I've been trying some radical mic combinations and placements to achieve different kit sounds and I've come up with a 2 mic setup that really kicks *ss.
My kit is a 5 piece Premier Artist series in Birch with Zildgian cymbals. I've got a RE-20 on the kick. Kick has both heads and I'm placing the mics about 3 " left of center and about 5" back from the head. A C-1 diaphram (2")with pop screen horizontally 3 feet directly over the 2 rack toms. These are going back to the console in mono on seperate channels with 4:1 compression and no gate. After I print, I'm adding a chorus/ detune patch from the Lexicon for coloring and finally a slight hall reverb for ambience.
If you record real drums, try this. You won't believe how amazing the sound is for a 2-mic setup. I've been micing everything seperately for years, but read a recent article in Home Recording magazine and deceided to try it out.
Sorry guys, it really is a 2 mic setup: ONE on the bass- offcenter and back, and ONE over the toms. Sorta like John Bonham's kick mic placement. I'd love to post a sample, can't at this point but as soon as I can I will!
Slow Chorus on drums: try it. You will find a point where it warms them up noticably and fattens them up without mud. This works very well with a heavier type music - I'm currently into Devan Townsend's "Accelerated Evolution" style (sang with Vai). This stuff is so heavy it makes Korn sound like Raffi.
The room is 12X24 with 3 stone walls for diffusion and one 24' wall with auralex top to bottom. Kit sits at one end close to the stone for ambience. Ceiling is Armstrong high-absorb 2X4 black theatre tiles. I rounded the stone wall corners to help prevent standing waves. Pics to follow as soon as I get a new USB cable for the camera. (I just finished the control room 2 weeks ago)
2) You would happen to have a link to that article in home recording magazine, would ya?
I've been struggling to get a good drum sound in my basement with 7 mics. Sounds like you're getting good results (in a similar room) with a lot less effort. I'm anxious to give the simplified approach a try!
C-1 is made by Studio Projects, RE-20 is Electro Voice.
I've got a pillow in the kick and a full head without holes on the front.
I'm going lo-Z into a Behringer X9000 console, looping through the outboard effects and back through the board into a dual 31 band as the end of the sound chain. I'm thinking of adding something like a T.C. Finalizer.
Gracias! When my band gets back together after our "summer sabatical", we'll give this setup a shot. I'm looking forward to ANYTHING that makes the drum recording process simpler!
Thanks for sharing!
--B
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