Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro,rec.audio.tech (More info?)
> Nat, are you looking for ways to record the entire kit with 2 mics,
> or, are you trying to improve the stereo submix of drums that you're
> forced to do because you only have 8 tracks? I'm guessing it's the
> latter of the 2. One thing someone else touched on is getting a sense
> of how the drums sit with other instrumentation, even if just scratch
> tracks, in the mix. I mic drums with 3 mics and submix to a mono
> track, and I have found out the hard way that setting levels to what
> sounds like a 'real" kit when bouncing will leave your track kick shy
> and snare shy at mixdown. So I usually make the kick and snare a
> *little* louder in the bounce, to where it almost seems too loud, so
> that they don't disappear after I add 6 guitars, tambourine, handclaps
> and vocals!
Yeah, it's the latter. I understand that a lot of songs are recorded
starting with the drums, but I -- for better and worse -- have been
recording drums lately after I have other tracks down... I think my
drummer prefers it, and it has worked out so far. He's got good,
strict, click-track timing, so there's not too many timing problems
for me doing it that way. So, as of late, I actually have mixed most
of my drums in the context of the song itself. In the past, I've had
problems with the snare being too quiet in the mix, and I wonder now
if I was just working for a perfect set sound at the time without
hearing it as part of the mix as a whole.
> Nat, are you looking for ways to record the entire kit with 2 mics,
> or, are you trying to improve the stereo submix of drums that you're
> forced to do because you only have 8 tracks? I'm guessing it's the
> latter of the 2. One thing someone else touched on is getting a sense
> of how the drums sit with other instrumentation, even if just scratch
> tracks, in the mix. I mic drums with 3 mics and submix to a mono
> track, and I have found out the hard way that setting levels to what
> sounds like a 'real" kit when bouncing will leave your track kick shy
> and snare shy at mixdown. So I usually make the kick and snare a
> *little* louder in the bounce, to where it almost seems too loud, so
> that they don't disappear after I add 6 guitars, tambourine, handclaps
> and vocals!
Yeah, it's the latter. I understand that a lot of songs are recorded
starting with the drums, but I -- for better and worse -- have been
recording drums lately after I have other tracks down... I think my
drummer prefers it, and it has worked out so far. He's got good,
strict, click-track timing, so there's not too many timing problems
for me doing it that way. So, as of late, I actually have mixed most
of my drums in the context of the song itself. In the past, I've had
problems with the snare being too quiet in the mix, and I wonder now
if I was just working for a perfect set sound at the time without
hearing it as part of the mix as a whole.