User Manual
9
8.4. Drums
// Although you often see drums being miked with lots of microphones, you can
achieve good results using a single large-diaphragm condenser microphone.
Especially for pre-production, or demo-recordings, it is an uncomplicated way to
record your ideas or song-structures. The front-of-kit position is recommended
for those scenarios; it records all parts of the kit, but it also delivers a punchy
sound coming from the kick. If you want to upgrade your sound using another
mic:
1) Take a dynamic microphone like the DTP 340 REX and complement your
setup by miking the kick as well. Move the condenser microphone to an overhead
position. With hole in kick drum skin: A good starting position is half-way in,
pointing towards the beater, try different angles until you are satised.
Without hole: position it close to the skin, starting from the center, moving
outwards until you nd a pleasant sound. Also vary the distance, but be aware,
the further away, the more bleed you get from other parts of the drum kit.
2) Adding a snare mic – Try to position the snare mic in a way that it does not pick
up too much sound coming from the hi-hat. Use the rear rejection of the cardioid
pattern to achieve a clean snare recording. Start by positioning the mic above the
rim, pointing to the center of the snare drum. Try varying the angle and also the
distance. A good starting distance is around 5 cm between capsule and rim.
8.5. Stage use
Of course, a condenser microphone can also be used for many stage applications,
for example, cymbals, ampliers, overheads, vocals, acoustic instruments, and
more. Although condenser microphones are highprecision tools, they are not as
fragile as their reputation may suggest. Today’s manufacturing standards allow
us to build condenser microphones that can be used in the studio as well as on
stage, so there is no need to worry – just please do not throw it around. It is
always recommended to handle tools with appropriate care. It helps to sustain
their longevity.