Guidelines

Where should drum overheads be placed?

Where should drum overheads be placed?

Position the mics low above the cymbals to remove emphasis from the rest of the kit. Position them at a higher elevation for a more balanced sound. The farther apart you position the microphones, the wider your stereo image will become.

Do I need overhead mics for drums?

The Importance of the Overhead Mics The overheads are the unifying element in any drum sound. Don’t think of them as cymbal mics, but more as “everything” mics. If placed correctly, the overheads will capture the entire drum kit, in phase and with the same basic frequency balance and tone.

Where do you put XY overheads?

XY. Setup is pretty well as it sounds, put the mics right next to each over the kit, with one mic pointing towards one side of the kit, one pointing the other. The almost form a “V” when done right. The big advantage to this method is that the phase correlation between the two mics is great.

What is a drum overhead?

“Overheads” are the mics that usually stand on top of the drum kit. The most common setup is a pair of condensers…large diaphragm usually… 3.

How Many mics do you need for live drums?

It consists of two mics, one placed over the snare (about two drumsticks’ height above the snare head), and one over the shoulder of the drummer. The mic placement must be measured so the two are equidistant from the snare and the kick.

Can I use a condenser mic to record drums?

Condenser mics Condenser microphones are used in studio settings. Dynamic mics These have a thin diaphragm and do great at high-pitched recording sounds from the cymbal instruments. They are usually designed for toms and snare drums. They have an above-average mid-range frequency and are well-built.

What kind of mic do I need to record drums?

Beyond that, the SM57 has long been the go-to microphone for snare drums. For toms, Sennheiser 421 dynamics are extremely prevalent. And the Electro-Voice RE20, the AKG D12 and D112, and the Shure Beta 52A, all of which are dynamic mics, are common models for miking bass drums.

What drum mics are best?

The Top 10 Drum Mics of 2021

  • #1. The Audix D6 Dynamic Microphone.
  • #2. The Shure SM57-LC Cardioid Dynamic Drum Microphone.
  • #3. The Sennheiser 604 Microphone System.
  • #4. Shure Beta 52 Dynamic Drum Microphone.
  • #5. The AKG D112 Drum Microphone.
  • #6. The Audix DP5A Pack.
  • #7. The Sabian Sound Kit Drum Set.
  • #8.

How far should overheads be from snare?

They generally are around 32”/0.8m away from the drumset so that they can capture ‘the big picture’ of the kit. For most mixing, your overheads will be the core of the drum sound.

How are kick and overhead mics used in drum miking?

If you balance the levels of your overheads in a way that keeps the snare and kick centered, you will have a strong, coherent picture when you add the kick, overheads, and snare mics to the mix. This anchors the drum sound whether you use more of the close-mics or the overhead mics. The two components, near and far, are in agreement.

What to look for when mixing drum overheads?

Checking the mono fold and seeing how much of the snare and kick we lose can be pretty revealing. If a lot disappears we may want to sacrifice a bit of stereo width in order to get a tight center.

Which is the best technique for miking drums?

Aside from phase-coherency challenges, AB is a powerful technique, with a large palette of sonic colors. By lowering the array, or angling the microphones in toward the center of the kit, room sound can be minimized.

Which is the hardest part of drum overheads?

The hardest part of overheads is getting a sound that’s both wide and has a solid center. This means having a really solid phase relationship particularly in regards to the snare. Checking the mono fold and seeing how much of the snare and kick we lose can be pretty revealing.