What is midside recording midside recording techniques use two microphones. In this free drum lesson, jared falk and sound engineer victor guidera, guide you through the microphones and miking techniques used for getting the bass drum sound you hear on all the free drum lessons on. The glyn johns method is a simple, fast and reliable way to achieve an open, live and realistic drum sound using a small amount of recording equipment. Guitar center workshops drum microphone techniques youtube. Drum overheads xy example place two smalldiaphragm condenser microphones on an xy stereo microphone holder bar. Oak felder recording demi lovatos sorry not sorry 1 month 3 weeks ago. This adaptor allows you to use one microphone stand and put two microphones on it while controlling the angle between the two microphones and the location of the microphone heads relative of each. Feb, 2018 heres my overhead mic placement comparison demo using two earthworks sr25 mics in 4 different settings. The first option is to set it up as the two mic position described in the previous videoand add a third mic for.
Following this, some fundamentals of microphones, instruments, and acoustics are presented. Simply put, glyn johns is a master recording engineer. Master mic techniques with recording engineer max jaeger big sean, no i. The pg alta series delivers professional quality audio at. Place in front of the drum kit to capture more of the kick drum, or as an overhead above the kit, facing down to capture more cymbals. Pga drum microphone kit5, pga drum microphone kit7 user. You can use two different microphone stands, but if you want to make it easy, shure makes a great adaptor called the a27m. The result is a selection of familiar, authentic vintage sounds suitable for rock, pop, blues and more. I had a problem with my setup, which consists of karma k10s for overheads, a sm57 on the snare, and a. This free drum lesson on bass drum miking includes tips for getting more click or tone out of your bass drum.
Feb 25, 2005 there are a few variations on it esp distance to, or in front of, or somewhere around the bass drum but the overly simple approach is 1. Microphone techniques 7 for just above top head at edge of drum, aiming at top head. Using microphones with tight polar patterns on toms helps to. First is the dynamic mic, which will often be used on the snare, bass drum and sometimes on the toms. Usually, the best microphone recording technique for the kick drum is to adopt two microphones, one positioned inside of the kick drum and one outside. This includes such artists as eric clapton, the rolling stones, the who, steve miller, and the eagles, just to name a few. Additional information on recording drums and microphone techniques is available at proximity effect directional microphones progressively boost bass frequencies as the micro phone is placed in closer proximity to the source. This technique uses two condenser microphone with cardioid polar patterns. Microphone techniques for kick drums vary greatly from engineer to engineer and from genre to genre. Full, smooth one microphone over center of drum set.
Refer to the stereo microphone techniques section for details. Dynamic instrument microphone drum microphones, instrument. Here are some miking options you might want to try. Heres my overhead mic placement comparison demo using two earthworks sr25 mics in 4 different settings. This manual has covered the major points of akg microphone selection and usage in. Dec 11, 2008 rarely do pop musicians become interested in specialised microphone techniques for creation of spatial sound scaping. Apr 12, 2019 simply put, glyn johns is a master recording engineer. Try to get the sound source instrument, voice, or amplifier to sound good acoustically live before miking it. The most common types of microphones youll come across are dynamics, condensers, and ribbons. As a general rule of thumb, placing your mic inside the kick drum and pointed towards the beater will capture lots of attack, while positioning further back or even outside the drums resonant head will increase lowfrequencies. Microphone options there are all kinds of microphone options you can use for both of these techniques. Here are the perceptual results of common stereo miking techniques. Bfd vintage recording techniques is an expansion pack for bfd3 that uses a variety of vintage microphone techniques to capture a beautiful ludwig classic maple drum kit. Position the microphones so that each one is at a 45degree angle, pointed down at the drum kit, approximately 7 or 8 feet above the floor or drum riser.
In most sound reinforcement systems, the drum set is miked with each drum having its own mic. How to record drums 5 failsafe drum recording techniques. With three mics you have two choices as to mic positioning. The mid middle channel is typically a cardioid capsule however anything from dynamic mics to hypercardioid can be used. The drums arent tuned for that kind of sound drum tuning certainly plays a role in how they will sound once recorded. Putting a mic in front of the outer head is the most common kick drum mic placement, but there are still plenty of variables. This technique can be used in live applications as. When recording a kick drum, most recording engineers choose a dynamic microphone.
When we think of professional drums being recorded in a studio our mind usually draws up images of complex mic techniques utilizing anywhere from 8 to 12 or more microphones. How to mic drums for recording, part 2 four microphones. Mar 31, 2015 microphone techniques for kick drums vary greatly from engineer to engineer and from genre to genre. Tape gauze pad or handkerchief on top head to tighten sound. Consider recording a choral group or vocal ensemble. Pga52 kick drum microphone pga57 snare drum microphone 3 pga56 drum microphones 2 pga81 overhead condenser microphones 3 ap56dm mount note. Panning directing the signals left and right adds width and directionality when listening on stereo systems or headphones. There are a few different methods of the three mic technique, and well go over two of them in this movie. For example, the use of a cardioid microphone for a guitar amplifier which is near the drum set is one way to reduce bleedthrough of drums into the reinforced. Before recording a drum kit, make sure the drums are tuned. Unusual microphone techniques for live applications. Microphone techniques for just above top head at edge of drum, aiming at top head. The microphones are placed at a 90 degree angle to one another at about 3.
