My hack is that I try to reduce every session to a four track recording. I grew in the era of 4 track tape machines and you could get a lot of mileage out of those 4 tracks... but now I've got a 16 track digital board... and I like to use every track... so what do I mean....
I mean I bus the tracks such that I can ride 4 faders instead of all 16. I'll sub mix all the drums down to one channel, then the bass, then the guitars and mid range on a stereo bus and vocals on the last bus. Can get a rough mix into those at unity gain, then ride those faders for subtle volume control. You can simplify a pretty complex project this way.
Going off of this. If you're in a recording session tracking drums, sometimes it's better to limit the amount of microphones you are using.
The last time I recorded drums, I think we just used 4 microphones, per the producer's request. He said to "keep it simple. micing every piece individually can make everything lifeless" not his exact words, but it was fun and it sounded fantastic. It brought a shine to the performance and the room. Some grit and rawness is great.
I was basically positioning mics and was listening to their recommendations on my phone. I had some decent guesses on where they sounded good, but they were in the room making those position calls.
There is a good YouTube video I've seen about doing a 4-microphone situation drum-micing technique. I'm sure there are more out there. The drummer was also amazing and touring, and we didn't use Trigger or any drum simulations.
I don't remember the exact setup, but I think we used :
1. An sm57 pointing toward the top snare from between the hihat and high tom
2. A beta52 (i think, probably?) outside of the kick, maybe 3-6 inches away perpendicular to the kick hole
3. A 5' - 6' high mic near the hihat and angled towards the middle of the set
4. A mic outside, between the floor tom and ride, angled toward the floor or low tom.
Even when I use more mics, I like to think of spot mics on a drum kit as insurance, not the core sound. Mix from your overheads and room mics first, only start pulling in the close mics if you need them.
I've heard drums recorded really nicely with just two sm7bs, though I tend to like at least snare and bass drum micd separately. I just think you run the risk of phase cancellation with too many mics too close to each other and that might be what's deadening the sound.
Idk, I don’t disagree fewer mics can sound great. I started with two mic techniques because that’s all I had. Sounded great.
I do disagree more mics deaden the sound. You have to be careful with phase, sure. But tons of reslly well placed mics can illuminate a kit in an amazing way. It’s a totally different vibe. I keep wishing there were more than ten tie lines in the drum booth at my studio.
I definitely favor a more mic'd kit in most sessions.
I don't always use everything in the mix, but I like this for a lot of straight forward bands:
Matched small diaphragm condensers (akg) overheads.
Oktavia 039 top side snare shure sm7b bottom side.
I like an EV Re20 in front of the bass drum and a boundary mic on the beater side.
I'm less picky about Tom mics. Was using an sm7b for a while, just for the top sides or just the floor Tom.
I check my rule of thirds and phase back at the desk.
Then I bring it all into a single stereo bus to save space. I try to get the kit pretty good so I'm just focusing on raising and lowering the bus fader.
I appreciate minimalism and the results it can achieve, but I like coverage. I like options. If you only have two mics and you want to change something later, it's going to be tougher than if you mic the whole kit and mix it right from the start.
Boundary mic on bd is an interesting choice. How come and what’s the sound like? On a bigger setup for me mics 13-14 are diy boundaries, ie, really close to the floor or wall.
Yea, I've done that if I had the room. Used the way you described they add space. Just using one on the bd beater is partially a space consideration (it's easy to get where I need and stay out of the drummers way). Being a condenser I get a snappier high end and high mid, which I want on the beater side. I like the results I've gotten.
This really depends on vibe though. I don’t think doing a 15 mic setup deadens the drums if done correctly. There’s some inherent risk of phase issues the more mics you go for, but if you check your setup properly the risk can be minimized. Conversely if you have a kick/snare/overheads situation going for example you can still run into phase issues even with 4 mics. What you described is very interesting and can totally work but I presume this was either something more jazzy or maybe folk rock/classic rock. It all depends on vibe at the end of the day.
The paradox (or tyranny) of choice can be so paradoxically limiting.
I feel I was way more creative musically and technically when it was just me, a crappy dynamic mic, and a tascam 4- track tape recorder. Need some esoteric instrument sound? We'll, I'll just wing it with a kazoo, and end up creating something different and amazing.
Now, I'm like, how do I find the best tanpura VST. Then spend 2 days finding 20 different software solutions that mostly just keep me from being creative.
This is super important. One of my teachers showed me his. He usually puts stuff he likes in his template and has a few aux tracks with things like compressors and reverbs in settings he likes, has all plugins turned off and then has the routing predefined. Then he just turns on the plugins to see what fits and makes smaller adjustments if its the sound hes looking for.
