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I think it's all been said, but for those folks still trying to get an understanding of this, I thought I'd offer my method cause I tend to be the methodical type, so I build from the ground up:
I choose my reference mic. Usually the kick in mic.
Solo kick in and kick out if I have two mics on kick. Flip phase in and out on kick out to check which sounds better.
Now solo OH with both kick mics. Flip phase in and out on OH to see what makes drums sound fatter.
Now add in snare top mic. Flip back and forth and see what's right.
Now snare bttm in as well.
For toms close mics, compare them with OH.
Compare rooms with kick and snare.
I do this when tracking, and usually will do it again when mixing, even if mixing tracks I recorded, in case I hear things differently, or the way I'm shaping tones changes what's most beneficial, or, the most important reason, if I'm patching inserts onto the channels just in case a piece of gear or tie-line has been wired incorrectly (happens too often not to check).
How do things usually end up in this process? Kick in and out usually don't get flipped. OH often do, not always. Snare top and bttm, whichever way they are, are usually opposite each other. Some toms will get flipped and some don't, really varies. I often find room mics can be a compromise, where one way favors the snare and one favors the kick, and I'll make a decision based on what sounds better in context. Also, if when comparing any of the things I compare solo'd I'm not sure which I like better, I un-solo and then compare in the context of the drum mix.
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