Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUElightCory  No one has really mentioned the source yet, so here are a couple of tips:
1. Try to get the drummer to not play the cymbals as hard. Ideally, you want drum takes where the drummer is solidly hitting the kick/snare/toms but finessing the cymbals. Drummers who play live a lot but lack much studio experience often tend to really lay into the cymbals.
2. Try to beg/borrow/steal better cymbals. Many drummers will bring in loud, thick cymbals like Z Customs (or something similar), which can sound God-awful in a recording situation (and create a lot of nasty sounding bleed in your drum mics). Using thinner/quieter/ and/or darker cymbals (like Zildjian As, Ks, and their equivalents) can go a long way towards a better overall drum sound and less bleed.
Don't forget to experiment with mic positioning! Try to get the null area of the close mics' polar pattern to cancel out as much of the cymbal content as you can.
Best of luck,
Cory |
actually, we use moon gel on the cymbals for rehearsing. our rehearsal kit is electric so we have control of the volume. cymbals, not so much. the moon gel helps out tremendously while retaining good tone. that may be an option, too.