Drum placement into the room

SLy_drums · 19th October 2005, 08:49 AM

I'm going to record an experimental metal/hxc project in Switzerland next week, and I need an advice on the drum placement into the room.
We are going to work in a small studio in Geneva :

http://sylvain.raulin.free.fr/studio...ture%20133.jpg

The drum booth does not have a real acoustic treatment for the moment, and I wondered where to place the drumkit into the room.

At home, I use to record drums into a big room and it sounds incredibly agressive with strong attack and an unbearable general volume (If I didn't use ear protection, I would become deaf in a few seconds lol) . That has good points but it's quite a problem when it comes to gate the snare, toms and bass drum tracks. It also colors the drum sound a lot : big amount of projection and attack, but lack of meat, and also room sound into the mics. It's great for metal music, interesting, but it's finally too strong.

I already recorded drums in that studio once, the drums were placed at the center of the room :

http://sylvain.raulin.free.fr/studio...ture%20156.jpg

Bass drum, snare and toms sounded good, a bit meaty (not enough) with projection (maybe too much), but cymbals sounded too metallic and agressive.
In my room at home, I placed the drumkit in a corner of the room to partially solve the problem, facing the opposite corner, to get more meat and it worked good !

The drums sound too agressive.

Several questions :

Do you think to place the drumkit into a corner would be the right thing to do in the studio room ?

How can I gain meat else?

What is the right philosophy for the music i'm going to record ? To record drums into a room which gives a real meaty sound (a bit of projection but drums sounding real, as you hear on CDs, not a "dead" sound...), or to record into a big room which allows great projection ?

If you have answers/advices to give, this is welcome !

Thanks !

SLy_drums · 19th October 2005, 10:10 AM

anybody ?

Harley-OIART · 19th October 2005, 10:28 AM

For What its worth...

Go with your Gut. Take the kit apart, tune it up nice, and set it up from scratch in a whole new spot in the room. Try the drummers back near a wall (couple feet).

I usually take the Stool, Snare, and Kickdrum, and set up in different parts of the room until i find the spot i am looking for. Usually the first or second place is right on the money. I really wish you luck man.

Go walk out into the room, clap your hands, listen to the flutter echo, think for a minute, leave, come back... and go with whatever your gut says...

Sorry I can't be of more help. I'd say just move the kit till it sounds good to you.
(Again, start with snare+kick, it saves alot of wasted effort setting everything up)

Good luck man. (Try getting it out of the exact middle of the room) But remeber ANYTHING GOES, turn it 90, put it near a wall with the drummers back to it....

Regards,
-Scotty (Sorry i typed too much... way tired)

SLy_drums · 19th October 2005, 10:51 AM

Thanks Scotty, the answer helps me, i'll do that.

Harley-OIART · 19th October 2005, 11:53 AM

My Pleasure all the way, Glad I could help in any way.
Definetly Trust your Gut

Let me know how it turned out. (mp3's are always fun

)

Take Care,
-Scott

Jason Poulin · 19th October 2005, 09:33 PM

Take the snare with you in the drum room and hit it.

If that's the snare/room sound you want your CD to sound like, then that's where you should record it.

The sound starts at the source. That's where the magic is.

Jason

kellyd · 22nd October 2005, 04:47 PM

I would place the drummer's back close to the wall with the most reflections (4-6ft). If there are 2 facing walls with treatment, those would be my sides. This will also give you some length for some room mics. I never liked setting up drums in the middle of a room unless it's a small iso room. Drums always seeemd tighter using a wall esp in a big room. And you get nice splat from those early reflections.

Axle_australia · 22nd October 2005, 05:50 PM

Hi There,

A little Trick that i picked up along my travels so far is that If you get the drummer to walk around the room with the floor tom (whilst you stand a few metres away from it listening) get him to give it a few clean hits while standing in a specific place, then move around a bit and repeat the process. what you're listening for is where the tom sounds the phattest, (which in turn means that it is in a part of the room where the bottem end is the most in phase). when you find a good spot for the floor tom get the drummer to set his kit up around the floor tom and 9 out of ten times this ends up being the best place to set the kit up in the room, well it's worked for myself (and the engineer that i learned it off as well of course) give it a shot and see if it works for you as well as it has for me.

