Just a bit of fun... how many mics?

[ShergoldSnickers]

Just picking up on something 51m0n said about getting a natural drum kit sound...

"To be honest the less mics you use on a kit the better, if you want a natural sound to it. Unfortunately we tend to be conditioned to hearing ultra processed drums these days."

So.... how many have been used on this kit? This is a composite of all the drum mics, and as the track was played in one go in the same room with no separation, there is bleed from the other instruments. An extra bonus for guessing the kit make! (No cheating please).

[url="http://www.fear-of-bicycles.co.uk/audio/Drums-only-dry.mp3"]The kit recording is here[/url].

[EdwardHimself]

I reckon you have used 4 or 5. I certainly would agree that too many drum mics is overkill, to an extent, but at the same time you've got to be able to hear everything. I think ideally, I would want a snare drum top and bottom, one for each tom, 2 overheads, a kick drum mic inside and possibly a room mic if it was a particularly good sounding room. I don't tend to like hihat microphones because I find they are pretty loud as they are.

Edited April 14, 2012 by EdwardHimself

[ShergoldSnickers]

I'll let a few more guess before I comment Ed - speedy answer though.

Edited April 14, 2012 by ShergoldSnickers

[discreet]

I'd guess four... kick, snare and a couple of overheads. No Earthly idea what the kit brand is, though! Tama?

[Guest MoJo]

At most, I'd say two. One on the hat/snare and a room mic. I wouldn't be surprised if it were just one though

[butlerk02]

At a guess i'd say 3. One kick and two overheads panned L/R.

[ShergoldSnickers]

OK... the answer. Technically 4, but in terms of separate microphone bodies, it's 3. The breakdown:

Kick drum - AKG D112
Overhead - Rode NT4 stereo mic
Snare and hi-hat - CAD m179 set to figure of eight with one lobe looking at the hi-hat and one lobe looking at the snare.

The NT4 was positioned centrally as far as the kit was concerned, about 2 feet above the drummers head and a foot of so in front of his forehead position. The CAD just adds a little crispness to the hi-hat and snare.

The CAD m179, a large diaphragm condenser. Bass roll-off switch, -20dB pad and selectable patterns



The Rode NT4 - a purpose built stereo mic preset up as a co-incident pair of small diaphragm condenser capsules. Each capsule is identical to that found in the Rode NT5.

Edited April 20, 2012 by ShergoldSnickers

[EdwardHimself]

I thought you definitely had one set up on the snare and kick, I thought initially you may have just had one overhead mic until I heard the separation of the cymbals and I realised that actually you had 2 overheads or in this case one stereo overhead mic.

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1334505142' post='1616933']
I thought you definitely had one set up on the snare and kick, I thought initially you may have just had one overhead mic until I heard the separation of the cymbals and I realised that actually you had 2 overheads or in this case one stereo overhead mic.
[/quote]

For a quick and easy set-up the Rode makes life a bit easier. One stand to get in position and set up, and bang... the stereo image is there, lifelike and without giving a kit that sounds too wide in the stereo field.

On balance though, I reckon Discreet got nearest. Yamaha 9000 kit by the way, with an interesting array of cymbals and with a second snare without the snare attached.

[discreet]

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' timestamp='1334507128' post='1616973']
On balance though, I reckon Discreet got nearest.
[/quote]

Thank you very much, I'm available for weddings and funerals...

[rOB]

I couldn't have even hazarded a guess but I really like the sound and the playing. Any chance of hearing the full track?

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' timestamp='1334507128' post='1616973']
For a quick and easy set-up the Rode makes life a bit easier. One stand to get in position and set up, and bang... the stereo image is there, lifelike and without giving a kit that sounds too wide in the stereo field.

On balance though, I reckon Discreet got nearest. Yamaha 9000 kit by the way, with an interesting array of cymbals and with a second snare without the snare attached.
[/quote]

I agree, my answer was a bit vague. Yamaha do make some pretty good drums. I don't think I am the sort who could judge what kit a person had just from listening to it. There are so many variables as regards head choice, tuning etc. Cool mic by the way. I need some overheads and have been tempted by the idea of a stereo mic, although I probably couldn't afford one of those lol.

