How many of you are top and bottom mic'in toms?

[scorpio01169]

is there a benefit to this?

 

[Trevoire520]

I've done it when sampling toms before, defintiely helps with sustain and bottom end. But I've never done it when actually tracking drums.

 

[amarshism]

Sustain without the cymbal bleed

 

[JeffTD]

Sustain without the cymbal bleed

This. Fade out top mic before bottom mic, get a much fuller/deeper sound out of it.

Note that if the toms aren't perfectly tuned it can easily sound worse than a single mic.

 

[mva801]

I do this often. Adds a lot of roundness/ low end to the sound of the drum, helps cut down on the cymbal bleed. If your drums are well tuned and you have the inputs, try it for sure.

 

[ze kink]

I've done it and love the results. They sound much more "realistic" and fatter than with just top mics, and the cymbal bleed thing is certainly true. Although, if I'm micing both sides, I'm surely not using my own setup, so I'm probably using LDC's or SDC's on toms, which generally make the bleed sound much less obnoxious than with e.g. 421's. And indeed, you have to be slightly more anal about the tuning.

When I'm tracking drums on my own setup though, I haven't got enough channels or mics.

 

[Alphanumeric]

Tried with a D112 under, sounds wicked, especially if we're E604'ing the toms, rather than the 421.

Will be trying a 421 on top and maybe a U87 under tomorrow.

 

[JeffTD]

U87 under is a pretty common thing, as is a second MD421. I know the AudioHammer guys use a subkick on the floor tom underside, too.

 

[mva801]

I've used 414's under and 421's with good results. 57's also do ok, but not as much low end.

 

[ze kink]

I've used 414's under and 421's with good results. 57's also do ok, but not as much low end.

Try the 414's on top too! They're my favourite tom mic so far. The 421's should work good on the bottom side, as they don't pick up as much bleed there.

 

[mva801]

Try the 414's on top too! They're my favourite tom mic so far. The 421's should work good on the bottom side, as they don't pick up as much bleed there.

u67/ u87's are even better. The reason I don't use them though, is I don't want these wild ass drummers bashing on our expensive vintage condenser mics! We've got a really nice pair of vintage 414's with a few stick dents on them. I just get nervous about dudes whacking them.

If I trust the drummer I'll try the 414's on occasion, but there's no way I'm sticking a $5-6,000 vintage 67 next to some kid with drumsticks.

 

[~BURNY~]

Always seemed overkill to me. I guess I need to try it.

 

[scorpio01169]

I'm tracking drums next week and I'm gonna top mic sm57s and bottom mic samson qtoms. I've recorded drums before but never bottom mic'd the toms. should be fun...any tips on processing...ie compress top only or both?

 

[Trevoire520]

Personally I'd say gate the top and bottom separately, then bus them together and eq/compress there, but maybe the other guys have some different ideas?

 

[mva801]

I always bus the two tracks together from the console and record to one track on tape/ PT. When miced with two, there is quite a bit less bleed. I usually end up with about 30-40% bottom, 70% top. eq'd separately before going in.

If you don't have a desk, just record both. Obviously check your phase relationship. Flip the polarity. Then buss them together and treat it as one mic.