Recording my Drums as a means of developing my sound

ryanlikealion

Senior Member
Hello all

My goals is to get to a level where I can record a strong demo of my drums and just to learn the basics of recording. Step 1 is to invest in some equipment to get me started.

I am going to invest in some half decent drum mics which is a seperate issue (akg d112, Sm 57, 2X Akg c1000's.)

I don't want to go mad with technology but I want to enjoy learning the art of recording. A bonus would be to have a set up which is reasonably mobile so that i can experiment in different rooms.

The amount of info on the web is great but totally overwhelming here are a few questions:

Is this desk any good as a starter?

http://www.zzounds.com/item--ALEMM8USB20

At this stage I have pc laptop. But I haven't closed off the option of changing to MAC what are your thoughts on this?
 
Here's a tip you might not have thought of. I've been recording myself for the past 9 months or so using a ZOOM H4n digital recorder, which has two built-in condenser mics in an X-Y pattern, along with two XLR inputs which allows me to add a snare mic (SM 57) and kick mic (Beta 52) for 4-channel recording. I set up the ZOOM on a mic boom centered high above my kit with the condensers pointing straight down, then feed the kick and snare mics directly into it. After recording a part, I import those tracks into GarageBand for editing. The kick and snare channels import as a single stereo track, but it's not too much of a hassle to separate them into two mono tracks, then the rest is just mixing. And the best part is you can get into this setup for relatively cheap (for example, the ZOOM was about $300 new). Actually, I take that back. The BEST part is that it's simple, cheap and mobile, with pretty decent results.

I've posted a number of tracks I recorded this way at http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/1839676 and it turned out surprisingly good, so I'd recommend this as a cheap way to get into recording. Then if you like it and want to invest in more expensive gear, you can always do so later. Plus, the ZOOM has come in handy for a variety of other things, so it's good to have around.

Ed
 
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Ed

Thanks for the reply. Ive just had a listen to a few of your tracks (afro cuban/jazz fusion, Git your groove on solo, and large/uptempo jazz.) They sound great. Snare sounds awesome and toms sound excellent on git your groove on. Also, the fills during large/uptempo jazz sound fantastic.

A good recommendation I think and I'll consier it.

I take it you're a mac user. I've never had a huge interest in computers but recently my interest in photography and a desire to record my music are opening my eyes to the benefits of having a good computer/software. I'm currently trying to decide whether or not to switch to macs. My main uses for a computer will be photo editing and sound recording. Any suggestions from anyone appreciated.
 
I take it you're a mac user. I've never had a huge interest in computers but recently my interest in photography and a desire to record my music are opening my eyes to the benefits of having a good computer/software. I'm currently trying to decide whether or not to switch to macs. My main uses for a computer will be photo editing and sound recording. Any suggestions from anyone appreciated.

In terms of hardware, I think that you would be fine with either a Mac or PC (i.e. non-Mac computer) if you spent the same, or similar, amount of money on them. I've never used a Mac because I grew up using Windows (I've gone back and forth on Linux, too) and Photoshop has always been fine in terms of photography.

I don't know if it's still true of Macs, but when I was thinking about getting one (many years ago) I did read that the operating system and software is designed for the limited hardware that was used to build Macs. But they started using new hardware now, so I don't know if that sort of dedicated support still exists. Seemed like a good way to prevent bugs, though.

And they may cost more, but you are getting an operating system and a ton of good quality (integrated?) software thrown in. As I said, I've never used one myself, but I think I'm right in saying that the video editing is far superior to Windows Movie Maker, and they have a built in audio editing suite whereas MS doesn't.

Macs are very popular with artists and videographers, etc. Imagining for a moment that it's not all about image and pretentiousness, there's probably some reason for it.

I think you'd be fine with a decent gaming laptop/computer (for the graphics card, for photography, which you don't necessarily need, but it will speed up dealing with a lot of large, hi-res images) or a Macbook/Mac.

Also, if you do buy a new Mac, I think that the hardware is also compatible with Windows, so you can always install Windows later (or alongside the Mac OS) if you're not totally happy, or you want to use the computer for something that's not supported by Mac.


I also did some looking for an audio interface/recorder more recently. The MultiMix (16 channel version) came up a lot, but I heard a lot of good things about the Zoom R16 too. It also has internal mics (not in an XY configuration, though). And while the 8 inputs might be more than you need now, you may also want to add more mics to your setup later and you'll have that option without needing to buy a new unit.
It's also a recorder in its own right and can record straight to an SD card (up to 32GB). So it's fully portable, since you don't even need it connected to a computer to record. As well as the mixing and the fact that you can use it as an interface for most digital audio software.

This is based on what I've read and heard about it, though, so you might like to get more input on that particular model and its use for recording drums. Keep in mind that I was looking for something to plug 8 mics into as well, so it might not be exactly what you want.
 
Thanks for the reply. Ive just had a listen to a few of your tracks (afro cuban/jazz fusion, Git your groove on solo, and large/uptempo jazz.) They sound great. Snare sounds awesome and toms sound excellent on git your groove on. Also, the fills during large/uptempo jazz sound fantastic.

A good recommendation I think and I'll consier it.

I take it you're a mac user. I've never had a huge interest in computers but recently my interest in photography and a desire to record my music are opening my eyes to the benefits of having a good computer/software. I'm currently trying to decide whether or not to switch to macs. My main uses for a computer will be photo editing and sound recording. Any suggestions from anyone appreciated.

Thanks for your comments. I should point out that every track on that site was recorded using my ZOOM setup, with the exception of the very last track (feel all right), which was done in a proper studio. And I've been pretty pleased with the results. For what I spent on this setup, it's great, actually.

And you're right, I do use a Mac. I was originally a PC guy, but made the switch to Apple around 2001 or 2002, and now would never go back. First of all, they're just better computers, period. And if you're interested in photography and music editing, the standard software that comes with every Mac (GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, etc.) is well worth the switch. Plus, if you dont want to spend the money to get into Photoshop, Apple's Aperture is pretty decent for around $80. Not to mention you're way cooler if you own a Mac :)
 
If you want to learn about recording I would strongly recommend taking some classes. Just like learning most things you can do it on your own, but having a professional there to help show you the tricks of the trade helps immensely.

Just for fun I decided to take a recording class at a community college. I loved it and learned so much about recording, and sound in general than I ever would have on my own. For a few hundred bucks I would say it was a very worthy investment. I now feel confident I can purchase the quality gear, and produce a good recording of my band.
 
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