Edited April 15, 2012 by EdwardHimself

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='rOB' timestamp='1334508031' post='1616990']
I couldn't have even hazarded a guess but I really like the sound and the playing. Any chance of hearing the full track?
[/quote]

Are you stark staring bon........ [url="http://www.fear-of-bicycles.co.uk/BC/mp3s/Phosphoribosylformylglycinamide-flavour.mp3"]oh go on then[/url]. Track title - 'Phosphoribosylformylglycinamide flavour' No idea why. Final mix yet too be done.

The backbone was done in one go as an improvisation, we then cut some bits out, joining up the remainder adding odd keyboard noises. Drums, bass, guitar and piano keyboards are all the original take.

[rOB]

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' timestamp='1334509934' post='1617030']
Are you stark staring bon........ [url="http://www.fear-of-bicycles.co.uk/BC/mp3s/Phosphoribosylformylglycinamide-flavour.mp3"]oh go on then[/url]. Track title - 'Phosphoribosylformylglycinamide flavour' No idea why. Final mix yet too be done.

The backbone was done in one go as an improvisation, we then cut some bits out, joining up the remainder adding odd keyboard noises. Drums, bass, guitar and piano keyboards are all the original take.
[/quote]

Thanks, I like it.

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='rOB' timestamp='1334514380' post='1617100']
Thanks, I like it.
[/quote]

You have become the one person that justifies our existence.

Thanks rOB for taking the time to listen. Much appreciated.

[paul_5]

I'm an advocate of 'less is more' when it comes to miking up a kit. If the drummer's [i]really[/i] fussy and starts to threaten physical violence then I'll use four.

Great track by the way, the world needs more octaved fretless basslines.

Edited April 15, 2012 by paul_5

[LiamPodmore]

A lot can be done with a minimal amount of mics. This guy only uses 4 (Audix D6 on the Kick, Audio Technica AT4040 overheads and an AE3000 on the snare) and i think he has some of the best sounding drum covers on youtube. His cymbals aren't always the best, but that snare sound is just perfect if you ask me. You can get a good sound with a lot more (for instance i quite like Cobus' sound, especially when he was using the Samson 8 kit, i think it's a little bit to processed now he's using anything between 14 and about 20 mics), but i like the open-ness of using a minimal amount.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSb3sKr-XZY&feature=autoplay&list=UL9MXPKPbsMPs&playnext=1[/media]

Liam

Edited April 19, 2012 by LiamPodmore

[discreet]

Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records uses ONE mic, thus:



Obviously in this case placement is fairly critical!

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1334529018' post='1617378']
I'm an advocate of 'less is more' when it comes to miking up a kit. If the drummer's [i]really[/i] fussy and starts to threaten physical violence then I'll use four.

Great track by the way, the world needs more octaved fretless basslines.
[/quote]

Thankyou paul_5 . There should be a full album's worth of fresh material before too long.

[lowdown]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1334829994' post='1621883']
Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records uses ONE mic, thus:



Obviously in this case placement is fairly critical!
[/quote]

And the test tube with blood in it helps as well.


Garry

[discreet]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1334859406' post='1622565']
And the test tube with blood in it helps as well.
[/quote]

Don't be silly... it's ketchup.

[lowdown]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1334859614' post='1622569']
Don't be silly... it's ketchup.
[/quote]

Of course how silly of me, that's what Drummers do - Play ketchup.


Garry

[Oopsdabassist]

Holy smokes that is one weird but wonderful track!!

I sometimes wish I was in a band that did original stuff

[discreet]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1334859995' post='1622584']
Of course how silly of me, that's what Drummers do - Play ketchup.
[/quote]

Boom, tish!

[51m0n]

Bum, totally missed this

Reminds me a bit of George Massenburgs use of fig 8 mics for snare/hats:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZOVZQgXl9k