AKG Acoustics Micing User's Manual
Contents
1. carefully pan the two new elements into the stereo soundstage at positions that match their actual positions in the drum set as seen from the front Going for Broke Micing the Whole Set Occasionally you will come across a job where the producer and drummer want everything to be miced This is fairly com monplace in high level music reinforcement where musical details can get lost in large performance venues In recording it doesn t happen that often but may be needed for an extended solo passage where drums will be added later The normal procedure here is to lay down a so called scratch track which is played by the drummer and is used for sync purposes later It will not appear in the final mix Then either on spare tracks or on another tape machine running in sync the drummer will play alone in the studio with a suitable monitor mix on phones The studio will normally be bare and addi tional spot mics will be placed on the cymbals three mics and on the toms three mics M ic the toms as you did the snare The studio will normally be adjusted to be somewhat more live than usual and additional mics perhaps four more will be used to pick up room sound These house mics can be dynamics or condensers Finally another OH stereo pair will be placed another 2 feet or so above the basic OH pair With the drum set we have been using here this will bring the total mic and track count up to 18 Primary OH pair Second2. a complex mix even when the drummer is playing softly For the home studio or on stage the D440 D550 and D660 are excellent alternatives with their broad high frequency boost in the 8 kHz range The best position for the OH pair is often found about 6 to 8 inches over the player s head The mics should always be car dioids or hypercardioids in order to hold down studio leakage and should be pointed outward from each other and down toward the hi hat on the left side and the large tom on the right side The spacing between the OH pair is fairly critical If they are close within one foot the sound stage you get will be tight with good delineation but with limited stereo spread As you move the mics from 1 to 2 to 3 keeping their target aiming directions on the hi hat and big tom the sound Overhead mike positioning will open up and will seem wider on the repro duced stereo stage Details here are shown in Figure 4 3 2 By the way good drummers often know more 1 about drum micing than many engineers think they do at least they know what has worked well for them in the past Listen to them they may be able to save you a lot of time Putting it on Tape So far we ve only used four microphones count ing 2 on the kick drum and if you are in a tracking session each one should go to its own track dry and unprocessed for later mix down Alternatively if you are doing a direct to stereo recording keep in mind
3. 20mm Net Weight 11 3 oz 3209 D112 Frequency Range 20Hz to 17kHz Polar Pattern cardioid Sensitivity 1 8mV Pa 75dBV Equivalent Noise Level 73dB A Electrical Impedance 210Q Recommended load impedance gt 600Q Maximum SPL for 0 5 THD Outside measurement range C480B Frequency Range 20Hz to 20kHz Polar Pattern cardioid Sensitivity 40 20 6 3mV Pa 28 34 44dBV Equivalent Noise Level 13 11 17dB A Electrical Impedance 1502 Recommended load impedance gt 2 000Q Maximum SPL for 1 THD 134 140 144dB Power Requirement 48V phantom power to DIN 45596 Size 0 8x6 9 in 21x173mm Net Weight 4 9 oz 1409 11 AKG Acoustics U S 914 Airpark Center Drive Nashville TN 37217 Tel 615 620 3800 Fax 615 620 3875 Visit our Web Site at www akg com
4. Micingthe Drum Set R INTRODUCTION In the modern studio there is no more complex job for the engineer than micing the drum set M usically the drum set and bass form the rhythmic underpinning of any jazz pop or rock musical performance In the final mix it can be in the back ground foreground or well out front depending on the needs of the music The job for the engineer at the tracking stage of album production is to store the necessary sonic elements both stereo and mono that will allow the mix engineer to put together a coherent rhythmic sound structure for all possible options that the artist and producer may want to experiment with as the album project approaches completion The tracking engineer must have a good knowledge of the drum set and how a drummer goes about setting it up It s not all that simple a drummer may take a good bit of time setting up his instruments and may damp the various drum heads to min imize ringing It is rare for a drummer to come into a studio and be up and running in a few minutes At a rehearsal possi bly but not for a recording session The artistry of an accomplished drummer is truly awesome The really good ones show a degree of independence of feet and hands rivaling that of a pipe organ virtuoso You will find that the drummer is often the first musician to arrive at the studio often a couple of hours ahead of starting time This extra time is essential in setting up the drums and making s
