Drum Secrets...Elrond and the Elven word for "Killer Drum Tracks"

HeavyG · 11th June 2008, 03:33 AM

Most savvy engineers will admit...capturing a good drum sound can be a real challenge. What are some of your keys for success? What are some of your stealth tricks that may be a bit unorthodox but deliver tone that is balls deluxe? Don't forget mixing, plugins, head / tuning, mic configs and types...lay it down for us. Leave no stone unturned...the battle for middle earth and the fat bottomed houses of the holy are depending on you.

Cheers...

Oh yeah...some of mine from the vault:

1. Snare: Audix I5 pointed sideways / parallel to the batter head (about 1.5" above). Do not use a resonant head / under mic
2. Bass Drum: Crown PZM inside the kick on a pillow or blanket, Shure Beta on the outside
3. Record in a big, open, untreated room with a LOT of hard surfaces (wood, concrete, etc)...Oktava MK319s or similar LDCs as room mics covering some of the remote sweet spots.
4. Experiment with odd tunings, creative drum configs (no cymbals, just big drums, etc) rimshots, to create a unique tone
5. Have the drummer focus on dynamics as the main performance objective...the groove will KILL

More to come...

svart · 12th June 2008, 01:16 AM

I like the M201 on snare with a SDC closer to the rim.

I like the D6 inside the kick, 3-5 inches from the batter at a 45deg angle. the batter HAS to have a kevlar kick pad and the head HAS to be an EQ2 with the muffle ring. I will load clothes/blankets/etc into the kick until I get the thump I want.

I prefer a totally dead room.

I do like the idea of using a dark LDC like the 219 to bring down the high end when I compress the daylights out of the room mics. I will adjust these mics to give the room space instead of relying on the acoustics of the room.

Toms need to be tuned low using emperor heads, mics are atm125s pointed directly at the head, aiming for the sweet spot about 2 inches in from the rim, about 2-4 inches from the head. NEVER use rim mounts on tom mics in the studio..

OH are always tracked with 1176s inline.

Tune the toms a lot lower than usual, tune the snare a little higher than usual and try to tune them to the song.

The Chemist · 13th June 2008, 09:41 PM

Pinstriped heads.

Usually, I run a D112 and 421 on the bass,

Snare is the old 57 on top, through an ART Tubepre, and an Oktava 012 on bottom, through an HHb Radium 50.

Toms are 421s or, if I can get them, TD-25s.

Overheads are some 451s, 10 feet up, spaced 3 feet apart on the center line of the kit, and a set of LDC (I like MK319s), ORTF, into a Stereo Tube pre.

staudio · 14th June 2008, 06:08 AM

Keep the snare strainers pretty loose. SM57 parallel with top head and about an inch overhanging and inch off the head.

Kick, use a front head for more fullness, two mic technique, dynamic inside, LDC outside.

Hi Hat, angle SDC away from kit to minimize leakage.

ORTF overheads just behind drummer and above his head looking down at and across kit.

Use a mono overhead (U67 please) in combination with spaced overheads/cymbal mics.

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11th June 2008, 03:33 AM	#1
HeavyG Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 595	Drum Secrets...Elrond and the Elven word for "Killer Drum Tracks" Most savvy engineers will admit...capturing a good drum sound can be a real challenge. What are some of your keys for success? What are some of your stealth tricks that may be a bit unorthodox but deliver tone that is balls deluxe? Don't forget mixing, plugins, head / tuning, mic configs and types...lay it down for us. Leave no stone unturned...the battle for middle earth and the fat bottomed houses of the holy are depending on you. Cheers... Oh yeah...some of mine from the vault: 1. Snare: Audix I5 pointed sideways / parallel to the batter head (about 1.5" above). Do not use a resonant head / under mic 2. Bass Drum: Crown PZM inside the kick on a pillow or blanket, Shure Beta on the outside 3. Record in a big, open, untreated room with a LOT of hard surfaces (wood, concrete, etc)...Oktava MK319s or similar LDCs as room mics covering some of the remote sweet spots. 4. Experiment with odd tunings, creative drum configs (no cymbals, just big drums, etc) rimshots, to create a unique tone 5. Have the drummer focus on dynamics as the main performance objective...the groove will KILL More to come... __________________ Nelly Drummer, Vocalist, Project Studio Stunt Pilot “My vocation is more in composition really than anything else - building up harmonies using the guitar, orchestrating the guitar like an army, a guitar army.” Jimmy Page

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12th June 2008, 01:16 AM	#2
svart Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 290	I like the M201 on snare with a SDC closer to the rim. I like the D6 inside the kick, 3-5 inches from the batter at a 45deg angle. the batter HAS to have a kevlar kick pad and the head HAS to be an EQ2 with the muffle ring. I will load clothes/blankets/etc into the kick until I get the thump I want. I prefer a totally dead room. I do like the idea of using a dark LDC like the 219 to bring down the high end when I compress the daylights out of the room mics. I will adjust these mics to give the room space instead of relying on the acoustics of the room. Toms need to be tuned low using emperor heads, mics are atm125s pointed directly at the head, aiming for the sweet spot about 2 inches in from the rim, about 2-4 inches from the head. NEVER use rim mounts on tom mics in the studio.. OH are always tracked with 1176s inline. Tune the toms a lot lower than usual, tune the snare a little higher than usual and try to tune them to the song.

14th June 2008, 06:08 AM	#4
staudio Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: New York Posts: 668	Keep the snare strainers pretty loose. SM57 parallel with top head and about an inch overhanging and inch off the head. Kick, use a front head for more fullness, two mic technique, dynamic inside, LDC outside. Hi Hat, angle SDC away from kit to minimize leakage. ORTF overheads just behind drummer and above his head looking down at and across kit. Use a mono overhead (U67 please) in combination with spaced overheads/cymbal mics.