Recording a Drum Kit with 1 SM57?
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@airbagtester Feb 2022
As someone who often wonders "if I just had this other more expensive microphone" I can't help but cry from laughter and frustration when I see videos like this where it's like "here is a great way to record a symphony using a pair of broken Beats by Dre headphones and some chewing gum" and then it sounds AMAZING :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_9JHctsdhw
Yes, the drummer and the room make all the difference. :) -
@dragondreams Feb 2022
The band I was in during the eighties recorded an entire live gig using a broken pair of AKG headphones as the microphones and a roll of duck tape... I still have the cassette. :-)
Great video! -
@siebass Feb 2022
FML
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@aeye Feb 2022
Nah it's totally possible to do it. Just use it as an overhead. You'll lose some of the sounds from the kick and such, but placing that mic in the right location you should be good to go! (Normally I'd use a pair for overheads, but I'm sure it could be done with a single mic) Heck get crazy and place it somewhere in the room infront of the kit even. Experimentation is fun
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@airbagtester Feb 2022
@dragondreams for the win! :D
But did you use A/B or X/Y stereo placement with those headphones? -
@airbagtester Feb 2022
@aeye Oh I'm going to try it for sure now! :)
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@dragondreams Feb 2022
@airbagtester - they started off X/Y, but gradually shifted to A/B as the night wore on and the vibrations from the bass rig jostled the table they were taped to. ;-)
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@gubna Feb 2022
Remember when everyone recorded with just one microphone?
My favorite story about that is how they had to have Louis Armstrong out in the hallway because his trumpet was overpowering the rest of the band! -
@dzdandcunfsd Feb 2022
One of my favorite drum recordings came from a single mic placed at the top of a stairway while the kit was setup in the basement. The kick is a little thin, but that's what the bass guitar is for :)
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@frenchcricket Feb 2022
Ah yes, the 'crotch' mic! I've heard that adding an LDC as an overhead can work really well too, if you have one. One thing I always think about these videos though: Yeah great, the SM57 sounds great in that beautiful wooden, treated, good size, room... now show me again in a crappy sounding box room.
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@whispermouse Feb 2022
SoS has a pretty cool video here where they start with a single mic to record a 3-piece band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q-scxybnp0
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@mardeycranbleson Feb 2022
I record with an sm57 copy (which probably sounds nothing like an sm57) and a dedicated kick mic. However the kick mic basically sounds like nothing so I am essentially just recording with the sm57. I have. A snare mount and dampen with a sock. I point the mic at a like 60 degree angle and it picks up the snare and cymbals perfectly. Toms get pretty well lost but overall I like the sound I’m getting well enough.
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@cheslain Feb 2022
I've used a 2-mic recording setup where you place a large diaphragm mic under the snare sort of pointing at the kick and a small diaphragm mic over the player's shoulder pointing at the snare. The setup picks up everything quite nicely and you get some of that snare rattle in there too.
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@dasbinky Feb 2022
Inspired by this thread, I did a song today with live drums featuring only an SM58 pointed at my crotch. I'm surprised with how well it turned out. My multi-mic drum recording setup isn't honestly THAT much better.
https://fawm.org/songs/127842/ -
@scottlake Feb 2022
Rick Rubin produced Tom Petty’s Wildflowers album with the drums in mono. I’m guessing he used more than 1 mic but all mixed down to mono
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@scottlake Feb 2022
A little self promo here that is relevant to this post. A t shirt I just made and put up for sale for when you get one more to choose from. https://my-store-c73006.creator-spring.com/listing/choices-february-2022
