Recording Drums

Ok here is my attempt at recording a drum kit. Would love critiques, suggestions, complaints, rants and so forth. What do you like. What do you not like. Suggestions welcome. Includes a mix of overheads, room mic, kick, and snare. None of the Toms had mics. Will be recording them for my band Replacing Jenny. We are Rock/Alternative band. Replacingjenny.com. I am not sure how to add mp3 files but can email if easier.

Thanks

I'd love to hear some samples
you could upload it to wetransfer or so

You could put them on soundcloud?

Do full res, not mp3.

Also, it's hard to know anything about if it fits without a context. Once you add bass and other instruments things typically change.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/newbie-audio-engineering-production-question-zone/991474-recording-drums.html

I put the clips here with some pics

You need to check the polarity of all your microphones to assure they are electrically correct polarity. Then in mono, starting with your overheads, bring in the spot microphones, flip the polarity on the spot mics for the strongest image and sound. If it sounds thin, reversing polarity will usually bring it into focus.

I find 9 times out of 10, then they overheads sound best against the rest of the kit if they are reversed.

Mark

Bonsaimaster said:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/newbie-audio-engineering-production-question-zone/991474-recording-drums.html

I put the clips here with some pics

Click to expand...

I checked all the phase of the tracks and they are in phase.

Bonsaimaster said:

I checked all the phase of the tracks and they are in phase.

Click to expand...

Well, then something is seriously wrong.

Here is a copy of the drum tracks from a project I'm currently working on. These are largely unprocessed, a little EQ and a touch of dbx903 compression on the Kick and Snare going in.

Remove the .jpg to play back

You could also download a copy of Autoalign from Soundradix to recheck your phase relationships.

http://www.soundradix.com/products/auto-align/

Mark

With respect to Mark (and his solid tones) a phase alignment/metering plug is the last thing you need IMO, you need to start at first principles and get the basics right.

I listened through the samples on Gearslutz and read the enormously complicated chain of gear being used :-o

- it will be impossible to make any decisions at all without a decent drummer behind the kit (full props to your son for holding down a groove at 8 years old though)

- You seem to have the GDP of a small country tied up in gear, is the kit at the same level quality wise?

- Once you get a real drummer into the room, tune the kit.

- Move the kit around the room, don't put it where it looks right, move the kick and snare around until they sound great, there will always be a spot or two where they come alive

- Once you build the kit back up in the new position start with just 3 mics, kick and a pair of overheads - forget compression for now.

- Get up over the kit on a stool or ladder and listen, place the overheads where they will capture the whole kit, not where they look pretty.

- I would consider trying XY for micing

- Move your kick mic and use damping in the drum to get a mice resonant tone with real weight

- Do not add anymore mics until you have a really good solid picture from the above.  When you do add mics, decide why first.

Good luck,
Ruairi

All excellent points Ruairi, agree with them all.

Mostly, I think your overheads need to come in closer to the kit, especially with that low ceiling.

As Ruairi said, toss out all the compression, you can add that in when you mix. Once you get your overheads sounding great, add in the other microphones.

Here's a few pics from the session that I posted earlier where you can see the overhead placement.

Mark

Another

And lastly here's the overheads soloed without any processing.

Chain was, DIY C12's -> Tele V72's  -> Manley V-MU

The V-MU wasn't compressing, it was used to control level to tape and to add some tone.

Mark