Microphones / recording

[jensked]

A bit off topic:

My band is trying to record an album. We have a Zoom digital 8 track with CD-writer.

We have 4 good dynamic microphones. But that Zoom only has 2 inputs. So, that's a problem when we try to record the drums.

What do you recommend?

1) Buy a new kind of microphone, not a vocal mike, but one that can record the drum as a whole with 1 microphone?

2) Buy a mixer so we can combine the different microphones we already have. How much hiss and noice can a mixer generate?

 

[bigfoot1942]

Re: Microphones / recording

1) Buy a new kind of microphone, not a vocal mike, but one that can record the drum as a whole with 1 microphone?

does that excist? do you have a link for me?

 

[Overheat]

Definately, DEFINATELY a mixer. Having tons of experience i recording, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of multiple microphones. A drumkit needs at the very least 4 mics (2 overheads, bass and snare). If you really dont want to splash out on a mixer though, then at least use two overheads.

 

[bigfoot1942]

If you really dont want to splash out on a mixer though, then at least use two overheads.

i would say one overhead and one base... Base is really important in music and you will hardly get any of it using overheads.

2) How much hiss and noice can a mixer generate?

how about 'close to none'? but offcourse that depends on the quality. But i havent heard any hiss coming from a mixer. Most of the time it comes from the (bass-)guitar or other devices...

 

[jensked]

Re: Microphones / recording

does that excist? do you have a link for me?

No idea I was thinking about a condensator microphone or something like that...those they use for recording vocals. I know they are very sensitive, so I thought of placing one just two meters before the drumkit.

And about the hiss: once I used my Yamaha 4track recorder as a mixer and it generated much noice, even with no microphone connected to it.

@ overheat: thanks for the advice. At www.jinxmusic.tk we have 3 demo's recorded. The drums are done with 2 mikes.

 

[Overheat]

It's bass not base.

I suppose it depends on the style of music, but never have I not used a full stereo field for the drum kit. As long as you have good overheads, like Rode NT3s, then it should pick up the bass just fine and of course you can tweak the bass via the equaliser post recording.

 

[bigfoot1942]

It's bass not base.

I suppose it depends on the style of music, but never have I not used a full stereo field for the drum kit. As long as you have good overheads, like Rode NT3s, then it should pick up the bass just fine and of course you can tweak the bass via the equaliser post recording.

my bad, i got stuck in the base drum thingy...

and i dont know how much bass you think you can get using overheads, but since it receives hardly any of it its close to pointless using the equalizer for that, youll pick up more bass from the other toms and i dont think it would sound nice.
But indeed its important what kind of music is played. But with reggae and rock you really need to hear the basedrum.

okay this dude used 2 overheads and it sounds pretty good to me (especially for the song) but for anything heavier you need to add more bass...
http://weblogs.asp.net/cfranklin/archive/2004/02/10/70643.aspx
sample: http://www.pwop.com/grooveforrory.mp3

okay, some serious sounding dude says this:

Recording drums with a stereo pair - If you've only got a couple mics, or very few tracks to play with, try this: Place a pair of SM-57's 10 feet in front of the drumset, 3 feet high, 3-4 feet from each other pointed straight at the drum set. You can actually get a pretty good sounding recording with this method, especially if you've got a nice live room to record in. Adding some compression really gives it some balls, too.

sounds really convincing, if you only want to use 2 mics i would listen to him. Source: http://www.epinions.com/inst-review-2491-37CB0BD-397EEA3D-prod6

 

[Overheat]

yuk@SM57s - but he does make a good case.