Hello,

I'm currently listening to Sonna's debut, We Sing Loud, Sing Soft Tonight which was recorded at EA three years ago. One thing I notice is that the cymbals have a really beautiful wash to them...a different kind of wash than on similar recordings. Some of this is due to the cymbals being played with mallets, but a lot of it is definitely the mics. Which mics were used on this recording?

Thanks!

e_shaun wrote:Hello,

I'm currently listening to Sonna's debut, We Sing Loud, Sing Soft Tonight which was recorded at EA three years ago. One thing I notice is that the cymbals have a really beautiful wash to them...a different kind of wash than on similar recordings. Some of this is due to the cymbals being played with mallets, but a lot of it is definitely the mics. Which mics were used on this recording?

Thanks!

Hey:

I don't recall. How's that? I suspect that a lot of it is the combination of the cymbal bleed in the open tom mics, which would have been Josephson 609s, the overhead mic (or stereo front-of-kit mics) and the ambient mics. The overheads could have been STC 4038, AKG C60, Schoeps 221b, Lomo 19a18, Audio Technica 4051 or any of a dozen other options. The front-of-kit stereo mic (if there was one) would have been a Neumann SM2, AKG C24 or Royer SF12. It could have been in blumlein or M-S. The ambient mics were probably Altec 150s with 21D capsules.

The sound of cymbals is pervasive, and no individual single choice in microphones makes a particular effect. For example, for the first 10 years I made records, I didn't use overhead mics at all, or only rarely. They cymbal sound was represented by bleed on the tom mics and the ambient sound in the room. I gradually developed techniques to incorporate overhead mics, andnow I use them regularly, but for a long time I didn't. I still seldom have a need for a hi-hat mic, as that bastard goes everywhere, like it or not.

If I had the track sheets in front of me, I could check for you, but I don't.

sorry,
-steve

steve wrote:For example, for the first 10 years I made records, I didn't use overhead mics at all, or only rarely. They cymbal sound was represented by bleed on the tom mics and the ambient sound in the room.
sorry,
-steve

steve,

where do you typically place an sm-2 in front of the drum kit? i've gotten great results with it placed about rack tom level high, and about 5 ft from the center region of the drum kit.

steve wrote:The sound of cymbals is pervasive, and no individual single choice in microphones makes a particular effect. For example, for the first 10 years I made records, I didn't use overhead mics at all, or only rarely. They cymbal sound was represented by bleed on the tom mics and the ambient sound in the room. I gradually developed techniques to incorporate overhead mics, andnow I use them regularly, but for a long time I didn't. I still seldom have a need for a hi-hat mic, as that bastard goes everywhere, like it or not.

This was encouraging to read. I've been recording drums without conventional overhead mics for a while now with good results. The old rule of thumb regarding mic placement is put the mic where the instrument sounds best. I can't say I've ever listened to a drumkit from above, and I wouldn't expect it to be a very balanced sound. I think placing the cymbal mics in front of the kit contributes to a much more natural presentation. I like to use a ribbon for this capacity, with some condensers flanking it on each side. This gives you a lot of options for catering the drum sound to the song by changing the blend of these mics when you mix. I've never tried your M-S suggestion, but it seems to make a lot of sense.

A shotgun mic suspended from the ceiling pointing down at the snare drum can yield some interesting results.

-greasygoose