One could argue that the drum kit is the most difficult instrument to capture on stage. You have multiple elements requiring attention (some of which are sonically very different from each other), the instrument has huge dynamic range, its physical size makes coverage a challenge and you have to keep the mics out of the drummer’s (and harm’s) way. The trick to getting a good drum sound is to start with a good-sounding kit and then to have the proper mic selection and placement. I’m not being a smart-ass on the first part of that statement. If the kit sounds good to start, you’re halfway there. The other half, as noted, is mic selection and placement. This time out we’ll concentrate on mic techniques applicable to rock, pop, country, rap and R&B. Down the line we’ll discuss drum miking techniques for jazz.
Prime Choice
Many touring engineers don’t have the luxury of carrying their own microphones. If you are spec’ing mics on a rider, it makes sense to stick with popular choices. Maintaining consistency helps when you don’t carry console(s); if you have the same mics gig to gig, then your gain, EQ and compression settings can remain fairly close, even when you are carrying your show on a memory stick.
Kick drum sounds like a good place to start. Your life will be easier if there is a hole in the front head (audience side) of the kick, as this expands the placement options. My favorite kick drum mics include the Shure Beta 52, Sennheiser e 602 (II) and the Audix D6 placed just inside the hole, pointing at the beater. Sometimes I move the mic a bit farther inside, but this is a great starting point. As the mic is moved closer to the beater, you typically get more “smack” but less “woof.” To this, some engineers add a second mic inside the drum such as a Shure SM or Beta 91. The outside mic captures the low end and the inside mic captures the smack of the beater. A bit of Velcro on the back of a ‘91 keeps it in place atop a pillow or small blanket. Audio-Technica’s AE2500 is a unique mic employing dynamic and condenser elements placed side by side under a single headgrill for maximum phase coherence. When adding a second mic to any instrument check the phase or polarity between the mics. If you find that the kick is too boomy, lay a bath towel or small pillow inside the drum so that it just touches both heads. Don’t stuff the kick drum full of padding because you’ll kill the tone.
Snare Drum
Snare drum is the next most important element of the kit, and it’s tough to go wrong with a Shure SM57. Some engineers prefer the Beta 57A, but I find that the standard ‘57 provides more whump, as does the Audix i5. These are cardioid mics, so try to place them with the rear of the mic (where the cable enters the body of the mic) facing the high hat for maximum rejection of the ‘hat. If your tastes steer you toward a mic with a super- or hyper-cardioid pattern, angle it so that the hat and the rack tom fall into the nulls of the pattern. One of the goals of effective drum miking is keeping leakage to a minimum, because leakage increases phase issues and interferes with your ability to mix.
Adding a second mic for snare bottom captures the sizzle of the snares and adds presence. Almost as a rule, the bottom snare mic will be out of phase with the top mic, so make sure you check! In situations where I don’t really need a snare bottom mic, I’ll use one anyway in case the top mic takes a fatal hit. Some engineers prefer a cardioid condenser (AKG C451 or C460, Shure SM81) for snare bottom placed a few inches from the bottom head, either pointing directly at or slightly angled toward the bottom head. Here I’ve had good luck with the Beta 57A. If you decide to use a condenser mic on the bottom, switch on the pad to prevent overloading the mic’s electronics and use the high-pass filter to minimize leakage from the kick drum.
Toms
Toms present a bit of difficulty, because there are usually a lot of ‘em, and you need them to sound consistent. That’s why I prefer to use the same brand/model of mic on every tom (some engineers use one type on the racks and another on the floor). If you can fit them in without getting in the drummer’s way, the Sennheiser MD421 II is a great choice. Make sure you know where the front is (I’m not kidding) and pay attention to the 421’s low-frequency rolloff, a rotary switch found at the base of the mic just above the XLR connector. “M” = music, “S” = speech. Set to M, response is fairly flat, down to about 80 Hz. As you move the switch through its middle positions, the low frequencies roll off until you reach the S position, at which point rolloff starts at around 500 Hz — not a good thing for a floor tom! Sennheiser also produces the e604, an excellent, rugged mic with very compact body and a rubber clip that attaches to the rim. I find that the e604 requires very little EQ, and when you do use EQ, the mic takes it nicely. Another mic of the clip-on variety is the ubiquitous Shure Beta 98, which is really easy to place due to its diminutive size.
Be aware of the angle between the tom mic and the drumhead. I have seen people place tom mics extremely close (within a half-inch) and point the mic so that the diaphragm is parallel to the drumhead. The low-end response suffers, because the mic is not capturing the entire surface of the head. Place the mic just inside the rim and point it so that the diaphragm is at an angle of roughly 40 degrees to, and aimed at the center of, the head. Don’t be afraid to get the mic in close. Moving the mic within a couple inches of the head allows you to reduce gain at the preamp, effectively making unwanted sounds softer and reducing leakage. Getting close also takes advantage of the proximity effect exhibited by most directional microphones. When possible, face the tom mics so that the point of maximum rejection faces nearby cymbals.
Overhead Miking
It seems like there are two distinct strategies for overhead miking. One technique uses the overheads for picking up the cymbals (duh), and the second utilizes the overheads to capture the entire kit while the remaining mics function as “spot” mics. Placement is similar for both. The differences come in the mix, where you roll the low end out of “cymbal” mics but keep it in “overhead” mics.
Typical placement for cardioid or hypercardioid overheads is one over each side of the kit, approximately six feet high, pointing either straight down toward the floor or angled toward the snare. Pointing the mics straight down can create a hole in the middle coverage (especially with large kits) in which case you can add a third mic directly over the drummer’s head. If you have the proper mic stands (and patience), you can’t go wrong with XY or ORTF stereo placement above the drummer’s head.
In some instances it may make sense to angle the overheads slightly toward the audience to increase rejection of the drum monitors, if any. As the mics are raised higher, you’ll get a better blend of all the cymbals. On a large stage with a high ceiling, try seven to ten feet. Beware of creating hot spots when pointing hyper- or super-cardioid mics straight down. Most drummers place their “effect” cymbals such as China and trash cymbals on the extreme sides of the kit, and — since they tend to be really loud — it’s actually better if these cymbals are off-axis to the overheads.
You can help the ride cymbal cut through the mix with a spot mic on top or underneath. Miking the ride from underneath seems to reduce leakage and keeps the mic out of the drummer’s way. In any case, it’s probably a good idea to switch on the mic’s most severe high-pass filter, or dump the low end out at the channel. Mics appropriate for use on overheads, ride and hat (see below) include the Shure SM81 (still one of my favorites), KSM44 and KSM32 (make sure the front is facing down!); Neumann KM184 and Audix SCX-1.
Every once in a while, I see someone mic a high-hat from the bottom, and I ask, “Why?” Miking the bottom of a ‘hat produces a clunky sound, doesn’t capture any attack from the stick and doesn’t sound like what the drummer hears. Any of the condenser mics mentioned for overheads will work equally well for ‘hat. Keep the mic toward the middle, three to four inches above the top cymbal, at an angle of about 60 degrees. Avoid placing the mic near the edge of the cymbals, because that captures wind noise when the hat is closed and opened. Again, dump the low end and pay attention to the pickup pattern. You can reduce leakage into the high hat mic by facing the front of the mic toward the back of the stage, with the XLR connector pointing at the audience. All cymbal mics can benefit from shock mounting, but some shock mounts impede your ability to get the mic where you want it — especially in a crowded kit.
These are tried-and-true suggestion to get you started, but if you have the time, experiment. You might have a “happy accident.”
