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Microphone Placement Approach |
| I used
two microphone to pick up the snare. One microphone is on
top of the snare and one is on the bottom. Since I
am "micing in pairs" of microphones, I want to have both mics be
the same model of microphone. I particularly like
the resultant sound for analog recording. If you mic only
the top of the snare you usually have to use EQ to get the snare
sound right. With two microphones, its a matter of
blending levels. |
|
Microphone Selection |
| I selected my
favorite dynamic microphone, the Shure Beta-57. This
mic has a very true hypercardioid pickup pattern which allows
you to properly reject the high hat from the microphone's
pickup. The moving mechanism of the microphone (the
diaphragm and coil) are 1/2 the weight of the older SM-57 and
therefore the Beta version does a much better job of capturing
the transient. |
|
Alternate Microphones |
| I
would have preferred a ribbon microphones like the Beyer 500
series (or even the 260 series), because ribbons would get a
clearer attack. A set of condenser microphones like AKG
414 would have sounded good but there would be less high hat
rejection (the pattern is not as true for all frequencies on the
414). Other microphones that I would be happy with
in a pinch are the EV RE 15 the Senheiser MD-421. I
would not have been happy to use an SM-57 or SM-58 because of a
muffled sound due to the transient not being picked up
properly.. |
|
Microphone Placement |
| I put the
microphone at the edge of skin and angle the back so
that the rejection of the microphone points at the
high hat. For the bottom microphone, I make a
"mirror image" of the top microphone. |
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MIC PLACEMENT DIAGRAM
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Microphone Routing, Equalization & Sound Check |
| I
activate the phase-reverse on the console channel that I am
using for the bottom snare microphone. If the two
microphones are mixed together without a phase-reversal, the
snare will "thin out" because of phase cancellation of the lower
frequencies generated by the drum. I like to phase reverse
when I cut so that the multitrack mater can just be mixed.
I like to record onto two tracks and blend the two microphones
later during mixdown. I always note on the log sheet for
the reel, "Sn Bottom" and put a phase-reverse sign after the
words. |
| Often I
will avoid equalization during recording but sometimes a slight
increase of presence or treble is needed to get the right amount
of snap. I always equalize the top and bottom snare
channels at the same frequency but I usually use peak EQ on the
top microphone and shelf EQ on the lower microphone.
This is because the snares on the bottom of the drum generate
more harmonics. |
Setting |
Purpose |
+ 4.5 dB @ 7000 Hz, Shelf Response |
For bottom snare. To
increase "attack" of snare drum. |
+ 4.5 dB @ 7000 Hz,
Peak Response |
For top snare. To
increase "attack" of snare drum. |
|
| I
brought up the level so that the peaks of the snare drum top mic
caused the tape machine's meters to read +0.0; and brought up
the level of the snare drum bottom mic to cause the
tape machine's meters to read -3.0. You can overload
an analog tape machine track easily if the pickup of the
microphone is all high-frequency percussive energy - this is why
the bottom microphone signal is recorded at a lower level. |
|
Mixing The Snare Drum |
| The top
snare track is used to establish the general level of the snare
in the mix - usually equal to the foot drum level by ear.
I bring up the bottom snare track until there is enough snap. |
| For the
drum mix, I will have three reverbs activated. On the top
snare I will blend the shortest reverb with the medium reverb.
For the bottom snare, I usually only use the shorter reverb.
I pan both tracks center. |
