How do professionals record drums?

How do professionals record drums?

How do professionals record drums?

6 Steps for Recording Drums

  1. Tune your drum kit. Any recording engineer will tell you that the most important element to a great-sounding recording is a great-sounding instrument.
  2. Mic the kick drum.
  3. Mic the snare drum.
  4. Set up overhead microphones.
  5. Mic more individual drums (optional).
  6. Set a preamp and compression sound.

How were drums recorded in the 60s?

1) In the early 1960s, drums were recorded using only two mics: an overhead suspended around 1.5m (almost 5′) above the kit, along with a mic placed 8-10cm (around 3-4”) from the front bass drum head. A lower position for the overhead mic – around the drummer’s head height – is better for a mid-late 60s sound.

How can I make my recorded drums sound good?

10 ways to make better drum recordings

  1. Skins, sticks and beaters. It’s much easier to get volume, clarity and brightness from a new set of drumheads.
  2. Tune up.
  3. Bottom heads on toms.
  4. Front head on the kick or not?
  5. Tighten the kick drum.
  6. Playing to a click.
  7. Prepare the click for gaps.
  8. Get a crappy mic.

How many inputs do I need to record drums?

  1. Drum Microphones (Preferably 8 or More)
  2. Mic Stands and Cables.
  3. An 8 Input (or More) Audio Interface.
  4. Bonus: A Tuning Key.
  5. Bonus: A Good Room.
  6. Bonus: Acoustic Treatment.
  7. A WARNING.

How did Ringo Starr tune his drums?

It began with Ringo’s unorthodox approach to drum tuning. Up to that time, many of the early rock ‘n’ roll drummers were still aiming for the same tones produced by jazz, swing and bebop players. Ringo wanted deeper, more resonant tones. He started by tightening his top heads and loosening the bottom heads.

How do I get the best sound out of my kick drum?

Here are 7 great tips on how to make your kick drum sound better.

  1. PUSH THE MID FREQUENCIES. Contrarily to what most people think, the bass drum is not all about the low end.
  2. USE SATURATION.
  3. TRIGGERING.
  4. PARALLEL COMPRESSION.
  5. PARALLEL EQ.
  6. MAKE SPACE FOR THE LOW END.
  7. 808 KICK.

What’s the best way to record a drum set?

To maximize the “open” sound (assuming the ceiling is angled), place the drums under the tallest point for the most reverb. Just remember that every room has a character of its own, and different locations will greatly change the gestalt of the drums, particularly the kick and toms.

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.

Is it possible to record drums with only a few microphones?

It is in fact very possible to get great-sounding drum tracks with only a few choice microphones. Minimalism wasn’t an edgy alternative back in the 1960’s when the art of recording drums began to take shape—it was the norm. With the four-track recorder as the standard medium of the time, it limited engineers to very few microphones on the drums.

Which is the most complicated instrument to record?

Drum sets are the most complicated instrument to record. Instead of just one instrument, you’re miking up half a dozen! Unless you’re using a special technique, each drum in your set needs a microphone. Some of them are even miked up twice.