Playing Live: Equipment decisions for mic'd vs. acoustic

Craig J

Senior Member
I'm trying to figure out what cuts through most appropriately in each situation.

I've been playing live for the last 2 years consistently with the same band. We play good ol' fashion rock n roll with a 60s-70s vibe at venues ranging from bars with a small stage to mid-size festivals, and everything in between. As a result, there are times when the drums are mic'd up, and times when they aren't.

I have some theories for head choice and muffling, and please chime in for other recommendations/thoughts. I am especially trying to figure out what style/size ride cymbals work the best for each circumstance. For example a 22'' pingy-er ride or a 20'' medium ride for mic'd vs. un-mic'd?

Of course, the venue, indoor/outdoor, microphone choice and placement, tuning, drum kit, and sound guy all come into play, but since there is no one-size-fits-all, I've kept this pretty general. There are some awesome, knowledgeable drummers on here, much more so than I, and I'd love to get some input. I'm really just trying to figure out what cuts through most appropriately in each situation.

So this is what I've found has worked for me and the music i play...at least what I hear and according to some convos from other drummers in the audience.

Mic'd Kit:
- pinstripe-type heads
- some muffling/gels on snare and toms
- decent amount of muffling on kick
- ride cymbal style: complete mystery

Un-Mic'd Kit:
- coated toms
- no muffling on snare, toms
- less muffling on kick than when mic'd
- ride cymbal style: complete mystery

This is a short list, and I'm looking to extend this further. Would love to hear your ideas from experience.

Thanks,
Craig
 
I work on both sides of this coin and I can say for certain: Use what you think sounds best all the time. Especially if you have a following, people will notice those slight changes in playing we all make when we play with different heads or cymbals and it's most important to have the players comfortable.

So, when I play live, I play with my Paiste Signatures and Vintage As and the batter side of my toms. My drums are always full and loud (the PA is not always necessary), and the cymbals always mesh well with the music. I have no problem with the cymbals being a bit quiet - frankly, they're not really important. The Vintage As give me a warm, round, full sound that just sounds nice; microphones (and I) love drums that give them some real tone to work with.

As for a ride cymbal, use whatever sounds best to you for the music. I really haven't found too much of an apparent volume difference between a 22" heavy and 20" medium.
 
I would add another variable to the "mic'ed" category...

Skill of the SoundPerson.

A skilled SoundPerson will not be thrown by unmuffled high sustain frequency varied sounds....which can open up the config for "mic'ed" venues.

I suggest clear open conversations with the Sound Tech well before performance when possible...might be able to use a more pleasing config.
 
For really small venues I try to match the drum kit to the venue. I think too many drummers are seduced by high freq volume and ignore depth of tone. My preference in this setting is for normal kicks 22" but with smaller snares 13 x 4 etc. and low pitched cymbals, the rest of the band don't therefore try to compete in the upper register which keeps the rest of the band all in check.

If its a medium or larger venue - and the kit is fully miked - I just use whatever gear I want, by the time it's gone through desk mics blah blah it is not an acoustic drum kit ........
 
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