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8.4.
Drums
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Although you often see drums being miked with lots of microphones, you can
achieve good results using a single condenser microphone . Especially for pre-
production, or demo-recordings, it is an uncomplicated way to record your ideas
or song-structures . The front-of-kit position is recommended for those scenarios;
it records all parts of the kit, but it also delivers a punchy sound coming from the
kick . If you want to upgrade your sound using another mic:
1)
Take a dynamic microphone like the DTP 340 REX and complement your
setup by miking the kick as well . Move the condenser microphone to an overhead
position . With hole in kick drum skin: A good starting position is half-way in,
pointing towards the beater, try different angles until you are satisfied.
Without hole: position it close to the skin, starting from the center, moving
outwards until you find a pleasant sound. Also vary the distance, but be aware,
the further away, the more bleed you get from other parts of the drum kit .
2)
Adding a snare mic – Try to position the snare mic in a way that it does not pick
up too much sound coming from the hi-hat . Use the rear rejection of the cardioid
pattern to achieve a clean snare recording . Start by positioning the mic above the
rim, pointing to the center of the snare drum . Try varying the angle and also the
distance . A good starting distance is around 5 cm between capsule and rim .
8.5.
Stage use
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Of course, a condenser microphone can also be used for many stage
applications, for example, cymbals, amplifiers, overheads, vocals, acoustic
instruments, and more . Although condenser microphones are high-precision tools,
they are not as fragile as their reputation may suggest . Today’s manufacturing
standards allow us to build condenser microphones that can be used in the
studio as well as on stage, so there is no need to worry – just please do not throw
it around . It is always recommended to handle tools with the appropriate care,
which helps to sustain their longevity .
