How I Record Drums

I get asked almost daily how I record drums. In this blog I tell you about how I record my drums. this is without using Yamaha EAD which I use as an extra layer. This basic mix is ​​very important to hear your entire drum kit in detail.

Getting a deep and punchy metal/rock drum sound with a lot of attack involves a combination of microphone placement, equalization, and compression techniques. I'll will guide you with some general steps and settings to achieve this type of drum sound.

Microphone Placement:

1. Kick Drum: Place the kick drum microphone (e.g., Audix D6) inside the kick drum, slightly off-center, around 2-4 inches from the beater head. This captures both depth and attack. Experiment with the exact placement to find the sweet spot for your desired sound.
2. Snare Drum: For the snare drum, I use a dynamic microphone like the Audix i5 or an Audix D4. Place it slightly above the snare drum, pointed towards the center of the drumhead, around 1-2 inches above the rim. This captures the snare's attack and body.
3. Toms: Place dynamic microphones (like the Audix D2/D4) slightly above the center of each tom, pointed towards where the stick contacts the drumhead. Adjust the distance and angle to balance attack and resonance.
4. Overheads: I use a pair of condenser microphones for overheads. Position them above the drum kit in an X/Y or spaced pair configuration to capture the overall kit sound.

Equalization:

1. Kick Drum: Boost the low frequencies (60-100 Hz) for the depth and power. Add a slight boost in the upper midrange (2-4 kHz) to enhance the beater attack.
2. Snare Drum: Enhance the fundamental snare crack by boosting around 200-300 Hz. For attack, add a moderate boost around 2-5 kHz.
3. Toms: Boost the lower midrange (200-400 Hz) for body and depth. For attack, boost around 3-5 kHz.
4. Overheads: Use a gentle high-pass filter around 100 Hz to eliminate unwanted low-frequency rumble. Adjust for a balanced representation of the entire kit.

Compression: Compression helps me control the dynamic range of the drum sound and emphasizes attack. Here's a basic approach:

1. Kick Drum: Use a fast attack (10-30 ms), medium to high ratio (4:1 to 8:1), and moderate release (50-150 ms). Set the threshold to catch the initial transient and control the sustain.
2. Snare Drum: Similar to the kick drum, use a fast attack, medium ratio, and moderate release. Adjust the threshold to catch the snare's initial hit and control the sustain.
3. Toms: Apply a lighter compression with similar settings to the kick and snare. Tweak the attack and release to suit the tom's sustain.
4. Overheads: Apply gentle compression to even out the overall kit sound. Use a slower attack and release to preserve the natural dynamics while controlling peaks.

Remember, these are starting points, and your specific drum kit, room acoustics, and personal taste will influence the final sound. Experiment with these settings and adapt them to achieve the deep and punchy metal/rock drum sound you're aiming for. Good luck and have fun in the process.