In fact, you can find some largediaphragm dynamic mics specifically designed to record kick drums. The glyn johns drum recording method recording revolution. Section one microphone techniques here is a very basic, general procedure to keep in mind when miking something that makes sound. In this case, place the mic right in the middle, pointing where the beater strikes the drum. Vocal microphone techniques individual vocals microphones with various polar patterns can be used in vocal recording techniques. Recording techniques 7th edition and recording music on location, 2nd edition. A combination of stereo overheads, close mics on each drum, as well as room mics seems to be the doctors orders for a modern. Drums microphone techniques for just above top head at edge of drum, aiming at top head. Download the 7kit user manual in pdf format samson. We pass on the hardwon wisdom of fifty top producers in the essential sound on sound guide to recording kick and snare drums, the backbone of modern music when it comes to describing in interview how they record drums, top producers seem to spend more time discussing techniques for snare drum and bass drum than anything else. There are lots of mic techniques for getting a great kick drum sound. Used in filmvideo production to achieve greater working distance between microphone and talent used in eng and broadcast as oncamera mic for capturing ambient or natsound can be used in live sound as stereo ambient mics for iem systems bp4027. See stereo microphone techniques for overhead placement options if the kick drum resonant head has a hole in it, place the microphone inside for improved isolation from other instruments aim the pga57 towards the center of the snare drum head to capture more stick attack, or closer the edge to capture more overtones. Drum overhead microphone technique comparison youtube.
Put simply, if you sing or speak from very close to the microphone some of the lower frequencies will be enhanced. This is a sound that were used to and a lot of us like the sound of our voices when we have the microphone almost touching our lips. Spaced pair position additional information on recording drums and microphone techniques is available at. The two tracks generated allows the engineer, during the mixing phase, to fix the levels according to the desired sound. A dynamic mic functions just like a speaker, only in reverse, with the movement of the diaphragm in turn moving a coil in relation to a magnet, creating an electrical signal. No matter where you place the mic, you can reduce the amount of boominess from the drum by placing a pillow or blanket inside it. If the front head has a hole in it then you can get the mic inside the drum and that will bring out the attack of the beater hitting the drum head. If you are going for a huge and bombastic drum sound, but cant seem to nail it, heres some reasons why you might be having trouble. Please read about the suggested microphone techniques for individual musical instrument under the relevant sections in the index. Microphone techniques for introduction microphone techniques the selection and placement of microphones have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system. In fact, this was a classic setup for so many hit records of the 50s and early 60s, heres how its done. There are a few variations on it esp distance to, or in front of, or somewhere around the bass drum but the overly simple approach is 1.
Other stereo drum recording techniques to learn about. The d6 is lightweight, compact and easy to position. Microphone techniques the selection and placement of microphones have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system. With this video youll learn what are audio spectrums and frequency responses, and how the type of microphone you use to record a given instrument affects the. Drums to see a listing contents hide 1 single microphone full kit techniques o 1. But dont be afraid to try these techniques out even if you dont have the ideal mics. Mic techniques fordrums shure microphone selection guide drum requires drum mount accessory to mount on rim.
Stereo miking techniques can replicate the itds and iids that occur naturally. Microphone techniques for live sound reinforcement english. Microphone techniques for live sound reinforcement uci music. Proximity effect xy position directional microphones progressively boost bass frequencies as the microphone is placed in. I hope to prepare the reader for work in a home studio, a small professional studio, or an onlocation recording session. The above pic of the woody allan jazz band of which i am a fan is an excellent example of the basic correct principles of traditional live mic placement. Although two mics can get a good drum sound, three mics can give you greater control when mixing. Microphone techniques for stereo recording stereo recording using two microphones adds realism by capturing sound similar to the way that humans hear. Apr 09, 2015 want to learn how to record better sounding drums. Drum overheads xy example place two smalldiaphragm condenser microphones on an xy stereomicrophone holder bar. Most of the microphones we use for live vocals are subject to whats called the proximity effect. Johns recorded just about everybody of importance during the 1960s through the late 1980s. You can modify the preceding miking technique by moving the mic back so that its about halfway inside the drum.
More glyn johns drumswhy dont my drums sound huge like. Studio microphone kit pgakit user guides shure publications. Rarely do pop musicians become interested in specialised microphone techniques for creation of spatial sound scaping. Analysis of the results provides a guide in making the decision on what stereo technique to use for drum overhead recordings in different musical. The d6 is characterized with a cardioid pickup pattern for isolation and feedback control and is equipped with a vlm very low mass diaphragm for natural, accurate sound reproduction. Miking instrument sections in order to control the different orchestra sections in the recording, it is a good idea to use directional microphones on a limited distance i. The first option is to set it up as the two mic position described in the previous videoand add a third mic for the snare. Congratulations on your purchase of the 7kit percussion microphone kit from. Page 2 place the microphone in front of the resonant kick drum head. If you have two mics available, try placing one in front of the bass drum about a footaway from the front head on a short stand. This free drum lesson on bass drum miking includes tips for getting more click or tone out of your bass. Pga drum microphone kit5, pga drum microphone kit7 user guide. Cardioid condenser microphone pga81 user guides shure.
Achieving the drum sound youre after starts way before you set up any microphones. Microphone sound quality and appearance are subject to specific acoustic environments, application technique, and personal taste. For reinforcement of musical instruments, there are several main objectives of microphone techniques. Dynamic microphones work through the process of electromagnetic inductionthe production of an electrical current across a conductor in a magnetic fieldand typically consist of a stiff plastic diaphragm with a finely wrapped wire coil suspended in a. The point is to get to making music, so use what you have handy or what the budget will allow. While you can get a pretty good drum sound with only a single microphone, using two mics is even better.
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