We're Gonna Start From Scratch: Recording

[NJSpeedbeast]

My band is scrapping everything we've done so far and buy some better equipment.

Now don't get me wrong, out quality we get is pretty great, but we want to make sure the drums are crisp in the recordings.

Now right now we are using my drummers Digital Reference Mic pack (which I hate), but using we are also using an Evolution e906 on the snare and MXL 993's for the over heads.

Would it benefit us to use...lets say an SM57 on each tom, or jump the MXL's to ride and hi-hat and use SM57's in place of where the MXL's used to be? (Crash/splash/china)

We aren't too concerned with bass drums as we trigger them and we use a sonic maximizer to get a real nice boom.

I really don't know too much about drum micing...maybe someone could just give me a direction or a little insight.


Thanks!

[TravisBarkerrules]

Ok, I first of all know nothing about the mic pack you are currently using but for starters, I know that if you are going to, use overheads, use condensers so no SM57 for overheads. SM57 are dynamic mics meaning used for close micing, they are used a lot for hi-hat mics and snare. Yes, you can use them for tom mics but coming from the drum forum I am pretty sure their are some better option for around the same price.

Micing every cymbal and all that like ride and everything could end up giving you an extremely difficult to mix drum set, therefore defeating the purpose of buying more equipment.

What is your drummers set up how many drums(toms, snares and bass drums)? How many cymbals does he have?

[NJSpeedbeast]

Lets see if I can remember it....

Hi-Hat
3 Toms
1 F Tom
1 Snare
2 Rides
2 Chinas
2 Splashs
1 China Splash
3 Crashs



I think thats everything...


Another idea he suggested is that he would just buy a tom trigger pack, then we would sample his tom sounds.

I can see some things going wrong with that, but it isn't a bad idea. Just when he does fast rolls I'm worried about it false triggering because I'm going to be using Drumagog and I won't be able to be on top of the triggered sounds until I mix it.

[poeticdrums]

If you have an sm57, use that on snare instead. It's the industry standard and you really can't go wrong. Place the e906 either inside the kick pointed towards the beater, or place it on the batter side facing towards the beater. That way you could pick up better transients from the kick and have an easier time having Drumagog triggering his hits.

I would just go ahead and use 57s on the toms as well. Granted, they wont give the smooth or deep low end an md421 would give you, but those are almost 400 dollars per microphone. I used 57s on my toms when I recorded with my metal band (which you can check out sound quality at www.myspace.com/beholdthehorizon ....the second file is a full length song)

The 993s are going to be fine for overhead microphones, just positioning will get you your sound. Spaced pair for a bigger, more open sound with better separation of left and right, xy for a tighter, drier sound. You can even experiment with an ORTF pair, or something else for variations on sound.

Just make sure you put much emphasis on your microphone placement, especially if you're just going to be trigger the samples with drumagog. Make sure you can get as much of the attack of all the drums as you can so drumagog wont be stupid and false trigger like it does with me sometimes.

[NJSpeedbeast]

Sorry, I should've been more clear.


We have an Alesis module and ddrum triggers for his bass drums already.