RECORDING January 2023 - 43

Toms
Toms are most often miked with a mic on the top head. Be careful positioning the
mic on the floor tom-this drum sometimes sits under the ride cymbal, and that mic
can occasionally pick up some unwanted low-frequency sound from that cymbal, so
be sure to check for this issue.
Typically, close mics have a dead, dry, overly thick sound, but when blended with the
overheads-which add air and room tone-the result is a drum sound that's both fat and
punchy, and open and airy, and you can decide which way to tip the scale.
Close Mic Choices
While condenser mics are usually employed for the
overheads and close-miked hi-hats and cymbals, close
mics on the kick, snare and tom are usually dynamic
mics. This is due to their sturdiness and ability to handle
extreme volume levels without distortion or breakup.
Of course, some engineers prefer condensers as
close mics (especially on snare), and many even like
to experiment with ribbon mics for their warm, smooth
sound. Just be careful of blasts of air from the cymbals
and the kick drum. Ribbon mics also make an excellent
choice as a room mic in mono or stereo a few feet in
front of the whole kit-another great sound with which
to experiment.
Drum mics used to be limited to classic options like
the Shure SM57 for snare, AKG D112 or Electro-Voice
RE20 for kick, Sennheiser MD-421 for toms, and for
overheads the Neumann U 87, AKG C414 large
diaphragm condensers or Neumann KM84 small
diaphragm condensers. Today, in addition to the above
companies, you will find myriad drum miking choices
from Audix, sE Electronics, LEWITT, TELEFUNKEN
Elektroakustik, Heil Sound and more, each offering
drum-focused options, often in pre-configured kit form.
A Final Word on Phase
The use of multiple mics in close proximity has the potential to introduce phase
issues. When more than one mic picks up the same drum from different distances-inevitable
in a close-miking setup-the combined waves can partially cancel, causing a
thin or compromised tone.
A small amount of phasing can contribute a beneficial sense of air and depth. Still,
bringing individual mics in and out of the mix and flipping their phase is an excellent
idea to see if a particular mic adds anything objectionable to the overall drum sound.
Wrap Up
Like any 101 course, we have just scratched the surface of the art of drum recording.
Hopefully, this column has provided a decent grounding in the basics of capturing the
elusive beast we call the acoustic drum kit.
Joe Albano is a musician/engineer/producer/educator in NYC.
Contact him at joealbano@recordingmag.com.
RECORDING January 2023 43
http://adkmic.com

RECORDING January 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of RECORDING January 2023

Fade In
Fast Forward
Roland SPD-SX PRO Sampling Pad
Session Log with Marc Urselli: Trasfrontera Japan, taiko drums, Kaoru Watanabe and Anna Sato
Soundware Showcase: Toontrack Hitmaker SDX
PreSonus Studio One Version 6
Hugh Padgham: Behind the Gates of the Hitmaker
LEWITT BEATKIT PRO
Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Abbey Road Orchestra: Low Percussion
Studio 101 with Joe Albano: An Intro to Drum Recording
sE Electronics T2
Solid State Logic SSL CONNEX
API 3122V
Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Steve Gadd
Plugin Outlet: Strymon BigSky Plugin
Panda Audio Future Impact v3
EFNOTE 3X & EFNOTE 7
Readers’ Tracks
Fade Out: New (Year’s) Studio Resolutions
RECORDING January 2023 - Intro
RECORDING January 2023 - Cover1
RECORDING January 2023 - Cover2
RECORDING January 2023 - 1
RECORDING January 2023 - 2
RECORDING January 2023 - 3
RECORDING January 2023 - Fade In
RECORDING January 2023 - 5
RECORDING January 2023 - 6
RECORDING January 2023 - 7
RECORDING January 2023 - Fast Forward
RECORDING January 2023 - 9
RECORDING January 2023 - Roland SPD-SX PRO Sampling Pad
RECORDING January 2023 - 11
RECORDING January 2023 - 12
RECORDING January 2023 - 13
RECORDING January 2023 - Session Log with Marc Urselli: Trasfrontera Japan, taiko drums, Kaoru Watanabe and Anna Sato
RECORDING January 2023 - 15
RECORDING January 2023 - 16
RECORDING January 2023 - 17
RECORDING January 2023 - 18
RECORDING January 2023 - 19
RECORDING January 2023 - Soundware Showcase: Toontrack Hitmaker SDX
RECORDING January 2023 - 21
RECORDING January 2023 - 22
RECORDING January 2023 - 23
RECORDING January 2023 - PreSonus Studio One Version 6
RECORDING January 2023 - 25
RECORDING January 2023 - 26
RECORDING January 2023 - 27
RECORDING January 2023 - Hugh Padgham: Behind the Gates of the Hitmaker
RECORDING January 2023 - 29
RECORDING January 2023 - 30
RECORDING January 2023 - 31
RECORDING January 2023 - 32
RECORDING January 2023 - 33
RECORDING January 2023 - LEWITT BEATKIT PRO
RECORDING January 2023 - 35
RECORDING January 2023 - 36
RECORDING January 2023 - 37
RECORDING January 2023 - Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Abbey Road Orchestra: Low Percussion
RECORDING January 2023 - 39
RECORDING January 2023 - Studio 101 with Joe Albano: An Intro to Drum Recording
RECORDING January 2023 - 41
RECORDING January 2023 - 42
RECORDING January 2023 - 43
RECORDING January 2023 - sE Electronics T2
RECORDING January 2023 - 45
RECORDING January 2023 - Solid State Logic SSL CONNEX
RECORDING January 2023 - 47
RECORDING January 2023 - API 3122V
RECORDING January 2023 - 49
RECORDING January 2023 - Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Steve Gadd
RECORDING January 2023 - 51
RECORDING January 2023 - 52
RECORDING January 2023 - 53
RECORDING January 2023 - 54
RECORDING January 2023 - 55
RECORDING January 2023 - Plugin Outlet: Strymon BigSky Plugin
RECORDING January 2023 - 57
RECORDING January 2023 - Panda Audio Future Impact v3
RECORDING January 2023 - 59
RECORDING January 2023 - EFNOTE 3X & EFNOTE 7
RECORDING January 2023 - 61
RECORDING January 2023 - 62
RECORDING January 2023 - 63
RECORDING January 2023 - Readers’ Tracks
RECORDING January 2023 - 65
RECORDING January 2023 - 66
RECORDING January 2023 - 67
RECORDING January 2023 - 68
RECORDING January 2023 - 69
RECORDING January 2023 - 70
RECORDING January 2023 - 71
RECORDING January 2023 - Fade Out: New (Year’s) Studio Resolutions
RECORDING January 2023 - Cover3
RECORDING January 2023 - Cover4
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