Recording drums
There are many ways to record drums, but here we will focus on using two TM-80 microphones for
a stereo track. The typical drum kit consists of a bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat cymbals, one or
more tom drums, and other cymbals (crash, ride, etc). It is important to capture the drums and
cymbals in balance.
Often, a pair of microphones are seen positioned above the drum kit. These situations are usually
multi-microphone recordings where all drums and cymbals have their own track. When using just
a pair of microphones, it is better to place them in front of the drum kit for a balanced sound.
As shown in the picture, place two microphones spaced
approximately 20 cm apart at the height of the bass drum. Because the snare drum is off-center,
place the pair of mics so that the bass drum and snare drum are aligned in the center of the
pattern (as pictured) for a balanced stereo sound – the bass drum and snare drum are reproduced
in the center of the stereo field.
Set the input levels and check the recording. The mics can be adjusted upward to reduce the bass
drum in the track – or moved lower to increase the response of the bass drum.
You can add two additional mics specifically for on-mic recording of the the bass and snare drums.
This technique will provide a tighter drum kit sound. In this case, place the stereo mics above the
drum kit to capture cymbal sounds and other drums as well.
Listen to a sound example for US-4x4 and TM-80
Here’s a sound sample (link to soundcloud.com)
of music created with a Tascam US-4x4 audio
interface and Tascam TM-80 microphones. The track includes acoustic guitar and vocals and has been
produced by the Japanese composer Masaku Murata.
He used three TM-80s for the acoustic guitar: two were placed in front of the guitar, one pointing at the
center and the other one pointing at the bridge. The third TM-80 was placed farther away for
ambience.
Vocals were picked up by a fourth TM-80. For mixing, Murata used Sonar Platinum with its included
plugins and ProC hannel effects. No additional plugins were used for the mix.
Design and specifications subject to change without notice.
Last modified: 2018-06-27 10:02:35 UTC
