure SM57), 1 for hats(AKG C1000S), 2 overheads(AKG C414BTLII and Rode NT2), 2 for floor toms(Sennheiser MD421's) and 2 for regular toms(AKG C418 clip-ons).

Thanks, Myke.

[Jazzman]

Sorry myke no one helped you out yet. Well here is how my mics are set up on my studio set up. All of my mics are audio-technica.

 

I have an ATM 63 HE( High Energy) on the snare(just above the snare rim on a slight angle down to the center of the drum and aprox. a 30 deg. angle horizontal to me on the throne)

 

I also use the same mics on my toms, three mics to 5 toms. I set the mics between the toms angled down on the drums, one mic is for the floor tom directly, facing down on an angle to just about the center of the drum.

 

My overheads and hi-hat mics are AT 4031's. The hat mic is am inch or two from the edge of the cymbals toward the bell on a 5 deg. angle toward the bell.

 

The overheads are set up this way(same mics). One overhead mic and boom stand is by the floor tom angled across to the opposite side of the drum set and set to pick up the cymbal sounds, while the other boom stand is next to and in back of the hi-hat. This mic is facing in the opposite direction from the first mic picking up the other side of the cymbals.

Both are boomed up high.

 

My bass drum mic is a ATM 25(set inside of the bass drum on a slight angle facing away from the beater). I also use a small pad inside the drum.

 

I want to get two more mics, one for the beater side of the bass drum and one for the bottom side of the snare drum.

 

I found for placement of the overheads, I use a lazer pointer. I place it on the mic and see where the light lands on a cymbal that I feel will get the total picture that I'm shooting for. Before I would always be off the mark without it. Just a thought.

 

There are a lot of ways to set mics up for a set depending on the type of mics used and the quanity being used.

 

Hope that this helps my friend.......

 

My fade out..........

 

Jazzman

[gtrmac]

I've been using a setup like jazzman's but lately I've been having fun with a couple of additional mics. I put a condensor mic about 2 or 3 feet in front of the kick drum to get the sound of the whole drum. I pu a mic on the snare drum shell. This is either a small condensor or a dtnamic like a 421 depending on which one I have available. I also put some ambient mics in the room. Ambient mics can be in a spaced pair, Blumlein Pair or even Omni's. Experimentation leads to discovery. The only rule I strictly follow is to check phase relationships.

[Prof.Sound]

Originally posted by myke:

Can someone tell me the proper mic placement for recording drums in a studio

 

See SAE College Recording Drums

 

You might also jump over to the Massenburg Forum and search out anything dealing with "overheads" and read about any of the various placement techniques. I think you should focus on the placement of your overheads first, and then augment with the close mics.

 

A good place to start is by placing the left overhead in a cardiod pattern about 40" off the snare surface, and just behind the drummers left shoulder. Place the second, at exactly the same height over behind the right shoulder. Put of headphones and with the drummer playing the kick, move the right one until the kick is dead center in the phone. Listen for phasing, and make small adjustments to try and eliminate it.

 

Add a mic to the kick and snare if required. Record and listen. I think you may be more pleased with this approach rather than a bunch of mics all around the kit. Try the Rode out about 12-16" in front of the kick.

[Lee Flier]

Myke,

 

You also posted this question in Craig's forum and I (along with a couple of others) answered here .

 

--Lee

 

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: Lee Flier ]