Drum Recording

Music Tech || MT CA5 - Multitrack Recording

What microphone will you need to record a kick drum?

• Microphone type: Dynamic

• Polar pattern: Cardioid

• Stand: short stand

What microphone will you need to record a snare drum (top)?

• Microphone type: Dynamic

• Polar pattern: Cardioid

• Stand: large stand

What microphone will you need to record a snare drum (bottom)?

• Microphone type: Dynamic

• Polar pattern: Cardioid

• Stand: large stand

What microphone will you need to record overhead (left)?

• Microphone type: Condensor

• Polar pattern: Cardioid

• Stand: large stand

What microphone will you need to record overhead (right)?

• Microphone type: Condensor

• Polar pattern: Cardioid

• Stand: large stand

What microphone will you need to record room ambience?

• Microphone type: Condensor or Dynamic

• Polar pattern: Omnidirectional

• Stand: short stand

Explain the kick drum microphone placement.

• Place the microphone on the kick drum.

• Placement:

  • Using the port hole to get inside the drum

  • Pointing at the beater

  • Roughly halfway inside

Explain the snare drum microphone placement.

• Place the microphones on the snare drum.

• Snare top placement:

  • Above the edge of the drum

  • Pointed towards the center

• Snare bottom placement:

  • Below the snares

  • Pointed towards the center

Explain the overhead microphone placement.

• Place the microphones overhead of the drum kit.

• The microphones should be in an XY configuration.

• You should use condenser microphones.

• You should use a cardioid polar pattern.

What is the purpose of a room microphone?

• It’s placed further away from the drum kit.

• The idea of this microphone is to capture the natural ambient reverb of the space.

• Using an omnidirectional polar pattern is useful to

  equally capture the sound of the room.

Explain the room microphone placement.

• Place the microphone further away from the drum kit in the room.

• You can use a condenser or dynamic microphone.

• You can use a cardioid or omnidirectional polar pattern.

How should a drum recording be monitored?

• The drummer needs to monitor the backing track/other instruments/click track.

• The engineer needs to be able to monitor through studio monitors (speakers) to listen back to takes or they could use headphones.

• The performer should use close-back headphones to reduce the bleed/spill into the microphone(s).

• The engineer will also need to use a talkback microphone to be able to communicate with the performer during recording.