Oh dear; another record on the radio with an awful, sterile drum sound! There’s no expression; the “feel” has been sucked out by over-editing. Where are the dynamics? Where are the rich tones which change with the playing? It’s not even close to a real drummer giving a great performance, but what’s this? There’s actually a human drummer on the track? I guess his performance was destroyed with Sound Replacer and Beat Detective. Why is this scenario so common today? Why is it deemed necessary to make the software re-do the drum parts? Is it that people have forgotten how to record drums?
Well, there’s no hard and fast rule for getting great drum sounds and there are a hundred different techniques. These days far too many people are prepared to use software “cheats” or just stick to programmed drums. Why? There’s no reason that drums can’t be recorded well. It’s just that recordists today are either too lazy or unaware of how to do it (and maybe unwilling to learn). This being said, I’m not giving away every secret I’ve learned over the past quarter-century; instead, I want to point you in the right direction and get you thinking.
The first thing is that less is definitely more. Some of the best drum tracks ever created had two, three or four mics on the whole kit. Instead of treating the kit as separate instruments, try thinking of it as one instrument and miking it accordingly. Some of today’s so-called engineers might argue that they want “control” when it comes to mixing, but this is an excuse for not having learned to record it properly and capture the drummer’s performance. After all, a good drummer mixes themselves. Everything they do is in context at the correct volume. Why would you tear that apart and then attempt to rebuild it from the pieces?
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| telefunken drum overhead mics |
Choice of microphone is crucial. There are some microphones that seem to love drumkits and make them sound awesome. Here are a few favourite mics and techniques; some of my own, and some from other recordists.
KICK: The AKG D112 (the “egg”) is a good choice but I find the sound too pretty. The Sennheiser MD421 gives a good percussive whack whilst the lesser-known Peavey 520i sits between the two. The Shure Beta91 produces great results on bigger drums. There are many other choices; the Neumann U47 is well known as a kick mic along with the Electrovoice RE20 and the awesome Audix D6. Even the Calrec CM1050C small condenser gives an excellent sound. Then there’s the Electrovoice ND868. DON’T be tempted to put the mic too close to the head or it’ll just sound flaccid and lack impact. In the hole of the resonant head is a good bet because the air turbulence around the mic will give you better tone.
SNARE: Most people will thrust a Shure SM57 at the snare drum and it’s a good choice. However, a better choice is the less well-known Josephson e22s. Also good are the Beyer M201, AKG C414 and the Sennheiser MD421 and MD441. For a bright sound which cuts through a mix, an old AKG D190E might give it up. Try angling your mic onto the head at about 45 degrees, two inches from the skin and pointing at the center of the bottom head. Don’t bother miking from underneath as well unless it’s particularly dead. If you do, remember to flip the phase of the bottom mic.
OVERHEADS: Vintage large-cap condensers have the lion’s share on this one, but good luck with (a) finding them and (b) affording them! Other good (and cheaper) choices are AKG C414s, Neumann KM84s and 184s, and even the little Rode NT5s work well. When I’ve been stuck for mics, I’ve used whatever’s available and I’ve discovered that AKG C1000s are surprisingly good (considering that they sound like poo on almost everything else). If you can afford, steal or borrow a pair of Royer ribbon mics or Earthworks condensers, your ears will love you. But here’s a thought; there’s no cardinal rule that your overheads have to be the same. Why not try mixing and matching mics to favour the sweet spots on the kit?
HATS: Small to medium capsule condensers are good on hats. So, AKG C451s, Rode NT5s and Neumann KM84s and 184s will give you fine results. For a thicker rock sound, the Shure SM57 will work well. Try to point the mic away from the rest of the kit, but keeping it close to the bell to get some of that metallic “ting”. I find that the Josephson C42 works really well for this and is so directional that it has almost no spill from the rest of the kit.
