***The Official Home Recording Studio Thread***

[SexyGreyFox]

Stuff .....

There are lots of variables such as the snare drum, the mixing desk & definitely who is playing it.
What you're doing is correct so don't worry where the trim ends up and a little bit of clipping shouldn't hurt.
Messing with the tone will effect the clipping, turn the bass up and watch it go mental.
I can't help you with the sound, that is down to your ears but I would put all the pots to 0 and then hit the snare & experiment.

This is a picture of the mixer settings for live use but I'd be 100% confident that I would get an excellent sound if they were going into a recorder.
This is also a Behringer desk.

 

[Merlin5]

Alright, today I've been annoying my neighbours with hitting drums for mic testing. Here's what I've got so far, just snare and kick. All I've done is used the PAD switch on the Q8 to reduce 20dB and messed around with the EQ on my mixer. No compression or anything.




Mixer settings. Bass drum is 2nd channel.




My kitchen is the only room I can use, is untreated and has quite harsh acoustics. Ideally I need to put soft furnishings in it to deaden it more.

How does it sound to you? I notice youtube compression has unfortunately take some of the brightness out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmOWGOpLtF0

0 to 0:32 Kick mic but Snare mic off.
Then Snare mic but Kick mic off.

0:33 to 0: 53 Just Zoom Built in XY mics.

0:55 to 1:14 Kick, Snare & Zoom XY mics together.

1:16 to 2:01 with a drumless backing track.

On the plus side, I'm quite happy with how the snare is recording. On the downside, the bass drum sounds utter pants. Got a 57 in there and not sure how to get it to sound better. It's got no guts to it. I've tried positioning it a few times, even sitting just outside the front head.

 

[Merlin5]

There are lots of variables such as the snare drum, the mixing desk & definitely who is playing it.
What you're doing is correct so don't worry where the trim ends up and a little bit of clipping shouldn't hurt.
Messing with the tone will effect the clipping, turn the bass up and watch it go mental.
I can't help you with the sound, that is down to your ears but I would put all the pots to 0 and then hit the snare & experiment.

This is a picture of the mixer settings for live use but I'd be 100% confident that I would get an excellent sound if they were going into a recorder.
This is also a Behringer desk.

Thanks, I shall take a closer look at those settings.

 

[easyrider]

Alright, today I've been annoying my neighbours with hitting drums for mic testing. Here's what I've got so far, just snare and kick. All I've done is used the PAD switch on the Q8 to reduce 20dB and messed around with the EQ on my mixer. No compression or anything.




Mixer settings. Bass drum is 2nd channel.




My kitchen is the only room I can use, is untreated and has quite harsh acoustics. Ideally I need to put soft furnishings in it to deaden it more.

How does it sound to you? I notice youtube compression has unfortunately take some of the brightness out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmOWGOpLtF0

0 to 0:32 Kick mic but Snare mic off.
Then Snare mic but Kick mic off.

0:33 to 0: 53 Just Zoom Built in XY mics.

0:55 to 1:14 Kick, Snare & Zoom XY mics together.

1:16 to 2:01 with a drumless backing track.

On the plus side, I'm quite happy with how the snare is recording. On the downside, the bass drum sounds utter pants. Got a 57 in there and not sure how to get it to sound better. It's got no guts to it. I've tried positioning it a few times, even sitting just outside the front head.

What mic is on that snare? My SM57's dont look like that?

 

[Merlin5]

What mic is on that snare? My SM57's dont look like that?

Yes, I should have mentioned that. It's a Unidyne 3. I swapped them around. 57 was on the snare drum and now in the bass drum. Unidyne 3 was in the bass drum and now on the snare drum. I did it to see if it would help the bass drum but no change. I think the Unidyne 3 sounds a bit more focused on the snare though.

Having watched some videos I think I understand why the bass drum sounds flat. I think it's recording as it should but
I need to add lower frequencies to bring out the low end and give it weight. Not sure how I can do that though. My mixer is very limited with only basic 3 EQ knobs and I'm not using software. Obviously a proper kick mic like a D112 would help but probably not enough to give me that low end. I guess I could try turning on the compression, might help?
I'll also try the microphone in front of the reso head.

 

[easyrider]

Yes, I should have mentioned that. It's a Unidyne 3. I swapped them around. 57 was on the snare drum and now in the bass drum. Unidyne 3 was in the bass drum and now on the snare drum. I did it to see if it would help the bass drum but no change. I think the Unidyne 3 sounds a bit more focused on the snare though.

Having watched some videos I think I understand why the bass drum sounds flat. I think it's recording as it should but
I need to add lower frequencies to bring out the low end and give it weight. Not sure how I can do that though. My mixer is very limited with only basic 3 EQ knobs and I'm not using software. Obviously a proper kick mic like a D112 would help but probably not enough to give me that low end. I guess I could try turning on the compression, might help?
I'll also try the microphone in front of the reso head.

Why don't you get a PC and record into MIXBUS and move on with your life

http://harrisonconsoles.lpages.co/specials/

 

[Merlin5]

I know, I know, and you're right. Yeah, I'll be getting a PC again soon. But I'm nearly there with this little setup so meanwhile I'll see how far I get.

 

[easyrider]

I know, I know, and you're right. Yeah, I'll be getting a PC again soon. But I'm nearly there with this little setup so meanwhile I'll see how far I get.

Its all fun and games and if you are enjoying it then all is good

I'm very impatient. And have fallen under the ugly spell of the paradox of choice. Too many plugins , faff, and bloat

Mixbus not only sounds better than any other DAW I have used. Its simple to use and yet hugely powerful it takes the distraction of choice away and makes it very easy to get things sounding great very quickly.

It has changed my life.

