Recording Live Drums

[SpikeVelvet]

I'm curious if anyone has ever experimented recording drums into the MBR by using an 8 channel mixing board and micing kick, snare, hi-hat, rack toms, floor toms and a couple of overheads and sending the output to the stereo in on the MBR. I know it's limited but if you got the levels right initially the results could be good. Has anyone ever tried this?

[Farrell Jackson]

I'm curious if anyone has ever experimented recording drums into the MBR by using an 8 channel mixing board and micing kick, snare, hi-hat, rack toms, floor toms and a couple of overheads and sending the output to the stereo in on the MBR. I know it's limited but if you got the levels right initially the results could be good. Has anyone ever tried this?

I don't have an MBR but I have a Fostex stand alone recorder. I've done exactly what you are wanting to do many times. You are basically pre or sub-mixing the drums down to a stereo track before you record it. It takes a bit of trial and error but once you get it set, you're good to go. You do have to get all mixer channels balanced and sounding good before you record the keeper stereo track because once it's recorded your editing and processing of individual tracks is gone. But it can work.

Farrell

[Rata-tat-tat]

Hey Spike... Yes... I have and have had some good results... I originally started with the MBR and then purchased a Tascam DP02 to try and get a better sound... I'm now back to the MBR and think the results are much better.... I've added some links below so you can hear for yourself.

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=15157.0

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=15149.0

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=14783.0

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=14784.0

The set up you've described is exactly what I'm using... I've tried almost everything to get a good sound using the MBR... So I guess I could be considered the subject matter expert as well as fellow drummin buddy Frank on the site... He has had some good results...but he's still lacking the overheads (Unless he has purchased them without my knowledge)....

Ultimately I want to get an audio interface which will record directly to DAW (Cubase)... this will cut down on the time it takes to upload tracks... also it will give me individual channel control which is great for adding certain effects to certain instruments such as compression and limiter...


To help you along and save you some serious headaches.... try the overhead pointed in a V pattern directly over your snare and angled toward your kick drum.... all other mics should be placed accordingly to each drum... The positioning really depends on what type of sound you're going for initially.... I have the mic clamp sets that come with the Sure drum kit clamped to the rim of my drums... I also do not have a cut out for my Kick drum head and position that mic directly in the center of the back head... seems to give it a little more punch!!!

I set my levels so that there is no clipping of course... but I use the overheads very sparingly... I try not to get too many of those highs in there... The idea is to capture the cymbals without overmodulating sounds comming through... This is a real pain in the neck.

Also experiment with different panning... this will give you the separation you are looking for.... I started out with heavy panning (I was a panhole), but since have tightened my panning up a bit sounds better to my ears!!!

As far as settings on your MBR.... record clean... no eq... no nothing... do all of that during your mixing process in DAW or whatever you plan to use during mixing... (This can also be done on the MBR) Personally I like to use Cubase to mix with... it's just easier for me... You may find the MBR is easier. Choice is yours.... You can also try mastering with a free version of Audacity which is a very popular DAW on this site... http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions... 64 Guitars is another valuable resource around here and has helped me with some different approaches as well as Frank... I will turn it over to 64 and Frank for all of the technical stuff that usually makes me scratch my head!!!!

Good luck and Welcome!!!.... Tod

[SpikeVelvet]

WOW....!!! Farrell and Rata-tat-tat......Thanks for the detailed responses and links....I'm always amazed at the amount of help that's here. It keeps me inspired to keep playing with The Shiny Box!!

[Rata-tat-tat]

Feel free to post up some results... I'd luv to hear them...

[phantasm777]

ok i have a 9 pc set plus about 11 cymbals or so
on the left i have a mic on a stand way up high over the left cymbals. in the center i have a mic hanging down over the centered cymbals. and on the right a mic hanging down for the right cymbals.
on the left, under my 8 and 10 in toms is a mic. in the center under my 12 and 13 in toms is a mic, and on the right under my 14, 15 riding and 16 in floor tom is another mic.

one mic in front of the bass drum and onE mic under the highat pointing towards the snare. (a total of 8 mics.)

unfortunately i cannot get 8 seperate tracks, but all will be down to one track but stereo. i use audacity for recording and have a yahama 10 channel mixer.
because i cannot make 8 seperate tracks i have to make sure all levels are good before recording, or i'll have to do it all over again. whereas if i had a way to record the 8 sep. tracks i could just adjust vol. or eq. after i record them and individually, but i don;t have any ways to do that right now unfortunately.

to Tod, i always had the overheads BUT 2 are cheap mics, so they aren;pt picking up as good as it should, BUT i've been getting better at bringing out my cymbals and stuff after recording. i think my last recordings you can hear the cymbals better that in the past.
i have 2 more open mic jacks which i could use for cymbals and reall y get a good recording there. but being i am a one man band there is always something more important that other things you have to buy.
i am not a technical person musically speaking, im all ear and feel, natural timing. never use a click track. many words commonly used my drummers or musicians, i don;t even know. i just do what i do. i don't read nor write (sheet music) but write, compose, arrange etc in my head. i have to feel it, if i dont then back to the drawing board.