Join Bobby Owsinski for an in-depth discussion in this video Miking the toms, part of Audio Recording Techniques.
Mic placement on both the rack and floor toms are pretty standard, with most engineers using more or less the same technique. In this video we'll take a look at the best place to start. Once again, the key to a big powerful tom sound is the sound of the toms themselves. Do what you need to do to make them sound great acoustically first. You can use a little masking tape or moon gel to take out the ringing, if you think that sounds better, but remember, the ring is part of the sound too. As with the all padding, use it sparingly and don't deaden them up too much unless that's the effect you're looking for.
(music playing) The one thing that does change between engineers is the mic choice. While many engineers use a dynamic mic like a Sennheiser MD 421, a condenser mic like an AKG 414, AKG 451, or a Shure KSM44 provides a nice full sound with a lot of attack.
Be sure to switch on the -10 dB pad and select the cardioid position. Check with the drummer before you mount anything on his kit and make sure that the mics are out of his way. (music playing) Place the mic about six inches above the drum head just over the rim, pointing towards the center of the drum to get the most attack. If you point it towards the edge of the head, you'll hear more ring, and less of the attack of the stick hitting the head. (music playing) The floor tom is handled just like rack toms, although you might want to place the mic at the far edge of the drum to cut down on the spill from the other drums and cymbals.
(music playing) That's how we mic the toms. Place the mic about six inches above the drum head just over the rim, pointing towards the center of the head to get the most attack. Move the mic closer or point it towards the rim to change the tone or capture more or less ring.
Author
Released
10/24/2012- Optimizing your listening environment
- Listening to how different microphone types affect recording
- Choosing the right microphone for the right recording application
- Positioning microphones for a wide variety of recording scenarios
- Utilizing proper gain staging, preamps, and direct boxes
- Avoiding phase cancellation
- Using a compressor, equalizer, and high-pass filter during recording
- Setting up a headphone mix
- Adding the right amount of compression or equalization
- Capturing great sounds from drums, guitars, basses, keyboards, pianos, strings, and vocals
- Creating a great drum set sound
- Getting the best out of any singer
- Dealing with microphone leakage
- Utilizing a variety of stereo miking techniques
- Setting up and producing a recording session
- Creating a rough mix in any digital audio workstation (DAW)
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
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Introduction
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Welcome2m 7s
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Using the exercise files1m 29s
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1. Monitoring
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Setting up your monitors4m 17s
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2. Microphone Basics
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Exploring direct boxes1m 9s
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3. Recording Basics
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Choosing a preamp1m 35s
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Setting up the mic preamp1m 39s
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Setting the record level2m 29s
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Using proper gain staging1m 46s
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Avoiding latency3m 51s
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4. Microphone Placement Basics
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Choosing the right mic2m 24s
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The secret to mic placement2m 12s
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Checking polarity3m 9s
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5. Recording the Drums
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Tuning the drums2m 19s
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Tuning tips and tricks2m 26s
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Using a subkick microphone1m 31s
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Adding a bottom snare mic1m 45s
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Miking the hi-hat2m 14s
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Miking the toms2m 24s
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Miking the cymbals3m 14s
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Miking the overall kit1m 25s
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Using room mics2m 2s
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Getting the drum sound2m 47s
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Checking the drum phase2m 18s
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Panning the drums2m 25s
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Tracking a solo drum part1m 10s
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6. Recording the Guitar
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Tracking the guitar part1m 11s
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7. Recording the Bass
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Miking the bass amplifier2m 13s
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Tracking the bass part1m 11s
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8. Recording Vocals
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Recording a scratch vocal1m 24s
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Doubling the vocal2m 52s
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9. Recording the Acoustic Piano
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Recording the piano part1m 13s
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10. Recording Horns
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11. Recording Acoustic String Instruments
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Recording a dobro1m 36s
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Recording the dobro part1m 13s
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Recording the string section1m 13s
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12. Recording Percussion
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Recording drum percussion1m 19s
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Recording hand percussion1m 17s
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13. Recording Electric Instruments
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Recording electric keyboards1m 58s
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Recording the synth part1m 14s
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14. Recording in Stereo
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Using the X/Y configuration3m 21s
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Using the ORTF configuration2m 27s
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Using a stereo mic1m 46s
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15. The Recording Session
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Setting up a talkback mic1m 27s
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Setting up the headphone mix2m 31s
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Setting up a click track2m 11s
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Setting up for overdubs2m 17s
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16. Setting Up a Rough Mix
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Setting up the effects3m 47s
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The rough mix of Simply Falling35m 35s
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Conclusion
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Goodbye1m 2s
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Video: Miking the toms