5. There are several important choices to make Many experienced engineers prefer to use a tried and true dynamic micro phone rather than a more recent condenser model The reason is this placed close to the head of the kick drum the micro phone will pick up sound pressures that are extremely high The overload characteristics of a dynamic mic can be more for giving than those of a condenser Also since the dynamic goes into distortion more gently the actual sound of slight non linearities might actually be a desirable thing In the old days the AKG D12 dynamic was one of the mainstays of kick drum micing today the D112 is the modern version of that microphone Onset of Overload in Condenser and With its carefully engineered bass resonance cham Dynamic Microphones ber the D112 can handle any kick drum with ease If you want to use a condenser with ultrawide low frequency capability we suggest the C4000B with Condenser its 0 5 THD overload point of 145 dB Figure 2 shows the difference betw een a dynamic and a con denser at or near the onset of distortion The dynamic has more residual distortion than the con denser but the condenser goes into gross distortion at a point where the dynamic may still be produc ing only moderate amounts of distortion Dynamic Distortion Another big decision is where to put the micro phone Since a cardioid microphone is nearly level dB always used there will be a good bit of low fre quency
6. ary OH pair 2 Cymbals 3 Toms 3 Hi hat 1 1 2 4 N Snare Kick drum Room mics 00 I1IMUIRUN ke Note that there are four stereo pair here two OH pairs and two house pairs The definition of a stereo pair is this if you pull up only a stereo pair panning it left and right you will hear a continuum of sound along the stereo stage from left to right These are vital ingredients and cannot be concocted later on from any of the mono tracks you have laid down They will come in very handy later on in the mixing process The setup as we have described it is shown in Figure 8A and B Do we have to stop here Obviously not we can add as many mics as we have remaining tracks Another useful one to add would be a cardioid looking down on the head of the snare at a distance of about 8 to 10 inches but far enough back so as not to both er the drummer Can We Subgroup to Save Tape Tracks Yes if you proceed very carefully and think out the whole process Remember stereo pairs of channels are the best way to subgroup For example if you anticipate a shortage of tape tracks you could sub mix the three mics on cymbals thus picking up an extra track The same could be done on the three toms again picking up a track In doing this you might think of the cymbal stereo pair and tom stereo pair as layers that you can later add to the basic mix But before you commit to this make sure that the drum mer and pro
7. boost due to proximity effect Suggested Figure 2 mic positions are shown in Figure 3 If the micro phone is close to the middle position 1 you will get a sound that has per haps too much low end Detail of kick drum as seen from above and not enough articula tion As the microphone is Rim of moved progressively off kick drum center the sound will have more articulation since Head you will be picking up less fundamental sound from the head Stop well short of the edge keeping a dis tance of about 4 to 5 inch O O J es The actual distance of the mic to the head will 1 2 3 normally be in the range from 5 to about 2 inches E Under some conditions you may find it useful to put up a second kick mic recording both on separate tracks of course A good combination here would be a dynamic on one track and a condenser on the other The Overhead Pair Pick these mics carefully since they provide the largest part of the sonic stage you are looking for Studio engineers usually pick the best condenser cardioids they have For the most natural response we suggest a pair of C391 s or C480 s with their ultralinear high frequency response If you want a slightly brighter sound use a pair of AKG large diaphragm condensers set in their cardioid position Another good choice is the C1000S Its included presence booster creates a frequency rise in the 5 to 9 kHz range that guarantees you ll get a sound that will cut gently through
8. ducer hear exactly what you intend to do and that they agree Global micing in a live studio front view Secondary OH mikes Primary OH mikes Figure 8A Global micing in a live studio plan view Primary house mics Secondary house mics Figure 8B The Microphones we Recommend We will show you the basic response curves and directional data for the microphones recommended in this White Paper They have all earned their merits in studios throughout the world Good drumming and good micing D440 Frequency Range 60Hz to 20kHz Polar Pattern Cardioid Sensitivity 2 5mV Pa 52dBV re 1V Pa Equivalent Noise Level 18dB A DIN 45412 Electrical impedance lt 600Q Recommended load impedance gt 2 0000 Maximum SPL for 1 THD 147dB SPL Size 3 35x4 09x1 81 in 85x104x46mm Net Weight 5 2 oz 1489 D660S Frequency Range 70Hz to 20kHz Polar Pattern H ypercardioid Sensitivity 2 0mV Pa 54dBV Equivalent Noise Level 20dB A DIN45412 Electrical impedance lt 500Q Recommended load impedance 21 2009 Maximum SPL for 1 THD 140dB SPL Size 7 13x1 97 in 181x50mm Net Weight 8 5 oz 2409 D880 D880S Frequency response 60 to 20 kHz 20 to 20 kHz 1 cm Polar pattern Supercardioid Sensitivity 2 5 mV Pa 52 dB re 1 V Pa Equivalent Noise Level 22dB A DIN45412 Electrical Impedance lt 6000 Recommended load impedance 22000 Q Output connector 3 pin male XLR Maximum SPL
