Recording Techniques
Producing Drums
Drums are the fundamental component of music; "The Bed Track" as we call it. All other instruments are recorded to the rhythms of the drum performance. All instruments eventually trace their roots back to Africa where rhythm was essential to the spirituality of the tribal culture. To this day we notice the rhythm of the drum from the native peoples of Canada, to a dance hall, to someone just tapping their feet to a beat. We are all intertwined with rhythm.
Recording drums is one of the most challenging situations you will ever come across in the studio. The microphones you use and how you place them is important in the initial preparation. A tuned kit with new heads is the standard operating procedure for all drummers. No amount of EQ or signal processing can resurrect a cardboard sounding drum kit after it's been recorded. The room you are recording in is very critical also. Rock prod/eng's prefer large live rooms to capture the ambience of the kit. As for pop drummers, they are often located in booths or small rooms that are reasonably dry sounding so you can get a present sound.
The Kick Drum
For the kick drum, you should use a dynamic mic - the bigger the diaphragm, the better low-end pick-up. I've used RE-20's and AKG-112's. The way I usually mic a kick drum is to stick the mic inside the kick drum (I always remove the front head) about 3-6 inches in front the front head. That's a good place to start - you can move the mic around and find the best sounding location. I usually stick a pillow or blankets against the rear of the drum head to minimize ring. You'll get more attack the closer the mic is to the beater - you'll get more overtones farther away. On certain occasions we use two mics. A small diaphragm dynamic (421) close to the beater to get the attack of the bass drum. The other mic, a large diaphragm, further away from the head to pickup the low end of the resonance of the bass...
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