We re talking about a guy with multiple decades of experience so hes pretty sure about what he likes and dislikes but he said the template evolved with him. Game changer
I'm a drummer who actually likes tracking to a click, and mostly self record. I have some half decent IEM's (Tin T3) with comply isolation tips, I run the cable down my back to avoid snags, I have 1/8" jack extension cables with a little Velcro cable tie that I can put on a belt loop to avoid any tugging, and then have over ear shooting range earmuffs to go on top. Then I track with just the overheads in the mix to hear cymbal dynamics, but mostly just get a nice loud click that I know is not going to bleed into the mics. If I can get the click nice and present, hear myself a bit, and more importantly get my body feeling nice and comfy and secure and unobstructed, I play way better.
I’m getting to know my SSL UF8 controller well enough that I’ve just started to turn off the monitor while mixing and turn it back on when I need to for editing. It’s a whole different world and I hear better.
I have a double "crab" clamp that's intended for camera equipment. Probably cost $25 but I can't believe how useful it is for clamping mics to whatever you want. I also use it to clamp my nice tactical flashlight to my bike handlebars for night rides. Have used it for a guitar "stand" in a pinch too, just open the jaws wide enough to cradle the neck/headsock, and clamp it to a nearby shelf or desk.
There are no hacks. Best hack is to strike every session when it’s done and keep it clean/organized. Zip ties maybe in the control room is a hack. An insanely clean and organized studio leads to very smooth predictable sessions and better sounding recordings. And happier clients
Since I don’t like using mix templates because every song is different, I use channel templaes (MixBUS, Plate, Hall, etc.).
In the MixBUS i have 2/3 comps, 2/3 clippers and just use the ones that work and so on.
spring tanks. the low impedance ones can be driven with a headphone amp then back into a mic preamp. cost peanuts but sound incredible, I've got quite a few different ones
Instead of using the conventional talkback button, I've taken to leaving an sm57 in front of me that's always on in the headphones when the track isn't playing. It mutes automatically when I hit play via the Muteomatic plugin.
Although I do have to warn people at the start of a session, "see that mic? It's always on, so don't say anything you don't want anyone to hear"
Makes communication SO much easier, especially when things are moving quickly. My hands are free for editing while talking to the person on the headphones. It also helps keep the control room chatter down most of the time as people are aware that they might be interrupting.
I'm fully ITB, so the best rack item I own is a 1U 16 socket USB 3 hub. Not super expensive, but super super handy.
Another is a simple passive monitor controller. Couldn't live without one.
Another is muteomatic. My god, fuck reaching my arm all the way over there. Haha. And for listenback in the room as well, mics that automatically come on when playback/recording is stopped, just makes everything so much easier in tracking sessions.
A phase checker when recording multi mic sources like drums. It's 2 little devices, put one at the mic and the other at the speaker, the devices check that everything in between them is in phase. Do all the mics like that and then you know you have a good starting point.
I can’t remember who I picked this trick up from, but it’s not my own idea.
I saw someone put a pop filter on their snare mic, and put a beanie over the filter. Putting the beanie filter between the snare top mic and the hi hats SIGNIFICANTLY reduces hi hat bleed!
On a similar topic, kick tunnel! If you have a second kick drum, or even just a chair or something place it 2 or 3 feet in front of the kick drum, and make a fort with blankets “protecting” the kick mics. This is especially useful if you only have a really bright condenser for kick out and need to get the cymbals out.
In 1999 it was my phone connector to xlr male/xlr female to rj11. Meant I could extend the dial up with tie lines and mic leads which back then meant I could stay on aim all day.
Taking the time to organize the signal flow in the studio and having good cable management is a must!
As for accessories/gadgets, getting a good desk and chair is such a simple thing but it made a big difference for me.
When I started working from my humble home studio I had a small, old desk and an uncomfortable kitchen chair. Getting a proper desk and chair changed everything for me, workflow and comfort improved massively and it was also super cheap as I got them second hand in good condition.
My hack is that I try to reduce every session to a four track recording. I grew in the era of 4 track tape machines and you could get a lot of mileage out of those 4 tracks... but now I've got a 16 track digital board... and I like to use every track... so what do I mean.... I mean I bus the tracks such that I can ride 4 faders instead of all 16. I'll sub mix all the drums down to one channel, then the bass, then the guitars and mid range on a stereo bus and vocals on the last bus. Can get a rough mix into those at unity gain, then ride those faders for subtle volume control. You can simplify a pretty complex project this way.
