When in the studio, drums can be the most difficult
instrument to mic. This is because there
are many factors that come into play. First,
you must take into consideration the type of drums being miked. This includes not only the particular drum,
i.e. kick, snare, toms, or symbols, but also the depth of the drum itself and
size of the heads. The specific sound
you want out of any given drum will also depend on the mic and technique you
use.
Other factors include: the number of tracks available for
recording, the number of mics you have at your disposal, and the setup and
placement of the drum kit. The actual
room makes a big difference as well.
Naturally, it’s better to set up the drums in a drum booth that has been
built to specifications that will provide the best sound with the least ring
and room noise. Still, it will be
necessary to experiment with various mics and techniques in order to achieve
the desired sound.
The following techniques are commonly used. Remember, you can always go with a
combination of any of them, but you should always go with the best possible
sound you can find under whatever limitations you encounter. A good drum sound will make the mixing
process much easier because the more you do in the beginning, the less you have
to fix in the end.
Let’s start with the three mic pattern. This is usually accomplished by placing the
mics in front of the drum set in a bloomlein technique. These mics have a figure-eight pick-up
pattern, and are usually placed in front of drums in a stereo formation on
either side of the kit. Each mic can be
raised or lowered as desired to pick up different parts of the drums. Here, you are only using two channels, so
your EQ capabilities will be greatly limited.
You can then place a third mic in front of the kick in order to isolate
its sound. This is, perhaps, the
simplest miking technique, but will work in a variety of situations, especially
when there aren't a lot of mics or tracks to use.
Another technique is to use four mics. Start with the three mic approach, then add
another where needed. If you want the
symbols to stand out, try placing the fourth mic in front of them. If you want a more targeted snare sound, use
two mics on either side of the kit to mic the toms, one to mic the kick, and
the fourth to mic the snare. Place it a
couple of inches above the snare for a more pronounced sound.
You can continue to increase the number of mics you use as
desired. When possible, it is advisable
to mic all of the drums so you will be able to EQ each one on a separate
channel. Even so, you can add one or two
overhead mics as necessary. If you use
two, you can place them in an XY pattern, which will help to enhance pick-up
from all directions. This is usually
accomplished by placing two small diaphragm mics at a 90 degree angle one on
top of the other. This is a commonly
used technique and works well in many situations. Place one mic over the snare drum, and
another one under it to get a boomier, more rounded sound.
There are many different ways to mic a drum kit, no matter
how big or small it is. Before you
begin, know what sound you want, and work from there. Once you have established this, you will have
a better idea how best to achieve it.
Use all available resources, but don’t be bogged down by
restrictions. Remember, there is always
more than one way to reach the end result, and a lot to learn along the way.
