Mixing and Gaining Drums

Doing a Drum Soundcheck:

. Make sure none of the lines are clipping

. Check that there is no mechanical sound

. Check each drum on the console; Starting with the kick and snare all the way to the floor tom on the other end

Mixing Drums: 

. Mix drums so that they are all blended and cohesive

. Raise level of kick until it is 10dB

. Raise level of snare until it is 10dB

. Raise level of toms until they are about the same as the kick and snare

. Raise levels of cymbals until they are distinct from the rest of the kit

. Raise room mic to the the point where you can just hear it in the mix

Check Drum Phase:

. Make sure drum kit is in phase to avoid noise cancellations 

. Kick should focus on low end

. Snare drum should focus on bottom end

. Tom should focus on low end

. Overhead should focus on bottom end

Panning Drums: 

. Kick drum should be center

. Audience perspective is most common in music

. Snare top and bottom panned 45 degrees to right

. Hi hat panned 90 degrees to right

. Rack tom panned 45 degrees to right

. Floor tom panned 45 degrees left

. Left hi hat panned 45 degrees right

. Right hi hat panned 45 degrees left

. Right overhead panned hard left 

. Left overhead panned hard right

. Simply flip this if you would rather use drummer perspective