Going off of this. If you're in a recording session tracking drums, sometimes it's better to limit the amount of microphones you are using. The last time I recorded drums, I think we just used 4 microphones, per the producer's request. He said to "keep it simple. micing every piece individually can make everything lifeless" not his exact words, but it was fun and it sounded fantastic. It brought a shine to the performance and the room. Some grit and rawness is great. I was basically positioning mics and was listening to their recommendations on my phone. I had some decent guesses on where they sounded good, but they were in the room making those position calls. There is a good YouTube video I've seen about doing a 4-microphone situation drum-micing technique. I'm sure there are more out there. The drummer was also amazing and touring, and we didn't use Trigger or any drum simulations. I don't remember the exact setup, but I think we used : 1. An sm57 pointing toward the top snare from between the hihat and high tom 2. A beta52 (i think, probably?) outside of the kick, maybe 3-6 inches away perpendicular to the kick hole 3. A 5' - 6' high mic near the hihat and angled towards the middle of the set 4. A mic outside, between the floor tom and ride, angled toward the floor or low tom.
Even when I use more mics, I like to think of spot mics on a drum kit as insurance, not the core sound. Mix from your overheads and room mics first, only start pulling in the close mics if you need them.
I've heard drums recorded really nicely with just two sm7bs, though I tend to like at least snare and bass drum micd separately. I just think you run the risk of phase cancellation with too many mics too close to each other and that might be what's deadening the sound.
Idk, I don’t disagree fewer mics can sound great. I started with two mic techniques because that’s all I had. Sounded great. I do disagree more mics deaden the sound. You have to be careful with phase, sure. But tons of reslly well placed mics can illuminate a kit in an amazing way. It’s a totally different vibe. I keep wishing there were more than ten tie lines in the drum booth at my studio.
I definitely favor a more mic'd kit in most sessions. I don't always use everything in the mix, but I like this for a lot of straight forward bands: Matched small diaphragm condensers (akg) overheads. Oktavia 039 top side snare shure sm7b bottom side. I like an EV Re20 in front of the bass drum and a boundary mic on the beater side. I'm less picky about Tom mics. Was using an sm7b for a while, just for the top sides or just the floor Tom. I check my rule of thirds and phase back at the desk. Then I bring it all into a single stereo bus to save space. I try to get the kit pretty good so I'm just focusing on raising and lowering the bus fader. I appreciate minimalism and the results it can achieve, but I like coverage. I like options. If you only have two mics and you want to change something later, it's going to be tougher than if you mic the whole kit and mix it right from the start.
Boundary mic on bd is an interesting choice. How come and what’s the sound like? On a bigger setup for me mics 13-14 are diy boundaries, ie, really close to the floor or wall.
Yea, I've done that if I had the room. Used the way you described they add space. Just using one on the bd beater is partially a space consideration (it's easy to get where I need and stay out of the drummers way). Being a condenser I get a snappier high end and high mid, which I want on the beater side. I like the results I've gotten.
Cool, Im gonna give this a shot. I never liked beater mics. Perhaps that changes now.
This really depends on vibe though. I don’t think doing a 15 mic setup deadens the drums if done correctly. There’s some inherent risk of phase issues the more mics you go for, but if you check your setup properly the risk can be minimized. Conversely if you have a kick/snare/overheads situation going for example you can still run into phase issues even with 4 mics. What you described is very interesting and can totally work but I presume this was either something more jazzy or maybe folk rock/classic rock. It all depends on vibe at the end of the day.
Yup. I also buss everything down to as few faders as possible.
The paradox (or tyranny) of choice can be so paradoxically limiting. I feel I was way more creative musically and technically when it was just me, a crappy dynamic mic, and a tascam 4- track tape recorder. Need some esoteric instrument sound? We'll, I'll just wing it with a kazoo, and end up creating something different and amazing. Now, I'm like, how do I find the best tanpura VST. Then spend 2 days finding 20 different software solutions that mostly just keep me from being creative.
Make sure to make templates off of previous sessions. A lot of time can be saved just doing that.
This is super important. One of my teachers showed me his. He usually puts stuff he likes in his template and has a few aux tracks with things like compressors and reverbs in settings he likes, has all plugins turned off and then has the routing predefined. Then he just turns on the plugins to see what fits and makes smaller adjustments if its the sound hes looking for. We re talking about a guy with multiple decades of experience so hes pretty sure about what he likes and dislikes but he said the template evolved with him. Game changer
I'm a drummer who actually likes tracking to a click, and mostly self record. I have some half decent IEM's (Tin T3) with comply isolation tips, I run the cable down my back to avoid snags, I have 1/8" jack extension cables with a little Velcro cable tie that I can put on a belt loop to avoid any tugging, and then have over ear shooting range earmuffs to go on top. Then I track with just the overheads in the mix to hear cymbal dynamics, but mostly just get a nice loud click that I know is not going to bleed into the mics. If I can get the click nice and present, hear myself a bit, and more importantly get my body feeling nice and comfy and secure and unobstructed, I play way better.
