Recording Acoustic Drums

General Drum Recording Notes

Before you commence any recording, you need to configure your kit accordingly. Firstly, I would check the sound absorbing/reflecting qualities in room. This effects the drum sound and how the drums will sound recorded. Take a 12" tom and hit is a few times in various parts of the room and try to determine if it sounds bright/dark and/or boomy/smuthered. Once I have found a location where to my ears my tom sounds bright and boomy (unless I want a dark and smuthered sound), I set my kit up in that location.

Just before setting up my kit, I need to decide on what drum set configuration I will be using. 99% of the time I would start with a 'standard' 5 piece setup (kick, snare, 3 toms) as a guide and work from there. Other considerations before I setup include:

• Decide whether to add an extra tom or two (add a 16"), remove a tom to make it a 4-piece kit (the 12" for me) or even swap the tom sizes (have a 16" instead of the 14")
• Does the song require double kick work? If so, will I use two drums or a double pedal?
• What kick drum front head settings? (no head, a head with a hole or a full head).
• What size and type of snare to use? Fortunately for me, I only have a 14"x5" brass snare and a 14"x5" wood snare, so this decision is not so difficult.
• How many cymbals and hi-hats will I be needing? Is one crash enough? Do I need splashes and/or chinas? Double hi-hats?
• What type of sticks should I use? (or maybe brushes)
• What type of beater will I use on the kick pedal? (rubber, felt or wood).

Now, after the kit is setup, it is time to tune the drums as close as possible acoustically to the actual sound I want recorded, applying any muffling if required. After the drums are tuned (the best I can do), I now need to eliminate any excess noise from the kit such as squeaks and rattles.

If there is a spare mixer input and mic available, try to use it as an ambient mic placed at a 'sweet spot' in the room, and a certain distance from your drums. This will add 'liveness' and an ambient character to your drum sound.

Now, if you are lucky to be working with a studio engineer, let them do their job and help you get a great sound. If you find your sound is not to your liking, simply tell them what you want. Occassionaly, you might find a engineer who has very set ways in how they want drums to sound. Just kindly remind them that you are paying for this studio time and as the customer, you want the drums to sound how you want them. Communication is key!

Oh, and try to stay cool and play for the song, using your normal manner and style.

My Preferred Recording Settings For The Snare Drum

• place mic 1-2" above the rim and facing the head at 45 deg
• more 'beef' - mic closer to the head
• less 'beef' (thin) - mic more away from the head
• My preferred EQ settings: increase 8-12 kHz to keep it crisp, reduce 2-3 kHz to keep drum from sounding boxy (unless you want that sound) and roll off extreme low end (below 50Hz) to avoid a muddy sound

My Preferred Recording Settings For The Kick Drum

• place mic 2-3" inside the front head, aimed at beater contact spot
• more 'attack' - mic closer to the beater contact spot
• less 'attack' (airy) mic more away from the beater contact spot
• My preferred EQ settings: increase 6-8 kHz to increase stroke definitionand reduce 1-2 kHz to add punch to the sound

My Preferred Recording Settings For The Tom Toms

• place mic 1-2" above the rim and facing the head
• My preferred EQ settings: increase 6-8 kHz to maintain stick attack, increase around 120Hz to add sustain and a beefy sound and reduce 2-3kHz slightly if the toms sound boxy

My Preferred Recording Settings For The Cymbals and Hi-Hats

• "overhead" condenser mic's are best
• if one mic, place it several feet above the kit pointing straight down
• if two mic's, place one mic at around 60 deg. and the other at around 120 deg., arranged so they are nearly touching, with their signals panned hard left and right in the mix for stereo imaging
• if a separate mic is used for the hi-hat(s)/ride, place the mic so it is facing down at an angle, about 6-12" from the top of the cymbal
• My preferred EQ settings: increase 16-18kHz slightly to keep it crisp andincrease 1-2kHz slightly to promote 'bell' sounds

My Preferred Mixer Settings For Drum Tracks

• set all mixer controls to the lowest position ie. 'zeroing' the board
• bring in kick drum, panned centre, adjust EQ
• bring in snare, panned centre, adjust EQ and EFX
• bring in toms, panned left (high) to right (low), adjust EQ and EFX
• bring in cymbals, not as prominent in the mix as the rest of the kit
• bring in ambient mic if used, gradually until the mix is just right

My Preferred Reverb Settings For Drum Tracks

• choose an appropriate reverb 'room' for the track ie. hall, stage, room, plate etc.
• slower tracks can use more reverb than faster tracks
• sparse arrangements can also use more reverb than busy ones

My Preferred Compression Settings For Drum Tracks

• don't use on whole kit unless a squashed sound effect is required and if your compressor allows, set cutoff frequency ranges as appropriate
• you can use a moderate amount on the kick to tighten the track and give it punch -- as a start point, use the 4:1 setting and then set the threshold so that most of the loud hits fall between the 4db and 6dB range