Drums - Overhead and Room balance

[JoeJackson]

Guys, lately I found out that I really don't have a clue, how to balance OH and Room-Mics. Of course, Room-mics make the whole sound a little more roomy (d'oh) and mostly give the whole kit the natural feel. But how should I approach the balance of those two.

I mean, should I get all the direct-mics in a good balance with the room and then bring up the overheads to add the high-end on top of it? What I mean is: Should I treat the OH-mics as another "direct" mic for all the crashes, hats etc.?

Or should the room-mics bring a lot of high-end cymbal-sound, too? Should the room be brought up at the end of the drumset, to get it all together and just add the naturality to the kit?

 

[gorath23]

One tip I heard, which seems to work well, is to have either the OH's or the Room as the primary 'roomy' sound; don't have them at the same level. With so much close mic'd sound, and the constant shift towards isolating the individual mics/drums as much as possible in metal, I find that I run the Room higher than the OH's and just use the OH's as cymbal detail.

 

[Jaymz]

Ive been experimenting with this recently and what ive got atm (which sounds decent) is the room about 3/4 of the volume of the OH's, OH's providing the high end cutting shimmer and the room providing the mid/high body. Seems to sound nice, but ive cut out all of the drums from the overheads because im using Slate ones in its place on other channels so the AMB is pretty much all cymbal.

 

[colonel kurtz]

it really depends on the sound you're going for

if you want a dry, slamming sound, i use mostly the OH's, and bring the room up a little as "glue" for the kit

if you want a more ambient sound, do the opposite..bring up the rooms until they suit you, then slowly bring up the OH while maybe pulling the room back down a little

 

[JoeJackson]

Okay, and when going for a more ambientsound, do you normally get your high-end through the room-sound or still through overheads?
That's why I'm asking. I want to have a more livesound, so I usually bring up the room-sound before the overheads. But then I'm lacking highend shimmer.

 

[Unavailable]

I've heard a lot of people roll off the highs on the room mic just to get most of the room sound for the drums.

 

[gorath23]

I've heard a lot of people roll off the highs on the room mic just to get most of the room sound for the drums.

I've heard this as well, I guess it would help get a more direct/ less washy sound as far as the Cymbals go.

 

[Daunt]

I like the approach where you cut everyhing else but the mids and focus on the snare drum.

 

[Metaltastic]

You mean for room mics dude?

 

[Daunt]

Yes. Sometimes some distortion and a little mid boost works too.

 

[TeamOmega]

i think it definitely depends on what style you're doing. if you're going for some post-metal like neurosis/isis than i would image you'd want a lot of room in there... but if it's more modern sneap like drums i guess you would wanna focus on the overheads... maybe even take the cymbals down in the rooms mics (if you're using superior 2) so you can keep the toms and snare roomy but not have the cymbals overpower.

I like the approach where you cut everyhing else but the mids and focus on the snare drum.

yea, i read somewhere that if you roll of the highs and lows on the room mics, it makes them 'glue' together a little more