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The importance of great drums.
Drum tones can make or break a recording. Big, fat drum sounds remind us of the best drummers, like Bonham and Moon, and can define a whole recording often in spite of other shortcomings. Conversely, thin wimpy drums add nothing, and usually even detract from an otherwise well-recorded song.
An acoustic drum set is one of the hardest instruments to record well. The tones from the kit depend on the player, the drum shells, the drum skins, and the room in which the kit is recorded. And this says nothing of the importance of choosing the right recording hardware.
Below are some tips and techniques for achieving a better drum sound so you can take your recordings to the next level.
The most important elements of a great drum sound
Every great drum recording shares some common elements. The more of these you can work into your recording, the better it will sound.
- The drummer: The most important element in any recording chain is the musician. Simply put, it's impossible to make a bad drummer sound good.
- The drum kit: Almost as important as the drummer behind the kit is the kit itself. Well-made drums produce full, punchy sounds regardless of who's playing them.
- The microphones: With a good player on good equipment, the next most important element in the chain is the hardware used to record the drums. Every microphone has its own characteristic sound, and for a given drummer on a given drum kit, some mics simply sound better. Choosing the right microphones is crucial to achieving a killer drum sound. More on this below.
- The preamps: Preamps and mics work together to shape and colour a recorded sound.
- The room: It's easy to imagine the difference in sound between recording in a meadow and recording in a concrete bunker. Most drum rooms are far from either of those extremes, but the differences from room to room are still important.
- The number of microphones: This matters much less than many beginners think. With a great drummer on a great kit, it's rarely necessary to mic every drum individually. (Glyn Johns often recorded Bonham with only 3 mics.) But it also stands to reason that with 4 or 5 mics, you're better equipped to capture the sound you want than with just one mic.
Get started miking your drums the easy way
With the drummer and drum kit in order, the next step in capturing a great recorded drum sound is selecting the right microphones.If you're just starting out, or have a tight budget, you can still get great drum sounds in your recordings without breaking the bank. Many microphone manufacturers sell packages made especially for drum miking.
Like this CAD 4-piece kit or the slightly more versatile Nady 5-piece mic kit. Each will set you back less than $150.
If you have a few more dollars to spend, think about the Shure 6-piece mic kit which contains a pair of pencil condensers for overhead use. The Audix 7-piece mic kit goes a step further, and includes an extra mic for rack toms.
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Mic like the pros
When you're ready to invest in a serious drum mic collection, there are some standard choices the pros favor for each part of the drum kit.
Kick Drum
The AKG D112 and the Sennheiser MD-421 are the most common choices for miking a kick drum, as they excel at capturing low frequencies
Snare Drum
The Shure SM57 is the defacto standard snare drum mic. However, many engineers prefer the Audix I5. Both mikes can take a lot of abuse, which is a plus when miking a snare drum where the microphone often sits within the drummer's (accidental) reach.
Toms
Along with the SM57 and Audix I5, the Sennheiser e604 is a popular choice for miking toms.
Overheads and Room mics
Overhead mics crucial for defining a drum kit's recorded sound, so if you can spend a few extra dollars anywhere, spend it here. Popular "prosumer" mics for use as overheads include the Rode NT5 and MXL 604.
However, if you have a few (ok, a lot) more dollars, the Earthworks and AKG C414 define the gold standard in recording detail and accuracy.
Kick Drum
The AKG D112 and the Sennheiser MD-421 are the most common choices for miking a kick drum, as they excel at capturing low frequencies
Snare Drum
The Shure SM57 is the defacto standard snare drum mic. However, many engineers prefer the Audix I5. Both mikes can take a lot of abuse, which is a plus when miking a snare drum where the microphone often sits within the drummer's (accidental) reach.
Toms
Along with the SM57 and Audix I5, the Sennheiser e604 is a popular choice for miking toms.
Overheads and Room mics
Overhead mics crucial for defining a drum kit's recorded sound, so if you can spend a few extra dollars anywhere, spend it here. Popular "prosumer" mics for use as overheads include the Rode NT5 and MXL 604.
However, if you have a few (ok, a lot) more dollars, the Earthworks and AKG C414 define the gold standard in recording detail and accuracy.
Simple steps to recording a drum set
One of the easiest drum-miking techniques for beginners is known as the Recorderman overhead drum mic technique. The approach gets you started with only two microphones which capture a great stereo image of the kit.
This video explains how to use Recorderman:
This video explains how to use Recorderman:
Drum Recording 101, Simple steps to recording a drum set
Here are the basic steps you need to know to record a drum set. You will learn microphone placement and the 3 to 1 rule. Go to our website. http://www.recordbetteraudio.com. Subscribe to our blog http://feeds.feedburner.com/RecordBetterAudiocom
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Amazon carries the definitive collection of drum recording books.
Sound Advice on Recording and Mixing Drums (Instantpro Book & CD)
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/25/2009) 
The Musician's Guide to Recording Drums (Book & CD)
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 12/25/2009)
Make Money with Your Studio: Setting Up and Operating a Successful Recording Studio (Book)
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 12/25/2009)
Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Amazon Price: (as of 12/25/2009)
More Drum Techniques of Rush: Drum Transcriptions (More Drum Superstar Series)
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 12/25/2009)
The web's best drum recording tutorials.
- A Primer on Recording Drums at Home
- A great introduction to recording drums in your home, with tips on dealing with many of the typical shortcomings of home environments.
- 3 Mics on a Drum Kit
- Fletcher covers some tricks for miking a drum kit with only 3 microphones (and still getting a great sound.)
- Recording Acoustic Drums
- Definitive EQ Magazine article that covers drum microphone selection and placement, and the use of EQ to shape drum sounds.
by dougmac
Doug is a Toronto-based recording engineer with 15 years experience in the studio. He's also a drummer (though mostly when no one's looking.)
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