Recording - August 2015 - 18

Start by finding a good spot for the first
overhead mic over the snare drum. This
should be a foot or two above the drummer's head, with the diaphragm of the mic
facing directly towards the center of the
snare. A good starting spot would be to
measure about three drumstick lengths from
the center of the snare. (You can also use a
tape measure, but often times XLR cables or
drumsticks are all you have on hand in the
studio!) The second overhead microphone
will be placed over the drummer's right
shoulder, focused on the center of the drum
set. I usually aim for the top of the kick drum,
in between the snare and toms.
The next important step applies to this
and to every other overhead technique
that will be covered below: check that the
microphones are in phase with each other.
Checking for phase will ensure that the
drums will sound full and tight, rather than
thin and unfocused. You can get mics close
to alignment by using a cable as a
makeshift measuring tape. Here's how.
Take one end of a mic cable and pin it
against the kick drum using the beater (or
an extra pair of hands). Next, run the
cable to the diaphragm of the first overhead microphone, and have someone
hold it there, too. Then finish by running it
to the center of the snare drum and pinning it there. This should create a triangle
with the cable, with the point touching the
diaphragm of the first overhead mic.
Next, without changing your grip on the
cable, move the point of the triangle to the
second overhead mic positioned over the
drummer's shoulder. If the point doesn't
touch the mic, move the mic until it does.
This will make the signal arrive at both
microphones at the same time, ensuring
they are in phase with each other.
Glyn Johns
Another great technique is a classic from
Glyn Johns. It is named after the British
engineer, producer and musician who has
worked with the likes of Led Zeppelin, The
Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and many
more. This is the technique that Johns used
to record John Bonham's huge drum
sounds. Here's the kicker: it only took three
or four mics to do it. Kick, maybe snare...
and two specially-placed overheads.
Start with the first overhead microphone.
It should be 3 or 4 feet above the center of
the snare. For this method, if you aren't getting good results with the mic directly over
the snare, you can point it more towards
the middle of the kit. Make sure you capture a balanced recording of the kit with
this one mic. If the cymbals are too harsh,
move the mic up a little bit more; if you
need more toms, adjust accordingly.
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RECORDING August 2015

Once you find a sweet spot, you can start setting up the second microphone. This
mic will be positioned to the right of the floor tom and will sit about 6-12 inches above
the rim. Point the diaphragm of the microphone towards the snare and hi-hat. Once
again, you can angle it more towards the center of the kit if you need to. Make sure
to use the cable trick to check the phase between the two microphones. Pan the two
microphones out and the result should be a balanced, full image of the drum set.
Spaced pair
The next overhead technique is probably the most common. A spaced pair is a flexible technique that captures a wider stereo image of the drums. Start with one mic on
each side of the kit, lined up with the front of the kick drum. Place them equally distant from the snare. With the diaphragms pointed straight down at the set, angle the
mics facing slightly in at the drummer. Rotate the angle further out to capture a larger stereo image. Try to have the mics high enough off the cymbals and not too close
to any one of them to avoid getting a harsh cymbal wash.
Decca Tree
The last overhead technique that I will cover is called the Decca Tree. Typically, this
is used in orchestral situations, with an equilateral triangle of three omnidirectional
microphones behind the conductor's head. However, the Decca Tree is applied differently for drums; it's a solid option for interfaces with only four mic preamps-this
technique only uses three mics, which leaves one space free for a bass.

2. Glyn Johns overheads (optional kick and snare mics not shown)
Start with three (preferably matched) microphones. Large-diaphragm condensers would
work well, as well as three matching ribbons such as Coles 4038 or AEA R84 mics. The
first overhead is positioned directly over the snare drum. A good starting place would be
about 3 or 4 drumsticks above the center of the snare. The next microphone is positioned
to the right and slightly behind the floor tom. This microphone is a general tom and drum
mic. It should be raised 6-12 inches above the floor tom, and pointed toward the center
of the kit. The third microphone is placed in front of the kick drum. It should be about level
with the top of the kick, and aim to capture a bit of the full set as well.
Once you have set up all three microphones, make sure they are all phase aligned.
You can slightly pan these microphones off of each other, but if you pan them too wide
it will sound unnatural; this technique is mainly used for mono drums.
Miked up!
All of these overhead techniques can be supplemented with close mics, if you have
the inputs available. Start with the kick drum. I would suggest using an AKG D112,
Sennheiser e 602, or an Audix D6. If the kick head has a hole, position the microphone
just inside and pointed towards the beater. If the head does not have a hole, position
the microphone approximately where one would be, about 2-4" away from the head.
Try putting an SM57 inside the kick, an inch or two off the beater. Roll off the low
end and just capture the attack and punch from the beater. Blend that signal with the
microphone positioned just inside the hole for the body of the sound. This can give
you more control over the punch, body and shape to the kick drum.
On the snare, you can't go wrong with an SM57 or Audix i5 dynamic mic. If you are sitting on the drum throne, the snare mic will sit around 10 or 11 o'clock, about an inch above
and past the rim. Angle the microphone down towards the center to capture more of the

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2015