subject: Important Microphone Techniques For Drums [print this page] Important Microphone Techniques For Drums
Seasoned sound engineers have developed favorite microphone techniques through years of experience. If you lack this experience, the suggestions here should help you find a good starting point. These suggestions are not the only possibilities; other microphones and positions may work as well or better for your intended application.
There is no one ideal microphone to use on any particular instrument. There is also no one ideal way to place a microphone. Place the microphone to get the sound you want. However, the desired sound can often be achieved more quickly and consistently by understanding basic microphone characteristics, sound-radiation properties of musical instruments, and acoustic fundamentals.
Here are some suggestions to follow when miking musical instruments for sound reinforcement.
1. The closer a microphone is to a sound source, the louder the sound source is compared to reverberation and ambient noise. Also, the Potential Acoustic Gain is increased that is, the system can produce more level before feedback occurs. Each time the distance between the microphone and sound source is halved, the sound pressure level at the microphone (and hence the system) will increase by 6 dB.
2. Use a microphone with a frequency response that is limited to the frequency range of the instrument, if possible, or filter out frequencies below the lowest fundamental frequency of the instrument.
3. Try to get the sound source (instrument, voice, or amplifier) to sound good acoustically before miking it.
4. To determine a good starting microphone position, try closing one ear with your finger. Listen to the sound source with the other ear and move around until you find a spot that sounds good. Put the microphone there. However, this may not be practical for extremely close placement near loud sources.
To reduce feedback and pickup of unwanted sounds, place microphone as close as practical to desired sound source. Also place microphone as far as practical from unwanted sound sources such as loudspeakers and other instruments. Make sure you aim unidirectional microphone toward desired sound source (on-axis) and aim unidirectional microphone away from undesired sound source.
It is possible to share one mic with two toms, but then, a microphone with a wider polar pattern should be used. The snare requires a mic that can handle very high SPL, so a dynamic mic is usually chosen. To avoid picking up the hi-hat in the snare mic, aim the null of the snare mic towards the hi-hat.
