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...Help on how to get a good sound with drum mics...

kredd	Date: July 13, 2003 @ 1:36 PM i just bought a 6-piece AUDIX drum mic kit. i'm running them through a behringer mixer into my sound card. they seem to be blowing my sound card to bits! any advice, comments, tips on setting up and recording drums??? we play hardcore music, so its hard and loud drumming i need to capture clean and tight! well, that's the idea anyway...
GeneHilbert	Date: July 13, 2003 @ 2:21 PM Not knowing how you have things setup. It sounds like you're over driving the sound card. The first thing I can think of - is to reduce all the gain stages to off. Turn Trims, Channels, and Masters to off. Set your monitor amp volume to a reasonable level 30% should do for now (don't fry your monitors). Bring up the channel and master volume to about 0 to -5db & check the signal (mic input by striking the drums) - make sure you are gettin signal. "NO RED LEDS" Green and Yellows only. If more signal is needed - increase the trin gain to you get a good signal at least 0db on the VU's or LED meters. Do one mic at a time to you get the levels balanced. Hopefully that will solve your problems.
Veracohr	Date: July 13, 2003 @ 6:41 PM Get rid of the Bear-Ringer. Gene's got the goods there. First, make sure you're not distorting the mixer, either on the channels or the outputs you're connecting to your soundcard. When you're sure of that, make sure you're not distorting the input of your soundcard. You should have some sort of software that monitors input and output levels for it.
kredd	Date: July 14, 2003 @ 12:17 AM well, i've checked all that from the start and all is well. nothing is clipping anywhere. there's no distorting in the behringer or soundcard. i did test w/o the behringer. no dice. so the testing continues.........
jackschitt	Date: July 16, 2003 @ 3:16 AM If there is no distortion - what's the problem? Turn the monitor (speakers) volume down - and your off and running. What software program are you using? What kind of sound card (Make) is it? What kind of monitors are they? powered / un-powered
kredd	Date: July 16, 2003 @ 10:59 PM i'm using Cool Edit Pro 1.2 M-Audio Delta 10-10LT sound card Alesis Monitor ONE Mk2 monitors w/ amp Behringer 16ch Eurorack MX2004A... i've been recording for years now, and close to two years with this particular setup(excluding the mixer). so what i'm really worried about is the drum mic(the kick drum) being my problem. but at the sametime i'm used to recording guitar/bass and vocals...i'm just an all-around newbie at recording drums. it's really strange, the kick drums waveform can be very small, nowhere near clipping and it is still distorted. oh yeah, my drum mics are made by AUDIX, their FUSION series. don't know if that means anything to anyone...
GeneHilbert	Date: July 17, 2003 @ 12:09 AM Were those mikes new? - sometimes a particular mics might be defective - drum mics are made to handle the abuse of db spikes but maybe the diapham is defective, or if used or store demo'ed, maybe blown, hell anything is possible. Cross reference mics - channels - try that mic on snares, toms, see if the problem follows the mic around, or maybe it's that channel in the mixer try a different mic in the BD - be careful with placement. Check the mic for a filtering db cut off switch. I'm just guessing here - so bear with me.
pog	Date: July 17, 2003 @ 6:49 AM Hmmm places to mic up.... for good results, you could try this 1 mic on/in the kick, 1 mic on the snare (between hihat and 1st tom, pointing slightly downward, onto the skin), 1 mic on the floor tom (same sort setup as snare) 1 mic on the toms 2 overheads to capture "sparkle and ambience" This is how I'd set up 6 mics. It's a good starting point, anyways. Hope this helps :splitspin:" id="54433">Always try to use the largest/most robust mic on the kick drum. When you record it, make sure it's not too gained on the pre-amp side on yer mixing desk.. best bet is to record it for 3 seconds or so, and listen to it. For a tighter sound, I find its often easiest to get a really "flat" sound, as in, punchy, rather than bass heavy...you can add/enhance the bass of it all later in the final mastering process. But thats just me... rely on what your ears are telling you. Hmmm places to mic up.... for good results, you could try this 1 mic on/in the kick, 1 mic on the snare (between hihat and 1st tom, pointing slightly downward, onto the skin), 1 mic on the floor tom (same sort setup as snare) 1 mic on the toms 2 overheads to capture "sparkle and ambience" This is how I'd set up 6 mics. It's a good starting point, anyways. Hope this helps
pog	Date: July 17, 2003 @ 6:55 AM Oh, and you could try going to the volume controls and back off the line in levels (Under Options, Properties, Recording)
kredd	Date: July 17, 2003 @ 9:41 AM yeah, the mics are new, i'll give that a shot. i'm worried it is the diaphram!! there's almost nothing worse than breaking out new equipment and its defective from the start..arrhh! good points pog. sounds like a good set up. i'm definetly going to have to double-check the gain on my mixer and sound card.
GeneHilbert	Date: July 18, 2003 @ 12:23 AM Don't adjust the sound card - you want it to get the hottest signal it will take. Do level adjustments through your outboard gear and your software mixer. Don't clip - but at 16 bit or whatever your rate the hotter the signal the more information is recorded hence more presence and tonal quality.

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