Finally cleaned up the recording room!

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
Hey all,

Just wanted to share a couple of looks at my recording room. I finally got it all cleaned up and tidy, but this is basically the way I record myself - either playing solo or with tracks, or just working stuff out in preparation for a YouTube upload. The electronics side is pretty straightforward, all the mics go into a Mackie 1604VLZ, and then the direct outs (8) go into my Zoom R16 16-track recorder (8 at a time). I have Shure SM57's on the toms and snare, and a SM58 in the bass drum. An Audio Technica Pro37 condenser on the hat and an AKG SE300B as an overhead. My effects unit is a Lexicon that I have velcro'd to the top part of the Mackie. While recording I use Shure E2c in-ear monitors which I absolutely love (although my current employ has given me the Shure SE315 to work with). I plan on doing some new recordings soon but thought ya' might want to see it now that the room is basically all clear!
 

Attachments

  • web-Tamas.jpg
    web-Tamas.jpg
    85.5 KB · Views: 629
  • web_set_up.jpg
    web_set_up.jpg
    59 KB · Views: 659
My favorite thing about these pictures is how you have the tilters on your cymbal stands. It seems like no one, no matter where I go, understands how they're supposed to be set up.

Thank you for keeping your kit tidy, and what a nice kit it is!
 
Thanks! Yes, left-handed and no, I'm using 14" Zildjian New Beats (my only pair for the last 17 years now). I'm not sure about the tilter statement, I think they're a rather straight-forward device, yes?

But to continue the bragging, these are Tama Starclassic Bubinga Elites (solid bubinga) in a custom gun metal gray finish (the norm is to have that silly gold band going around the middle of the drum, it becomes custom when you don't want the band) with a Stewart Copeland signature snare.

My plan is to fire up the electronics today and see what I come up with. The wife would like to see less cabling on the floor, but this is the best I can do. I was debating trying different microphones, but maybe other than trying a different bass drum mic, I don't think I can do much better than what I have. This whole set-up only occupies about a 5' x 7' space in my patio room. The room is still large enough and 3/4's empty with this set-up on one end.
 
Just picked this thread up Bo. Kit looks sweet, a real little recording gem. Notice you have your bass drum mic with the head right in the hole. I find that doesn't usually get a good sound, mainly because of so much air rushing past the mic head. Here's a fun trial for you, try micing the batter head from the outside, about 6" off the head & pointing mid way between centre & rim. Then crank the reso head up a bit to get a nice room sustain/boom. It makes for an interesting alternative to the "in hole" method.
 
Just picked this thread up Bo. Kit looks sweet, a real little recording gem. Notice you have your bass drum mic with the head right in the hole. I find that doesn't usually get a good sound, mainly because of so much air rushing past the mic head. Here's a fun trial for you, try micing the batter head from the outside, about 6" off the head & pointing mid way between centre & rim. Then crank the reso head up a bit to get a nice room sustain/boom. It makes for an interesting alternative to the "in hole" method.

I'll try it, but the room itself sucks. When I do the drum-room re-model (when we can afford it) I want to sand-load the floor and raise the roof to about 12 feet high with birch wood bass traps and all that. Then the kit will sound great with those three Earthworks mics I'd use almost exclusively. Until then, the close-micing is the only way I can go.

And usually, I haven't done it yet, I get a great live bass drum sound with the mic head just inside the shell, but pointing towards the shell and not the head. I was blown away when I discovered this working at Disneyland with a blues band once that I do it automatically now because I know it works so well. But I've also had great luck with the Shure Beta something boundary mic that you put inside the drum on top of the blanket. Those mics are awesome. Maybe I'll own that next....
 
I run my cabling from hooks in the ceiling, it works great and I never have to wrap cable. Plus they don't get stepped on. Some job on those tilters Bo, how do you do it?
 
My plan is to fire up the electronics today and see what I come up with. The wife would like to see less cabling on the floor, but this is the best I can do. I was debating trying different microphones, but maybe other than trying a different bass drum mic, I don't think I can do much better than what I have. This whole set-up only occupies about a 5' x 7' space in my patio room. The room is still large enough and 3/4's empty with this set-up on one end.

The one thing I do if I'm set up in one place for a while and it's not moving (ie home studio - I don't know if you gig that kit or if it's the home kit) is to run cables to a single point, and then coil the cables, stack the coils and zip-tie the cables together into what looks like one large coil. The cables don't get coiled together, the coils just rest on top of each other. With some cable management (tying parallel runs) you can get a really clean profile on the floor. If you're moving the kit, then it's not practical at all; it can tack on an hour to tear-down if you need to deal with the cables. But if it's just there and immobile, it'll really help and feel less cluttered.
 
The one thing I do if I'm set up in one place for a while and it's not moving (ie home studio - I don't know if you gig that kit or if it's the home kit) is to run cables to a single point, and then coil the cables, stack the coils and zip-tie the cables together into what looks like one large coil. The cables don't get coiled together, the coils just rest on top of each other. With some cable management (tying parallel runs) you can get a really clean profile on the floor. If you're moving the kit, then it's not practical at all; it can tack on an hour to tear-down if you need to deal with the cables. But if it's just there and immobile, it'll really help and feel less cluttered.

Thanks for the tip, but yeah, it sounds like alot of work (this kit also gigs). I think this is as good as it's gonna get though, I'm already using short 7-foot mic cables. I think the wife will just have to deal with it. She's made the rest of the house in her image anyway ;)
 
External effects processing, stand-alone HDD recorder...

Old school. But good school.
 
Old school. But good school.
I wish I was still at school, but that's got nothing to do with education (wink).

I'd also like to record all old school too, except for the tape nonsense that is. Give me valves, knobs & faders I can touch please. I hate menues!!!!!!!! Flying edits & chinagraph pencils rule, & the whole band riding the faders on mixdown was very cool too. I remember doing that with me doing channels 2,3,11, & 13. Our crazy hot girl singer was riding 5 & 9. My arms were longer than her's, but not by much, & boy did she wiggle to the groove. so did I, lol!
 
I wish I was still at school, but that's got nothing to do with education (wink).

I'd also like to record all old school too, except for the tape nonsense that is. Give me valves, knobs & faders I can touch please. I hate menues!!!!!!!! Flying edits & chinagraph pencils rule, & the whole band riding the faders on mixdown was very cool too. I remember doing that with me doing channels 2,3,11, & 13. Our crazy hot girl singer was riding 5 & 9. My arms were longer than her's, but not by much, & boy did she wiggle to the groove. so did I, lol!

Well, that was a bit NC-17 rated ;)

It is a shame you can't just find a good solid 16-track recorder that's just a recorder and doesn't cost over $6,000 that you could mate with a nice console. But I guess there's not enough people to demand it. I saw the writing on the wall when the personal computer became the common de facto house appliance back in the late 80s.

I'm still puzzled by the tilters comment.
 
There was a letter sent to 'Sound on Sound' magazine which appeared in the current issue about the multitrack recorder issue that you describe. It came to the same conclusion as you, other than to say that there are a few selling cheaply second hand now that were much more expensive until recently. I'm detecting a trend...
 
Back
Top