Drum Microphones

[McLean]

What are the best mics for drums? I have used a few different kinds but not all. What has worked best for some of you folks to get the most natural sound possible? Or what have you use to get really weird sounds out of an acoustic kit?

[dagosto]

I hear that the newer Earthworks drum mic kits are pretty natural sounding. They have a set of two omnis and a cardioid for studio or three cardioid for live. They both come with a little coupler called the kick pad which does some frequency response stuff.

[Nubus]

Originally Posted by McLean

What has worked best for some of you folks to get the most natural sound possible? Or what have you use to get really weird sounds out of an acoustic kit?

one of the easiest things to muck when you start using multiple mics on one instrument (the drums) is the phase relationship. i'd say that learning how to deal with phase issues has been the biggest most important factor in making my drum recordings more natural sounding.

As for warped sounds, once I wrote about five minutes worth of automation to five instances of GRM tools plugins, and ran me and my friend Suhail jamming though it. Then we placed that monstrosity over the end of Close Encounters, with the shuttle held down in reverse.

[Whoopysnorp]

I've never had access to really super nice mics, but I'll tell you what is working for me right now. My band is recording an album, and I'm really happy with the drum sound I'm getting. I've got MXL603 small diaphragm condensers overhead, SM57s on the top and bottom of the snare, Shure Beta 56As on the rack toms, a Sennheiser MD421MKII on the floor toms, and a Shure Beta 52 on the kick. For the mic on top of the snare, I did the mod where you pull the transformer out, which lowers the gain but really opens up the high and low frequencies. I tried it both ways (modded 57 on top and standard on bottom and vice versa) and putting the modded one on top was the clear winner. The only thing I'd like to change is to put a large-diaphragm condenser on the floor toms instead of the 421, but we are tracking the guitar at the same time as the drums and I'd get too much bleed with a condenser. I love the sound I'm getting, though it doesn't hurt that I'm recording some really nice DWs.

[McLean]

Originally Posted by Whoopysnorp

For the mic on top of the snare, I did the mod where you pull the transformer out, which lowers the gain but really opens up the high and low frequencies. I tried it both ways (modded 57 on top and standard on bottom and vice versa) and putting the modded one on top was the clear winner.

What is the mod on the SM57 you are speaking of???? I would like more info on this if you have it available. I like SM57 on drums. It would be great to hear a mod to that mic. Especially if it seems to work better like you say. Holla back!!!

[Whoopysnorp]

Originally Posted by McLean

What is the mod on the SM57 you are speaking of???? I would like more info on this if you have it available. I like SM57 on drums. It would be great to hear a mod to that mic. Especially if it seems to work better like you say. Holla back!!!

Peep this--scroll to the big post towards the bottom of the page: http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/ind...sg/8394/0/0/0/

[abarnett]

man, modding 57's...

that's nuts in my book. mod a cheaper mic. a 57 is good at what it does and that trannie is a good amount of what you're paying for.

i do think this board should have a place for mods

this is all my opinion though

[dagosto]

Originally Posted by abarnett

i do think this board should have a place for mods

this is all my opinion though

That's a good idea. I'll put one in if you promise to post all your favorite mods there.

[abarnett]

Oh man I'll totally get some mods in there. That's a great part of forums for me.

[abarnett]

also I like using shure 315 or 330 ribbon mics for oh and a beta52. i'm not very good at individual micing yet