Can you use one overhead mic for drums?

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Can you use one overhead mic for drums?

You Can Use Your Best Mic This is because you are treating the two mics as one capturing device. Many people go out and buy a drum mic bundle. Although there’s nothing wrong with this (I’ve done it) you’re likely getting a good value so the overhead mics aren’t going to be the highest quality.

Can you mic a drum kit with one mic?

Believe it or not, you can totally get away with recording drums with one microphone! Even though we’re accustomed to close miking each piece of the kit in order to get the biggest, punchiest sound we can, that isn’t always the result.

Can you record drums with one overhead?

There’s two main options for using one mic to capture a drum kit – directly overhead, or directly in front of the kit. When trying the single overhead option, start out with the mic positioned so that it’s about 4 to 6 feet over the kit, and pointing straight down at the snare.

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Is it better to record drums in mono or stereo?

You should keep your individual drum hits in mono if possible, especially the kick drum, though you should also use stereo effects or panning decisions to create width and separation in your sound to add more variety to your mix.

Should overheads be mono or stereo?

You can record drums in both mono and stereo. Each drum should be recorded as a separate instrument. Individual microphones are used to record the kick drum, snare, and toms; therefore these are captured in mono. However, overhead and room mics are recorded in stereo.

What type of mic is best for recording drums?

The Top 10 Drum Mics of 2021

  • #1. The Audix D6 Dynamic Microphone.
  • #2. The Shure SM57-LC Cardioid Dynamic Drum Microphone.
  • #3. The Sennheiser 604 Microphone System.
  • #4. Shure Beta 52 Dynamic Drum Microphone.
  • #5. The AKG D112 Drum Microphone.
  • #6. The Audix DP5A Pack.
  • #7. The Sabian Sound Kit Drum Set.
  • #8.
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Can you mic a drum kit with 2 mics?

You can indeed get a very usable drum sound with just two mics. Even if you have the ability to record with more mics, it’s a good experiment to see if you can make just two sound good. Making music means having to work in all kinds of situations.

Are drums mono?

Each drum should be recorded as a separate instrument. Individual microphones are used to record the kick drum, snare, and toms; therefore these are captured in mono. However, overhead and room mics are recorded in stereo.

Is it possible to record drums with only one mic?

So, again, yes, it’s possible to record drums using only one mic. Generally the best mic position for this is in front of the kit, at a distance, to balance out the sound of the whole kit. Another one is a high overhead, again to balance the sound, but this is anemic when it comes to the kick drum. Not so much an issue for jazz.

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How to balance a drum kit with one microphone?

You have to balance the overheads to the close mics to maybe even the room mics – all to get that perfect picture of the kit. But with one microphone balancing becomes super simple. Put the mic somewhere, listen back, and assess what you hear. Too much cymbals? Move them closer to the other drums. Too little kick?

Why don’t people use multiple mics?

What sounds good to us in the room can get cancelled out with multiple mics. The other reason is that we can overthink mic placement and have very un-natural sounds (maybe too close to a drum) that just doesn’t sound like what we all know drums to sound like in real life.

Why do my drums sound punchy with one microphone?

If you only have one microphone, by putting it anywhere near the kit, you can’t help but get a punchy sound because the drums are by their nature, punchy. What your ear hears, the microphone hears (tonally maybe not quiet the same – but we’ll touch on that next).