General Music Chat

I would like to ask you guys for some advice on setting up the Mic's, effects, etc. for the drums? Are the clip mic's better than the sure 57s ? What is the best way to mic, and a good effect to use for the kicker ? suggestions for the toms, snare, & cymbals. Have you ever used amplifiers like the guitar & bass do ? Or strait into the PA.? Would like to get the best sound possible with a vintage set of Tama superstars. [70s] Although I play bass, So, this is all new to me, with the drums

anything is better than 57's.

youre probably better off just throwing them out.

if i'm thinking correctly, the clip mics are the skinny ones? usually those are condenser instead of dynamic, so they really serve a different purpose than the 57s.

for miking setup, i do it this way:

dynamic on the snare and each tom, on the edge of the drum (but not touching) and pointed towards the center. id pick 58s over 57s, but i suppose it couldnt be disasterous with 57s.
there are special bass drum mics that handle low end better, but if not just use a dynamic.

now for the overheads, theres a few ways, but i would recommend a near-coincident pair of those clip mics (check if theyre condenser cardioid pattern, as thats what you want.) above the drummer's head (also, higher up than the set by maybe a foot or 2). your best bet is to probably have the left mic facing below the crash and your right mic facing above the ride. if this is done right, then youre not going to need to mic the cymbols (you never should, anyway).

as far as effects go, thats a personal preference. but miking the drums this way should cover all the parts of the set making it easy to EQ each drum. probably best to mic the drums straight into the PA

Hey Guys,

The 57 was the workhorse during my hayday and was the mic of choice with alot of pro sound techs BUT, since the technology boom of the late 80s,and the invent of drum sampled sounds, better mics are available that cater to drum fequencys...Get on a pro audio messageboard like alt.pro-audio to see the opinions and tricks of the pros...There are alot of choices out there today...I still use my little Beyer mics I bought back in 89 and a Beyer 380 on the kick.
I used a TNT 100 bass amp back in the day to mic the kick at small venues when the PA was not runnin hot enough to deliver...You'll get different opinions about micing the kick...It will depend on how the drummer has it tuned...Heck , I didnt use a front head for years ...
Some guys mic the batter and snare side of the SD...Many choices for overhead as well...Maybe some people will elaborate on the use of that plexiglass micing system (seen it one time, dont know much about it), where the mics are built in to a plexiglass shield around the kit...
Oh BTW, hows the live music scene around Pomeroy?Dont get up there much anynore.. Played the Mason AM. Legion a while back...It was hoppin with young folks ....

Lets hear some other ideas and opinions.

John in Charleston

Hey Guys,

The 57 was the workhorse during my hayday and was the mic of choice with alot of pro sound techs BUT, since the technology boom of the late 80s,and the invent of drum sampled sounds, better mics are available that cater to drum fequencys...Get on a pro audio messageboard like alt.pro-audio to see the opinions and tricks of the pros...There are alot of choices out there today...I still use my little Beyer mics I bought back in 89 and a Beyer 380 on the kick.
I used a TNT 100 bass amp back in the day to mic the kick at small venues when the PA was not runnin hot enough to deliver...You'll get different opinions about micing the kick...It will depend on how the drummer has it tuned...Heck , I didnt use a front head for years ...
Some guys mic the batter and snare side of the SD...Many choices for overhead as well...Maybe some people will elaborate on the use of that plexiglass micing system (seen it one time, dont know much about it), where the mics are built in to a plexiglass shield around the kit...
Oh BTW, hows the live music scene around Pomeroy?Dont get up there much anynore.. Played the Mason AM. Legion a while back...It was hoppin with young folks ....

Lets hear some other ideas and opinions.

John in Charleston

Yeah Brother, The Mason AM is always packed on the weekends. You should get in touch with the Moose Lodge in Point Pleasant,W.Va. It is the nicest place around here anyway, Nothing in Parkersburg, W.va. or Athens,Oh. compares to this club. Let me know when you play here local. Will stop in & see you. Catch you later, And thanks for info.