Sampling kit for the first time. Things to consider?

[abaga129]

As the title says, I'll be sampling a drum kit for the first time. It is a pearl forum kit, and we will be putting new heads on it.
We have all the time in the world so I want to nail this.
I'm mostly worried about the room killing it, and not tuning them properly.

What are some common things that go wrong for inexperienced people recording drums?

My equipment is a bit limited for this venture as well. I have an i5, mxl 990, and will be buying a d6. No fancy mic pres or anything.

Right now I plan to use the i5 on the snare and high tom, and the d6 on kick and low tom. And have the 990 set up as a room mic.

I'm definitely going to do some experimenting but I could really use some advice so I'm not going into this quite so blind. Thanks guys! If it turns out well, I'll post the .nki's and .wavs on this forum!

 

[drew_drummer]

Watch for tuning slippage, drum stool creaking, kick pedal rebounds, and environmental noise - when we did our album, it was coming up to summer and the warehouse we used had a cracking ceiling. Had to edit a fair amount of that away!!

 

[abaga129]

Thanks! Those are things that I most likely would have missed! Any tips to improve room tone that apply in most situations? The sound of the room is what worries me the most. I haven't really learned what to listen for very well when it comes to acoustics. The room is carpeted and has a slightly angled ceiling. I've heard that the easiest way to find reflection points is with a mirror but I never know how much to deaden the room.

I really appreciate the help. I think this will be a major step in learning for me.

 

[KHE]

What are some common things that go wrong for inexperienced people recording drums?

make sure you dampen all the shells which are not played. Toms and snare-wires resonate very easily. Not so obvious on close-mic, but OHs /Room.

 

[ForHerDeadEyes]

I've sampled a kit one time, there are several people here that have done it several times and they have way more experience, but I'll offer my advice..

1. Don't put the kit in the room where it looks good, put it where it sounds good.
2. Don't put the mics where it looks good, put them where they sound good.
3. To kill reflections, there are dirt-cheap acoustic foam-squares that are used for stereos/cars that can be put up, or some cheap wrinkled up fabric.
4. Sample both left and right hand hits on the snare, and I say sample several hits ex. 10 - 15 per hand, instead of 3 - 4 like some do (for the whole kit aswell).
5. Sample the single parts through every mic, bleed can be wanted, better to have it than not.
6. Putting the mics where they sound good also means putting them in unconventional places, experiment.
7. If possible, don't record the kit the same day you set it up or you're happy with the sound. Wait a day (or a few hours) to see if it sounds as good as you thought.

Meh, I have no idea, you'll figure out your own way.

 

[abaga129]

make sure you dampen all the shells which are not played. Toms and snare-wires resonate very easily. Not so obvious on close-mic, but OHs /Room.

This shouldnt be a problem as I place to sample the kit just one piece at a time. However I will keep that in mind if i ever have to record a full kit all at once!

1. Don't put the kit in the room where it looks good, put it where it sounds good.
2. Don't put the mics where it looks good, put them where they sound good.
3. To kill reflections, there are dirt-cheap acoustic foam-squares that are used for stereos/cars that can be put up, or some cheap wrinkled up fabric.
4. Sample both left and right hand hits on the snare, and I say sample several hits ex. 10 - 15 per hand, instead of 3 - 4 like some do (for the whole kit aswell).
5. Sample the single parts through every mic, bleed can be wanted, better to have it than not.
6. Putting the mics where they sound good also means putting them in unconventional places, experiment.
7. If possible, don't record the kit the same day you set it up or you're happy with the sound. Wait a day (or a few hours) to see if it sounds as good as you thought.

Thanks! These all seem like great tips. I have a bunch of foam squares that are meant to be used as exercise mats and some other foam squares that are smaller but the texture reminds me more of acoustic treatment that you would buy. Hopefully I can get by with these.

How essential is it to have overhead mics in this situation? Do you think it would work if I were to try to recreate an overhead system with different reverbs/impulses panned opposite of each other?

 

[ForHerDeadEyes]

This shouldnt be a problem as I place to sample the kit just one piece at a time. However I will keep that in mind if i ever have to record a full kit all at once!

Thanks! These all seem like great tips. I have a bunch of foam squares that are meant to be used as exercise mats and some other foam squares that are smaller but the texture reminds me more of acoustic treatment that you would buy. Hopefully I can get by with these.

How essential is it to have overhead mics in this situation? Do you think it would work if I were to try to recreate an overhead system with different reverbs/impulses panned opposite of each other?

If you're only recording one piece at a time, and not a whole kit, it's going to be hard getting a "glued" sound.
So if possible, use overheads, since they add a lot, even if the room is completly dead.
Impulses can of course do the trick in post, but make sure you're comfortable with leaving things out.
In the end, a lot of people blend samples here and there, and if you're just setting up and sampling one piece at a time it will probable be a stand-alone piece that can be used to blend with other samples.

Go for it!

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

My advice is:

Just hit record and get a great performance...fix it in the mix.

Muuuuuahhhahahahahahhahaa I've done that so many fking times i don't even know what a good room sounds like

:hotjump:

 

[abaga129]

If you're only recording one piece at a time, and not a whole kit, it's going to be hard getting a "glued" sound.
So if possible, use overheads, since they add a lot, even if the room is completly dead.
Impulses can of course do the trick in post, but make sure you're comfortable with leaving things out.
In the end, a lot of people blend samples here and there, and if you're just setting up and sampling one piece at a time it will probable be a stand-alone piece that can be used to blend with other samples.

Go for it!

I actually talked my self into buying a stereo pair of c-2's for overheads just for this haha. I figured I will probably use them many times in the future anyways. Hopefully that will help a lot.

Thanks a lot for the advice!

My advice is:

Just hit record and get a great performance...fix it in the mix.

Muuuuuahhhahahahahahhahaa I've done that so many fking times i don't even know what a good room sounds like

:hotjump:

im not questioning your methods, but I want to learn as much from this as possible so im going to try to get the best source sound I can!