stairwell placement

[SorenP]

Originally Posted by Jared Kubokawa

Yes, actually clapping is better because you can hear the room without hearing yourself hum or yell inside your head. You get a more accurate response and don't sound like crazy person. Way to go Soren. I just like yelling though, it's more fun that way.

haha.. right on.

[smopo24]

Originally Posted by SorenP

a good starting place for stuff like this (very cool by the way) put the mic(s) where it sounds good to your ear. Have the drummer play while you're walking around the area and if you find a sweet spot where something is ringin just right, slap a mic there. You might have some phasing or delay issues, but its all gonna depends on how far away the mics are from the kit, and how much of it you're trying to use in the mix. You can fix the delay stuff by moving the far away tracks ahead a few milliseconds in whatever software you're using. You might get some cool sounds, just be aware of where your mics are and be prepared to adjust them later. Good luck though let me know how it turns out sounds like it'd be fun.

Using your ears seems like it would be the most common-sense answer; yet, too few people take advantage of them! Get a friend to shout from the approximate place the drums will be, and stand where you think you will put the mic. Close your eyes, and just move around until you think it sounds the best, mark it with some gaffer's tape and place the mic there. When you have the drums and mic set up, double check it by having the drummer drum, listening to the mic, and have your friend move it until it sounds right.

[tombo]

Aight, so I tried it and AIYAIYAI
it didn't sound good..
well I shouldn't say that
it wasn't the SOUND I was looking for

Basically I took the snare and walked around the stairwell
up top, midway, down below
and the echo was just bouncing around all over the place
that it was really drowning out the drum tone

so I tried a different room where the walls are about 8' high (but higher with above the acoustic paneling, or dropped ceiling) with the length at about 45' long and 25' wide, windows on 1 side and drywall on the other; carpeted floors.

I just kind of plucked myself into a corner and started playing, and it sounded surprisingly good. But it may all go to hell depending on mic placement, but I just wanted to give you an update on the whole stairwell thing.

Thanks for all your input thus far!

[SorenP]

Bummer man sorry to hear the stairwell didn't work out. sometimes those things turn out real cool, sort of a crapshoot though.

One of the first steps in making a non-recording studio room sound good is just to put stuff in it. Chairs, couches, desks, just anything to break up the waves and prevent standing waves and nasty reflections, so the office setup might turn out to be pretty cool. I see you are by 2 windows there, make sure you experiment with throwing a packing blanket or something similiar over them. You might actually like the sound of the reflections, but it's good to try both ways for comparison sake. Sounds like a good time tryin drums in a bunch of different locations. I can blah blah about ideas and theory all day, but the best way to do it is just trust your ears and try it, which it sounds like you are.

Thanks for the update man keep us posted.