 

[Merlin5]

See the thing is, I lent my laptop to a friend and won't get it back for a few more weeks. :/

I've got software on there like Cubase, Mixcraft and Pinnacle Studio which I used to use for my electric drums. So once I get it back, I can record acoustic drums properly with all the tools to EQ and sync video.

That's the reason I've been trying this different way. It's a temporary thing but of course it's nowhere near as good. But yeah, I'm actually enjoying it and I'll get a decent result I think. I tend to get rather obsessive with things like this, especially drums, so apologies for driving you all mad with different questions.

To be honest my biggest issue isn't so much getting a good recording, but actually being ABLE to record! I was going to sell my flat and buy a house but that's been scuppered for now. So I have a neighbour in the flat upstairs on maternity leave for months and it's really preventing me from spending much time at the drums. She's not complained yet but I'm expecting it!

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Obviously a proper kick mic like a D112 would help but probably not enough to give me that low end.

That is what the D112 is for, put a proper bass drum mic on and hear it transform.

 

[Merlin5]

That is what the D112 is for, put a proper bass drum mic on and hear it transform.

You're right, SGF. I used to own the D12, the vintage rectangular one. It was working fine apart from something inside that I could feel was a bit loose, sort of moving around a bit if I lightly shook it. So the bandleader of a band I was in decided to try and fix it. I was very annoyed because not only could be not fix it, he stopped it working altogether! I wish we'd left it as it was.

So then a couple of year ago, some studio bloke on gearslutz said he'd try and fix it. £50 if he could, nothing if he couldn't. I sent it to him, he couldn't fix it, there was some very fine wiring that needed repairing. I said he could keep it for scrap parts for which he was grateful. I suspect that was a dumb thing for me to do because I recently found out those mics go for quite a lot of money. Even broken, I might have fetched £100.

But anyway, I've got a much better sound today. The bass drum sounds way better, I'll post a soundbite later. I put the mic outside the front head, gives a lot more bottom end.

 

[Merlin5]

Here's today's tests. I think kick is punchier, snare is not so loud and aggressive. What do you think guys?
Close mics only, then plus Zoom mics, then with track.
At the very end, I tested with the compression switch. I think I'm going to have to leave out compression because it's creating weird swishing sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7_lcphVpo

This is my expensive deluxe mic stand

 

[easyrider]

Here's today's tests. I think kick is punchier, snare is not so loud and aggressive. What do you think guys?
Close mics only, then plus Zoom mics, then with track.
At the very end, I tested with the compression switch. I think I'm going to have to leave out compression because it's creating weird swishing sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7_lcphVpo

This is my expensive deluxe mic stand

Love your Mic stand

With backing track the bass drum sounds lost and mushy....

I know it sounds crazy but try that mic on the batter on the bass and stick another mic at the front if you have one....The batter mic for the attack and the the front bass mic for the thud...

 

[Merlin5]

Love your Mic stand

With backing track the bass drum sounds lost and mushy....

I know it sounds crazy but try that mic on the batter on the bass and stick another mic at the front if you have one....The batter mic for the attack and the the front bass mic for the thud...

Heh, yeah, well I only buy the best stands you know
Actually, I've got a proper short kick mic stand, damned if I can find it though.

Yes, totally agree. I think the low end has improved but still not cutting through enough. I added a bit of mid but not too much as I didn't want it to sound boxy. It helped with definition a little bit but not enough.

I really like your suggestion. The problem is I don't have a spare XLR input, only have two which are in use. I've got a spare mixer with one XLR that I could connect to this mixer, but it's missing the power supply.

I do however have a spare channel on this mixer with a balanced/unbalanced 1/4" jack inputs. And I only have the flat plate PZM. Would it be worth me trying that, and placing the PZM inside the bass drum right near the batter and keeping the other mic at the front? Or, as you suggested, put the other mic by the batter, and place the PZM on my deluxe mic stand? Well anyway, I'll give it a go tomorrow.

Dammit, PZM has an XLR connector. I'll see if I can find another mic.

 

[ShortWarning]

Here's today's tests. I think kick is punchier, snare is not so loud and aggressive. What do you think guys?
Close mics only, then plus Zoom mics, then with track.
At the very end, I tested with the compression switch. I think I'm going to have to leave out compression because it's creating weird swishing sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7_lcphVpo

This is my expensive deluxe mic stand

PIC

Interesting setup. The snare sounds really nice.

I'm looking to do something similar for fun (I have the advantage of having a DAW), I've only got 2 inputs.

I was thinking of placing the Slate VMS above the kick shell maybe pointing towards the snare and using my sm7 on the kick (sm57 is the only other mic I have).

 

[easyrider]

Interesting setup. The snare sounds really nice.

I'm looking to do something similar for fun (I have the advantage of having a DAW), I've only got 2 inputs.

I was thinking of placing the Slate VMS above the kick shell maybe pointing towards the snare and using my sm7 on the kick (sm57 is the only other mic I have).

Two inputs two mics try Glyn Johns

 

[ShortWarning]

Two inputs two mics try Glyn Johns

That's 4 mics!

 

[easyrider]

That's 4 mics!

Nope,

Glynn johns does a stereo pair technique aswell

But technically it's 3 mics

 

[SexyGreyFox]

If they are still for sale separately I can recommend the Samson Q-Kick.
One of my local shops let me borrow one and the following day I went in with the £45 I was that impressed.
I was then able to compare it to a D112 and couldn't hear much difference.

 

[ShortWarning]

Nope,

Glynn johns does a stereo pair technique aswell

But technically it's 3 mics

I just watched the above vid. 2 overheads, snare mic, kick mic.

I'll check out his other vids though, I'm assuming it's in there somewhere.

I think I'll need a mic on the kick anyway, my cymbals are loud and I smash them, the kick will get lost.