A little help with mic/mixer options..

organworthyplayer337 said:
Hey @Icetech , how's your setup treating you now?
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It's horrible but i'm just kind of getting used to it.. I watch videos of guys/studios with the same setup as i'm using, or even just 2 overheads and they sound SOOO much better.

One interesting thing i have found is, i like FL Studio more than reaper, but reaper has more of a natural sounds, FL sounds like it is a bit muddy, i was surprised at that.

So far i find no joy in playing with mics/headphones.. I will get use to it though :)
 
Icetech said:
It's horrible but i'm just kind of getting used to it.. I watch videos of guys/studios with the same setup as i'm using, or even just 2 overheads and they sound SOOO much better.

One interesting thing i have found is, i like FL Studio more than reaper, but reaper has more of a natural sounds, FL sounds like it is a bit muddy, i was surprised at that.

So far i find no joy in playing with mics/headphones.. I will get use to it though :)
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I‘ve been there and done that. It can get discouraging when you can’t get the results you want.

I suggest you simplify and start by using only the overheads, mounted to an XY mic bracket and in the XY position (really great info here). Begin by placing the mics directly over your snare drum, about 48”–60” above the batter head. Set the stereo spread to 50% left & right (for starters). Play a simple beat. Play whole notes on the toms & cymbals. Play each one at the same volume. Only one minute of audio is needed.

As you listen to the audio playback, listen to each instrument carefully. You have a lot of toms, so it’s gonna take a while. Listen to how the stereo image is spread across your listening field. Move the mic bracket around until that image sounds—and feels—natural.

Once you have a stereo image of your kit that you like (or, at least, can live with), add the snare & kick audio to your mix and repeat the listening process. Once those four audio signals are settled, add all those toms.

This XY mic configuration will give you a great stereo image from a single point. It essentially is the sound of your entire kit in that room, from a single point above the kit.

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Edit: mic placement is not a guessing game or an estimate, especially in a small room. Learn to be precise in where you hang the overheads and where they point.
 
I have been playing with mic placements and EQ settings... a lot to learn but getting there, right now i'm using a Glyn Johns setup which works really well, i haven't tied the XY mic setup yet. I might this weekend to see how it goes...

I have found the Glyn Johns setup with a bout 8% L/R panning is pretty nice, so far it seems if i don't have my music level just right compared to my drum level then it will throw me off.. I will get there, thanks a ton for the help :)

For some reason i have falling back in love with Foghat lately of all things... just straight rock that's fun to play :) That and some Pat Travers and i'm having a decent night (man i am old)

P.S. kind of sad i never got to see them live, would have been a fun show :)

 
I know everybody has different acclimation periods, but I know for me, as soon as I mic'd my kits up, I was happy with the result. That's why I am so invested in helping you out lololol

I'm using something similar to the Glyn Johns technique (recorder man).

I'd suggest panning more than just 8%

Are you monitoring through Focusrite's software or through your DAW?
Monitoring through the DAW can make things sound different. I think you might want to just listen to the direct signal from Focusrite Control and get comfortable with that before you attempt to EQ/compress real-time with your DAW.

I've never used headphones, but maybe you can turn the interface (drum signal) up (until it is at a comfortable listening volume) and the music down quite a bit.
Getting a balance between the drums and the music shouldn't be a precarious task but sometimes you have to turn the interface up to actually hear your mic signals, and adjust everything else after the fact.

Could you share a pic of your mic'ing/recording set up? If you are comfortable doing that.
 
cbphoto said:
c.1978 I saw Pat live with his new drummer, Tommy Aldridge, at Winterland. Great show!
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Ohhh that would have been AMAZING... Aldridge is a beast and seems like a super nice guy... Seems for the last like decade Pat has been playing with Sammy Genaro (sp?) great rock drummer also...
 
organworthyplayer337 said:
I know everybody has different acclimation periods, but I know for me, as soon as I mic'd my kits up, I was happy with the result. That's why I am so invested in helping you out lololol

I'm using something similar to the Glyn Johns technique (recorder man).

I'd suggest panning more than just 8%

Are you monitoring through Focusrite's software or through your DAW?
Monitoring through the DAW can make things sound different. I think you might want to just listen to the direct signal from Focusrite Control and get comfortable with that before you attempt to EQ/compress real-time with your DAW.

I've never used headphones, but maybe you can turn the interface (drum signal) up (until it is at a comfortable listening volume) and the music down quite a bit.
Getting a balance between the drums and the music shouldn't be a precarious task but sometimes you have to turn the interface up to actually hear your mic signals, and adjust everything else after the fact.

Could you share a pic of your mic'ing/recording set up? If you are comfortable doing that.
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I have done both through DAW and straighty focusrite, i prefer daw as i can EQ and make things sound better :) I can take a pic later.. i think it's just me getting used to things is the main thing.. i mean i can play it's just an adjustment is all. I'm at work right now, will post a pic or 2 later.
 
Icetech said:
I have done both through DAW and straighty focusrite, i prefer daw as i can EQ and make things sound better :) I can take a pic later.. i think it's just me getting used to things is the main thing.. i mean i can play it's just an adjustment is all. I'm at work right now, will post a pic or 2 later.
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Doesn’t your Focusrite have an on-board DSP for effects such as EQ, compression, gating, reverb? My Presonus does and provides “~0ms” latency with effects functioning on its eight channels (it doesn’t apply effects to any external inputs though). What’s nice is there’s software emulation plugins that can be mapped to the on-board DSP (and vice versa) so live tracking can have a virtually identical sound in one’s monitor feed.
 
cbphoto said:
Doesn’t your Focusrite have an on-board DSP for effects such as EQ, compression, gating, reverb? My Presonus does and provides “~0ms” latency with effects functioning on its eight channels (it doesn’t apply effects to any external inputs though). What’s nice is there’s software emulation plugins that can be mapped to the on-board DSP (and vice versa) so live tracking can have a virtually identical sound in one’s monitor feed.
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The focusrite (from what i can tell) only lets you set your input/output and pad/air settings no EQ/compression... that's why i'm using the daw.. unless i'm missing something...

It's a 18i20
 
Didn't forget bout pics.. just been getting used to the setup and playing rather than remembering to take pics :) Will get to it.. might record some to see if maybe i'm just being too picky.
 
Any update here? How is the setup working out for you? I'm in the planning stages of an updated setup.
 
River19 said:
Any update here? How is the setup working out for you? I'm in the planning stages of an updated setup.
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Well... I think it's ok.. according to reaper i have 375hours played in the X months since starting this setup so i don't hate it :) I don't think i will ever be happy with my snare sounds but overall it's ok. My setup was fairly inexpensive and works very well, if i could make 1 change i would probably add 1-2 more overheads. I am now upto 4 crashes and 2 rides+ 3up 1 down drums and i notice some drums/cymbals are louder than others so i would like to balance that more, i could probably adjust and fix it.. but i'm lazy :)

I ended up using the Glyn johns technique and it's worked out well. Learning to EQ was the hardest part but heck.. you can make a cardboard box sound like bonham with enough EQ :)

P.S. just did the math.. i did this setup in april, had to get a emergency shoulder/upper arm replacement with metal/plastic so i didn't play for 2months and am still healing but am back up to 2-5 hours a night (having to relearn everything on my left hand as it's all different from the surgery) so.. 375 hours over 4-5 months... The setup as worked well for me :)
 
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