9. e with the bass line Snare Drum The snare is played by both hands using a pair of sticks or light metal brushes against the head in a circular motion The snares themselves are actually multiple sets of thick gut or metal strings that rest against the bottom head of the drum and they give the characteristic burr to the sound of the instrument when it is struck They can be disengaged in which case the sound of the drum is like that of a high pitched tom Hi hat cymbals The hi hat assembly is made up of a pair of face to face cymbals one on top of the other A pedal operated with the left foot varies their separation slightly and the drummer plays them with a stick in his right hand while holding the cymbal pair by their edges lightly with his left hand The sound is light and very articulate for off beat rhythmic patterns since it reflects movements and positions of both hands The toms The toms officially known as tom toms are one sided drums slightly deeper in size and pitch than the snare drum which are placed left to right behind the snare and high hat and over the kick drum They are normally tuned low mid and high but without definite pitch As a rule there are three of them but some players may add a fourth The cymbals There are usually three cymbals arranged at the upper level of the set and directly above the toms They have various names the crash cymbal is large and is used for musical accents the ride cymbal u
10. for 1 THD 147dB SPL Size 7 13x1 97 in 181x50mm Net weight D880 10 4 oz 2959 D880S 10 5 oz 2989 D550 Frequency Range 20Hz to 20kHz Polar Pattern Cardioid Sensitivity 2 5mV Pa 52dBV re 1V Pa Equivalent Noise Level 18dB A DIN45 Electrical impedance lt 600Q Recommended load impedance gt 2 00 Maximum SPL for 1 THD 147dB SPL Size 4 76x4 09x1 81 in 121x104x46mm Net Weight 7 2 oz 2039 D770 Frequency Range 60Hz to 20kHz Polar Pattern Cardioid Sensitivity 1 8mV Pa 75dBV Equivalent Noise Level 22dB A DIN45412 Electrical impedance lt 600Q Recommended load impedance gt 2 000Q Maximum SPL for 1 THD 147dB SPL Size 7 13x1 97 in 181x50mm Net Weight 10 4 oz 2959 C418 Frequency Range 50Hz to 20kHz Polar Pattern hypercardioid Sensitivity 2 5mV Pa Equivalent Noise Level 34dB A DIN 45412 Electrical Impedance 200Q Recommended load impedance gt 1 000Q Maximum SPL for 1 THD 131dB Power Requirement 9 52V Size 3x1 4 in 75x35mm including clamp Net Weight 2 3 oz 629 v EA FEE C1000S Frequency Range 50Hz to 20kHz Polar Patterns cardioid hypercardioid with PPC 1000 mounted Sensitivity 6mV Pa 44 4dBV Equivalent Noise Level 21dB A Electrical Impedance 2009 Recommended load impedance gt 2 000Q Maximum SPL for 1 THD 137dB Power Requirement 9 52V acc to DIN 45596 or internal 9 V battery Size 1 3x8 6 in 34x2
11. ore Micing the Snare Drum and Toms than enough for the job Its sensitivity is 4 mV Pa so it will need little further padding to prevent overloading the con sole s input section Its low frequency response has been gently rolled off in the far field so that close in pickup will be natural through the boosting of bass frequencies caused by close micing proximity effect There is also a broad high frequency boost in the 10 to 15 kHz range for added presence in complex musical passages The C418 was designed specifically for percussion instrument micing However some condensers may not be able to handle the high sound pressures produced by drums For this reason dynamic microphones such as the D440 D660 or D770 are often used A second microphone on the bottom head will add a new dimension to your snare sounds But remember that you must reverse the phase of the bottom mic because the bottom head travels outward as the top head is driven inward Clamp and Microphone swivel K As with all other mics used with the drum set mount it on the far side away from the drummer and make absolutely sure that it is in a position so that there is never a chance Figure 7 that the drummer will accidentally strike it while playing Putting it on Tape Our microphone count is now up to six so if you are tracking lay down one mic per tape track again without processing In your monitor mix or if you are making a direct to stereo recording