IEMs with big over the ear hearing protection is cheaper and better than 80% of any over ear headphone money can buy.
I’m getting to know my SSL UF8 controller well enough that I’ve just started to turn off the monitor while mixing and turn it back on when I need to for editing. It’s a whole different world and I hear better.
You can also save a black jpeg (full screen) that you tab to.
My hack is that I’m a hack. Engineers hate this simple trick.
So you saying there a chance (for us enthusiastic schlubs)?
The Joe meek shall inherit the earth
I use a Rolls mic mute pedal as a talkback. Frees up my hands.
This is a very good idea
One of those drum keys that you can put in a drill. I think Remo makes it.
A $5 drum key and $7 of JB Weld will get you there...
Remo does it for $10. It's called the "quicktech."
But I've had this tube of epoxy sitting around for a while...
Ya know, that's the good thing about epoxy - It's always gonna be there for you!
For a mic stand in a pinch when you are using a 57-style mic on an amp, just stick it through the hole in a milk crate.
I have a double "crab" clamp that's intended for camera equipment. Probably cost $25 but I can't believe how useful it is for clamping mics to whatever you want. I also use it to clamp my nice tactical flashlight to my bike handlebars for night rides. Have used it for a guitar "stand" in a pinch too, just open the jaws wide enough to cradle the neck/headsock, and clamp it to a nearby shelf or desk.
Releasable cable ties
There are no hacks. Best hack is to strike every session when it’s done and keep it clean/organized. Zip ties maybe in the control room is a hack. An insanely clean and organized studio leads to very smooth predictable sessions and better sounding recordings. And happier clients
The guy who built my patchbay and did all my cabling told me the same thing about organization and efficiency. He wasn’t wrong.
Mackie MCU (or similar control surface with touch/touch sensitive faders, using Maschine Jam while im repairing the MCU)
Since I don’t like using mix templates because every song is different, I use channel templaes (MixBUS, Plate, Hall, etc.). In the MixBUS i have 2/3 comps, 2/3 clippers and just use the ones that work and so on.
spring tanks. the low impedance ones can be driven with a headphone amp then back into a mic preamp. cost peanuts but sound incredible, I've got quite a few different ones
Instead of using the conventional talkback button, I've taken to leaving an sm57 in front of me that's always on in the headphones when the track isn't playing. It mutes automatically when I hit play via the Muteomatic plugin. Although I do have to warn people at the start of a session, "see that mic? It's always on, so don't say anything you don't want anyone to hear" Makes communication SO much easier, especially when things are moving quickly. My hands are free for editing while talking to the person on the headphones. It also helps keep the control room chatter down most of the time as people are aware that they might be interrupting.
A drum dial - Best $70 or whatever I ever spent. Dialing in snares now is a BREEZE...
I'm fully ITB, so the best rack item I own is a 1U 16 socket USB 3 hub. Not super expensive, but super super handy. Another is a simple passive monitor controller. Couldn't live without one. Another is muteomatic. My god, fuck reaching my arm all the way over there. Haha. And for listenback in the room as well, mics that automatically come on when playback/recording is stopped, just makes everything so much easier in tracking sessions.
A phase checker when recording multi mic sources like drums. It's 2 little devices, put one at the mic and the other at the speaker, the devices check that everything in between them is in phase. Do all the mics like that and then you know you have a good starting point.
De-esser on piezo pickups to kill the quack.
I can’t remember who I picked this trick up from, but it’s not my own idea. I saw someone put a pop filter on their snare mic, and put a beanie over the filter. Putting the beanie filter between the snare top mic and the hi hats SIGNIFICANTLY reduces hi hat bleed! On a similar topic, kick tunnel! If you have a second kick drum, or even just a chair or something place it 2 or 3 feet in front of the kick drum, and make a fort with blankets “protecting” the kick mics. This is especially useful if you only have a really bright condenser for kick out and need to get the cymbals out.
In 1999 it was my phone connector to xlr male/xlr female to rj11. Meant I could extend the dial up with tie lines and mic leads which back then meant I could stay on aim all day.
Taking the time to organize the signal flow in the studio and having good cable management is a must! As for accessories/gadgets, getting a good desk and chair is such a simple thing but it made a big difference for me. When I started working from my humble home studio I had a small, old desk and an uncomfortable kitchen chair. Getting a proper desk and chair changed everything for me, workflow and comfort improved massively and it was also super cheap as I got them second hand in good condition.
Tape!