,

regards

Axle

19th October 2005, 08:49 AM	#1
SLy_drums Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 696	Drum placement into the room I'm going to record an experimental metal/hxc project in Switzerland next week, and I need an advice on the drum placement into the room. We are going to work in a small studio in Geneva : http://sylvain.raulin.free.fr/studio...ture%20133.jpg The drum booth does not have a real acoustic treatment for the moment, and I wondered where to place the drumkit into the room. At home, I use to record drums into a big room and it sounds incredibly agressive with strong attack and an unbearable general volume (If I didn't use ear protection, I would become deaf in a few seconds lol) . That has good points but it's quite a problem when it comes to gate the snare, toms and bass drum tracks. It also colors the drum sound a lot : big amount of projection and attack, but lack of meat, and also room sound into the mics. It's great for metal music, interesting, but it's finally too strong. I already recorded drums in that studio once, the drums were placed at the center of the room : http://sylvain.raulin.free.fr/studio...ture%20156.jpg Bass drum, snare and toms sounded good, a bit meaty (not enough) with projection (maybe too much), but cymbals sounded too metallic and agressive. In my room at home, I placed the drumkit in a corner of the room to partially solve the problem, facing the opposite corner, to get more meat and it worked good ! The drums sound too agressive. Several questions : Do you think to place the drumkit into a corner would be the right thing to do in the studio room ? How can I gain meat else? What is the right philosophy for the music i'm going to record ? To record drums into a room which gives a real meaty sound (a bit of projection but drums sounding real, as you hear on CDs, not a "dead" sound...), or to record into a big room which allows great projection ? If you have answers/advices to give, this is welcome ! Thanks !

19th October 2005, 09:33 PM	#6
Jason Poulin Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sudbury, On. Canada Posts: 1,687	Take the snare with you in the drum room and hit it. If that's the snare/room sound you want your CD to sound like, then that's where you should record it. The sound starts at the source. That's where the magic is. Jason __________________ most important gear I own are my ears! visit my band www.apparatusmusic.com www.myspace.com/apparatusnumetal

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19th October 2005, 10:10 AM	#2
SLy_drums Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 696	anybody ?

19th October 2005, 10:28 AM	#3
Harley-OIART Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,129	For What its worth... Go with your Gut. Take the kit apart, tune it up nice, and set it up from scratch in a whole new spot in the room. Try the drummers back near a wall (couple feet). I usually take the Stool, Snare, and Kickdrum, and set up in different parts of the room until i find the spot i am looking for. Usually the first or second place is right on the money. I really wish you luck man. Go walk out into the room, clap your hands, listen to the flutter echo, think for a minute, leave, come back... and go with whatever your gut says... Sorry I can't be of more help. I'd say just move the kit till it sounds good to you. (Again, start with snare+kick, it saves alot of wasted effort setting everything up) Good luck man. (Try getting it out of the exact middle of the room) But remeber ANYTHING GOES, turn it 90, put it near a wall with the drummers back to it.... Regards, -Scotty (Sorry i typed too much... way tired)

19th October 2005, 10:51 AM	#4
SLy_drums Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 696	Thanks Scotty, the answer helps me, i'll do that.

19th October 2005, 11:53 AM	#5
Harley-OIART Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,129	My Pleasure all the way, Glad I could help in any way. Definetly Trust your Gut Let me know how it turned out. (mp3's are always fun ) Take Care, -Scott

22nd October 2005, 04:47 PM	#7
kellyd Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Austin Posts: 1,102	I would place the drummer's back close to the wall with the most reflections (4-6ft). If there are 2 facing walls with treatment, those would be my sides. This will also give you some length for some room mics. I never liked setting up drums in the middle of a room unless it's a small iso room. Drums always seeemd tighter using a wall esp in a big room. And you get nice splat from those early reflections.

22nd October 2005, 05:50 PM	#8
Axle_australia Gear Head Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 37	Hi There, A little Trick that i picked up along my travels so far is that If you get the drummer to walk around the room with the floor tom (whilst you stand a few metres away from it listening) get him to give it a few clean hits while standing in a specific place, then move around a bit and repeat the process. what you're listening for is where the tom sounds the phattest, (which in turn means that it is in a part of the room where the bottem end is the most in phase). when you find a good spot for the floor tom get the drummer to set his kit up around the floor tom and 9 out of ten times this ends up being the best place to set the kit up in the room, well it's worked for myself (and the engineer that i learned it off as well of course) give it a shot and see if it works for you as well as it has for me. , regards Axle