TOMS: Audio Technica ATM25s and 35s are known to be great on toms, despite their tiny size. Also good are Sennheiser MD421s, E604s and E609s, Beyer M69s and various large-capsule condensers. You may have to choose a different mic for the floor tom for it to sound right; an AKG C1000 works well (yes, that’s the only other thing I like it on). Miking the toms from the bottom as well isn’t a good idea, but if it sounds good, go for it. Don’t forget to flip the phase on the bottom mics.
But having said all this, am I not suggesting the very thing I argued against earlier? Whilst these are good choices and techniques, it would mean splitting the drum kit up and all you’re going to make that way is a bunch of problems when it comes to mixing time. So, consider that there are no hard and fast precepts which say that either you have to close-mic the drums, or that you have to mic every drum at all. Some of the best drum sessions I have done use no more than four mics each time, regardless of the number of drums in the kit. Can you think where they might be placed? I mic the kit as ONE instrument, but mindful that I’ll need more detail out of certain parts of it to produce an appropriate and commercially-acceptable sound. And, as you already know I like stereo. So where would you put the mics?
One time-honoured technique involves a kick mic and a single overhead. The overhead is placed behind and above the kit, looking down on it. Of course, this is a mono technique but it does give a nice big sound with good kick detail and no phase errors. It’s worth a try, especially if you’re pushed for time.
Another very good method is known as the “Glyn Johns Triangle” and as you might imagine involves three mics. The mics surround the kit; one in front and one at each side. You’ll need to work quite hard to position them just right and avoid phase problems but when you do you'll get a huge drum sound with great stereo.
A variation on these two techniques involves a single-point stereo mic (such as Rode NT4, Royer SF-12, AKG C34) looking down on the kit and a single mic on the kick for some detail. This is a great way to reduce phase errors but the stereo image isn’t as wide as the Glyn Johns Triangle.
For processing your mics, you’ll probably be thinking about compression and EQ. My advice? Don’t bother. Not unless you really know what you’re doing. So-called engineers these days will simply reach for an equaliser if things don’t sound right. But as all EQ is actually a form of distortion you’ll be creating problems that will manifest a bit further down the line. Instead, you should move the mic until you get a better sound. It’s surprising how much difference a change of angle or distance can make. Compression, too, can create problems because once it’s there you can’t get rid of it. And as regards noise gates; don’t even go there. If your miking is right, you will never need them. I advise you to aim for the best sound without introducing extra processes into the signal chain. You can always compress or EQ the snot out of it later - if you really want to.
The CARDINAL rule is this; if it doesn’t sound right MOVE THE MIC! Moving the mic is light-years better than sticking a compressor or EQ in the chain. If you can’t get the right sound by moving the mic, it’s the wrong mic.
Before I sign off, there are three other critical factors and these are more important than any microphone or technique. These will determine your drum sound before you even connect a microphone or bring up a fader.
The kit: It’s so important to have a good kit, with new skins and well tuned. Getting this right will be a huge factor in a good recording. Try not to resort to damping to cut down rattles - a properly tuned kit won’t produce any undesirable noises. Deep snare drums record better and you can brighten them up later if need be.
The drummer: You need to be recording a really good drummer who knows how to work his kit and get great sounds out of it. If you want the drums to sound really percussive, the only answer is to really whack them. This is another element which is foundational to great drum sounds.
The room: Finally, the third most important ingredient to your session is the room in which the drums are recorded. As a general rule, the bigger the better - and high ceilings are a must. The room doesn’t have to be dead; in fact, a live-sounding room may well help you to get a wicked sound. If you get these three components into place, you’re already well on your way to great drum sounds.
Armed with these thoughts, then, you might want to re-imagine your drum recording techniques. Forget using Drumagog and Beat Detective, and forget having to put up with an inferior drum sound. A good drum kit, played well, sounds fantastic. All you have to do is capture it. You can record drums really well if you use your brain and figure out how to do it. There’s plenty of research material available for those who are prepared to seek it out. And after all, wouldn’t you like to hear a great drum performance, well recorded? That’s what I wanted to hear, so I learned to record drums. You can too.
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