9
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 large-diaphragm 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
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 highprecision 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 appropriate care . It helps to sustain
their longevity .