12. other common technique is to focus the pickup by micing both the hi hat and snare drum individually The additional microphones are often added to provide more sonic choices during mixdown Micing the Hi hat Micing the Hi hat and Cymbals Figure 6 shows a view of the hi hat set Note that the two cymbals have room to pivot slightly about their suspension Microphone points as indicated by the curved lines and the mic must be outside this range Avoid placing the mic along the edge of the cymbals in their rest position since this may pro duce some strange sounding cancellations The micro Hi hat phone should be placed above the hi hat set as shown and assembly it should always be located on the side away from the drummer We recommend a small format condenser car dioid because of its ability to pick up fast transient respons es in the high frequency range The C1000S C391B or C480 B CK61 will work nicely Any of the Blue Line car dioids will work nicely as will the new C430 or C451 B The D550 or D660 can also be used on the hi hat Range of rotation Figure 6 Micing the Snare Drum Figure 7 shows a small instrument microphone attached to the rim of the drum This microphone is small enough that it goes virtually unnoticed by the drummer and yet picks up the sound of the drum accurately The AKG M icroM ic model C418 is ideal for this application The C418 is a very small condenser model with a 1 overload point at 131 dB m
13. sually higher pitched is used in continuous passages and a sizzle cymbal with small metal pins loosely fitted on its periphery is used for light pas sages where an increased degree of high frequency shimmer is desired Cymbals are among the most expensive items in a drum set M any excellent ones are made in near eastern countries such as Turkey where the art has been handed down in families for many generations This in short is a description of a typical modern drum set Figure 1 shows what it looks like from the viewpoint of the audience The Basic Drum Set Cymbals Figure 1 Hi hat cymbals Snare drum Kick drum In this White Paper we will discuss micing the drum set largely from the point of view of AKG s highly regarded studio mics We also want to introduce a new family of low cost dynamic microphone models that are so good you d think they were condensers These are the models D440 D550 and D660 along with the D770 D880 and D112 they are ideal for the home studio and music reinforcement on stage They all have high overload margins in the 145 to 150 dB which is essen tial in drum micing Basic MICING STRATEGY At the most fundamental level we have a microphone on the kick drum and an overhead OH pair of mics picking up the entire set in stereo M any a jazz recording mixed direct to stereo has been made with this setup If you are doing this we suggest the following options Micing the Kick Drum
14. that any processing you do cannot be undone easily Figure 4 In the monitor mix take advantage of stereo by spreading the OH mics from say just a little left of center to far right This will give a clear picture of the drum set occupying the right half of the reproduced stereo stage and this effect will be more pleasing if you have placed your OH mics to position 3 in Figure 4 With the OH mics arrayed like this you will have the entire left half of the stereo stage to place other instruments such as the piano which are miced in stereo By all means place the kick drum in the center of the stereo stage This is where it historically has been and where most listeners expect it to be An overall view of the drum set with the four microphones is shown in Figure 5 6 6 5 feet Overhead stereo pair Figure 5 e Condenser Dynamic If you re going straight to stereo you will also have to make some processing decisions for the drum tracks Avoid any rever beration you probably won t need it since there is enough overhand in the basic sound itself A final point regarding recording levels M ics that are close in on a drum set will usually be sampling very high level sound fields With most of the newer microphones you won t have to use the internal microphone pad but you should carefully trim down the console mic input sections just to make sure that you still have sufficient headroom at all times A More Complex Pickup An
15. ure that all spurious resonances and extraneous nois es have been worked out of the system The drummer should maintain eye contact with the other players and not be shunted off to a distant drum cage or isolation booth For certain kinds of music the drum set will have to be isolated with goboes but the drummer should never feel out of contact with the other musicians There are of course exceptions and many a drummer has played alone in a big studio adding his tracks to pre existing bass and other supporting tracks often taking advantage of the acoustics of a large empty space THE Basic MAKEUP OF THE DRUM SET Although the actual instruments and their arrangement will vary from player to player the drum set will have the follow ing basic elements Kick Drum The kick drum is played with the right foot using a spring loaded pedal There may be heads the striking sur face on both sides of the kick drum but some players use a single head Another variation is the use of a full head on the playing side with a head on the opposite side that has a medium sized hole in it providing a limited degree of tuning of the inner cavity The larger the drum and lighter the tension on the heads the lower the pitch will be Some players go for a higher pitched highly damped sound while others prefer a lower pitched sound In either case the player will most like ly want the sound to be fairly well damped so that it will not overhang and possibly interfer
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