close mic cymbals

[SvenAHC]

hi all,

I want to record drums with triggers and overheads. I already got a pair of mk 012 and im thinking to buy another pair and close mic the cymbals. So put 1 on HH, 1 on left crash, 1 on right crash + china and 1 on the splash in the middle.

- what do you think of this solution ? i've always heard that close-micing cymbals doesnt give you the best sound for OH
- does anybody have any concerns regarding phasing issues?

thanks

 

[xTomx]

Hi-Hat and China will be all over every mic whether you want it or not.

The more mics you introduce brings more phase discrepancies, room mice or close mics might be a better investment.

 

[SvenAHC]

i forgot to mention, i dont mic the toms. Also the room is some practice room, so i dont think room mics are the way to go..

 

[MrBongo]

try before you buy

 

[Heabow]

Just my very personal note: I tried spot mic cymbals once and did not like it at all. Yes you get very good separation between cymbals and this is precisely what I did not like actually. I prefer to have a larger "glued image" of the kit with two or three oh and room mics if I possible.

 

[rapucore]

Just my very personal note: I tried spot mic cymbals once and did not like it at all. Yes you get very good separation between cymbals and this is precisely what I did not like actually. I prefer to have a larger "glued image" of the kit with two or three oh and room mics if I possible.

+1

 

[mickrich]

Just my very personal note: I tried spot mic cymbals once and did not like it at all. Yes you get very good separation between cymbals and this is precisely what I did not like actually. I prefer to have a larger "glued image" of the kit with two or three oh and room mics if I possible.

+2

 

[mharwood]

Just my very personal note: I tried spot mic cymbals once and did not like it at all. Yes you get very good separation between cymbals and this is precisely what I did not like actually. I prefer to have a larger "glued image" of the kit with two or three oh and room mics if I possible.

+3

I've tried close miking the hat and ride a few times. I never end up using the mics in the mix.

 

[Studdy]

+4. But generally I mic the hi hat as well. It usually makes the mix but its not super crucial generally. I like to think of "attack" when i close mic a cymbal. I prefer to hear the just the crash etc without a stick attack, on my hi hat i like the "attack" a close mic gives me.

 

[Heabow]

That said, i always close mic hats (sometimes really helpfull to have it more on a side), ride and sometimes china (depends on its placement)

 

[ArthurD]

I aways mic with 4 overhads (spaced pairs) and mix important cymbals (china, splash, hats, etc, if possible, ride too).

 

[AzzaDutt]

I generally prefer a wash of cymbals so I tend to just use overheads.

If I'm recording something with a lot of intricate cymbal work, I might mic some individual cymbals just to emphasise the attack, but this is rare.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I've tried a mic on the hats and ride and didn't like it either. So +5 I guess.

 

[Uros]

-1 whenever I can

 

[egan.]

I definitely like to have the hat and ride on iso's when possible. Micing other cymbals closer also gives the ability to give more precise image placement but it's always in addition to normal overheads.

 

[JeffTD]

I definitely like to have the hat and ride on iso's when possible. Micing other cymbals closer also gives the ability to give more precise image placement but it's always in addition to normal overheads.

This. The whole point of spot micing cymbals for me is the ability to place them precisely in the stereo field; to give more clarity to the overall OH image and to bring out the details in the cymbal without having to do a ton of automation on the OH and worry about other cymbals getting too loud in the process. I usually edit my spot mics pretty tightly so that they're only playing when the cymbal is hit. The attack is generally what you're wanting out of these mics, not the decay.

In a dream world I'd have all hats, rides, splashes, and chinas spot mic'd. In a pinch, hat and ride minimum.

 

[~BURNY~]

Send HH mic to the side chain of a comp on the OH bus
Profit

Other than that I'll usually have both Hat and Ride on separate channels.

I like to favor ambient mics over close cymbals generally speaking but when possible it's always nice to have some direct mic channels too. Just not too close or it sounds like crap.