A little overwhelming...

[Tommy Gun]

On the 24th of this month, I'll be taking the drummer for the metal band I'm currently producing to the nicest studio I will have ever worked in (so far), to lay down drum tracks for this 5-song EP. I have worked in decent studios before, but nowhere comparable to this place. Below is a list of the gear I have access to, which is more than has ever been available to me and reads like a damn wish list. I've included the drum setup and my micing-setup intentions. Out of the gear below, what would you use? I know what I would use right now, but I want to make sure I'm not overlooking anything. So... hit me.

Drums:
Tama Rockstar 6 -piece (12, 14, 16, 18, 22 + snare 14x5.5). Kick & Snare heads are both Remo Powerstroke 3 + Falam pad on Kick head. Tom heads are some kind of Evans pinstripe deal. Cymbals are all nice sounding Zildjian, Sabian, and Paiste: 2 Crashes, 1 Hat, 1 Ride, 1 China, 1 Splash, 1 Ice Bell. All on a sturdy, yet quiet, Pearl rack system. There aren't a lot of cymbals, so I'll be micing them all individually, minus the splash and ice bell, both of which with come through other mics easily. Each drum is getting a trigger + a mic and the snare is getting that + a bottom mic. I will also be putting a stereo room mic about 6-8 ft. out in front of the kit.

Equipment:
ProTools HD3 Accel (v.8) with cutting edge selection of Plug-Ins
Focusrite C24 Console
Lynx Aurora 16 (x2) for 32 in/outputs simultaneously
API L200 Rack with 212 preamp (x3)
API 225 comp/limiter (x6)
API 2500 Stereo Compressor
Vintech (Neve-clone) X73i (x2), 473 (x3), 273 (16 channels total)
Empirical Labs Distressor (x2)
Universal Audio LA 610mk2
Furman HDS-6 Headphone System
Sharp Aquos 46” Monitor
Apple Cinema Display 20”
Apple Mac Pro Quad-core

Microphones:
Earthworks TC-30 (matched pair)
Telefunken AK-47 Tube
Royer 112 Stereo Ribbon
Neumann KM184 (matched pair)
Neumann TLM 103
Soundelux iFET (47/87 switchable capsule)
Blue Baby Bottle (matched pair)
Sennheiser MD 421 (x3)
Sennheiser 609 (x2)
Beyerdynamic M88TG
Beyerdynamic Soundstar mkII
Rode NTK Tube
Rode NT-4 (matched pair)
Rode NT-1A
CAD Equitek E-200
Audix D1, D2, D3, D4 (x3)
Audix SCX-1
AKG D112
Shure Beta 52, Beta 87, Beta 58, Beta 57, SM57 (x10), SM58 (x8)
EV 747, Hammer

 

[Lasse Lammert]

nice list!
get rid of the pinstripes on the toms before you even start micing with whatever mic

 

[Tommy Gun]

nice list!
get rid of the pinstripes on the toms before you even start micing with whatever mic

Really? I didn't pay much attention to what they were because they sounded so good already. I'll find out Tuesday exactly which heads they are on the toms.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Really? I didn't pay much attention to what they were because they sounded so good already. I'll find out Tuesday exactly which heads they are on the toms.

well, if they sounds good you don't have to worry.
I just never had good experiences with pinstripes, but that might just be taste.

Have lots of fun playing with all that gear, don't forget to take some pics!

 

[Tommy Gun]

well, if they sounds good you don't have to worry.
I just never had good experiences with pinstripes, but that might just be taste.

Have lots of fun playing with all that gear, don't forget to take some pics!

Okay... I'll check out what they are, though. Thanks Lasse. I'll definitely get some pics, maybe some video too, if I can find a camera for it.

 

[AEL89]

coated batter heads...G1s! Great gear list. Have fun, dude!

 

[Tommy Gun]

coated batter heads...G1s! Great gear list. Have fun, dude!

Thanks man... I want to hear what mics you guys would choose for the job though. Like I said, I know what I can and would use, but I want to hear yall's opinions too. I want these drum tracks to breathe smoke.

 

[AEL89]

421s on batter heads, D112/Beta 52 for floor tom batter. Try a few different large diaphragm condensers for the resonant heads.

 

[GarethSE]

im thinking you should go totally batshit insane with the micing and use whatever you can wherever you can.

 

[Tommy Gun]

im thinking you should go totally batshit insane with the micing and use whatever you can wherever you can.

LOL

 

[AEL89]

yeh dude, go fucking mental and wing loads of mics. Check the phase on everything though!! Leave pieces of paper lying round with 'phase' written on them!! If you're doing stereo room mics - get them nice and wide - fuck any blumlein or xy shit. Never underestimate an SM7 pointed at the ceiling though - beauty!

 

[Tommy Gun]

This is what I'm thinking then...

Kick:
Shure Beta 52 inside 8"-10" from Batter head / Beyer M88TG inside 12"-15" from Batter head / Ddrum Acoustic Trigger

Snare:
Shure Beta 57 on top / Audix D1 underneath / Ddrum Acoustic Trigger

Rack Toms:
Sennheiser MD 421's on top / Audix D3's underneath / Ddrum Acoustic Triggers

Floor Tom (16"):
Sennheiser MD 421 on top / Audix D4 underneath / Ddrum Acoustic Trigger

Floor Tom (18"):
AKG D112 on top / Audix D4 underneath / Ddrum Acoustic Trigger

China Cymbal:
Earthworks TC30

Hi Hat:
Earthworks TC30

Ride:
Audix SCX-1 and/or Rode NTK Tube (placement- underneath, near bell)

Crashes:
Neumann KM184 (matched pair)

Room/Ambience:
Royer 112 Stereo Ribbon and/or Rode NT-4 (matched pair)

 

[colonel kurtz]

If you're doing stereo room mics

....use the fucking royer!!!!

and goddamnit, run it through the vintechs!

my favorite recorded sound ever, regardless of the source, is a 121 into a brent averill 1073 module. you'll never find anything that comes so close to sounding like what you're actually hearing in the room...

 

[Tommy Gun]

The Batter heads on the toms are...
http://store.daddario.com/category/148358/EC2_Coated_Drumhead
They sound pretty good in pre-production. Any reason I should change them?

 

[Charlie E.]

....use the fucking royer!!!!

and goddamnit, run it through the vintechs!

lol I love the emotion in this post

 

[Tommy Gun]

Okay... here is a sample from Pre Production. Keep in mind, the recording was purely for picking at arrangements and individual parts. There is no mixing involved, not even preamps or comps. Just mics, into cheap mixing board, into 1 stereo track in Reaper. But I think it gives a nice raw idea of what these tom heads sound like...

https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/2312393/Camps%20sample.mp3

anyone...?

 

[KeithTidd]

they only have one audix scx? those are really nice sounding mics - we have them at my work and they're constantly on OH. everything you're planning on sounds fine to me, although i wouldn't have the beyer inside, all you need is the thr beta52. I'd put the beyer either right in the hole, or on the outside of the kick OR i'd put the telefunken/soundelux 47 capsule on the outside of the kick.