shure ksm 44

[aramism]

im tracking drums tonight!!


i was getting sounds last night and have everything in place. im using i believe 14 tracks of drums. what are some useful applications for the ksm44??

i was trying to use it as a room/overhead mic. i have a pair of rode set up in X-Y stereo right over head the drummers head and they sound great. i wanted to have the ksm also help out. aside from me experimenting i wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions as far as placement, the pickup type, eq filter...


the room is a medium sized room, not great acoustically but no standing waves so the drums sound deent in the room. nothing special as far as front end, all mics are going into two firepods daisy chained right into my mac via firewire.



i had tried using it as a room mic but i felt like the ksm might be a good third and CENTER OH mic right above the drums in front. the OH give me good stereo image for LEFT and RIGHT. i wish i had more time to post the detail so i will try.


drummer has kick, snare, hi hat, 4 cymbls (3 of them concerntrated on one side) and two toms (one floor one rack)

i have 2 mics on the kick
2 mics on snare
1 on hi hat
1 on ride (under)
2 on rack tom
1 on floor tom
2 rode as OH
1 blue 8 ball as distant room mic pointed away
and a ksm which im trying to figure out where it goes.


i am also bringing in a pair of akg c1000s to place one over the cymbals on the right side (china, little crash, big splash, and ride which is already micd) but i figured its good to get a mic there in case i need.

the other akg i was thinking of micing one cymbal on the other side but i figured maybe pair it up with the KSM for M-S stereo technique but i am panning everythign so thaqt the perspecdtive as far as the stereo is that from the drummers persp. (hi hat on left cymbals on left etc) and having a stereo set up from behind and with my wanted perspective and having a stereo image from in front of the drum will make it sound stupid i think.

but then i thought what if put the rode pair in front of the drums and just invert them to like flip the image and put the MS setup with the ksm/akg behind the drummer then all the panning would be consistent barring the far room mic which isnt even the best mic i just have it there maybe it will be useful in the mix.


sorry for sloppy typing its been a long day and im rushing all over the palce so im not thinking as i type hopefully you understand what im trying to ask


thanks

 

[KeithRT99]

you could try putting it in fig8 and using it under the snare to get the beater side kick and under snare (flip phase). i've always wanted to try that, apparently josh freese does that. Or you could mic the shell of the snare with it. Or you could use it as another room mic(try omni). perhaps a kick tunnel? If not, i would use it instead of those c1000s.

 

[aramism]

well everything else is miced fine i am just trying to use a nice mic for something. i feel like just putting it at head level like 4 feet from the drum doesnt really add much excelt volume.



i feel like the mix is missing a broad big sound but its hard with the presonus pre/converters, the room, and without mixdown but i figure get as good dry sound as possible and make mixing much easier. this is also my first time micing an actual drum set with more than 4 mics in my studio so its tough...

ive read all the oznimbus stuff and its like too much info for my mind to absorb considering im doing it tonight. i get like butterflies lol.



im gonna move it around the room but i moved it around so much its like im stuck inside the box. i dont need any more close mic's i feel like the ksm would be nice if i could get it to give me a broad broad room sound thats why i figured doing the MS tech but like i said now i would have conflicting "room or OH" mics as far as panning and am set on having the hi hat and all be on the left and the cymbals on the RT etc. etc.

 

[2012]

Take whatever else you've got on the hi-hat and put that fucker on it!

 

[AudioPhile777]

Take whatever else you've got on the hi-hat and put that fucker on it!

+1 unless you have a 414 on the hihat... which sounds nice, btw...

 

[aramism]

why so much on the HI hat???


the ksm sounds fine like at head level 4/5 feet in front of the drums in the figure 8 pattern with the capsules facing LEFT/RIGHT to the sides of the drums but i mean it basically just gives me a general sound of the drums, im trying to get a good use for it. my main point of reference are my 2 RODE in XY over the drummers head.

my image i am trying to get on the record is from the drummers persp. (hi hat on LEFT, tome aligned to stereo image, etc. etc.) i am gonna align all individual mics on main mix to match up time wise with the OH mics for more attack. i wish i had more space behind the drummer and a bigger room. i would make the ksm an ALT room mic behind the drummer.


now my main room mic is the blue 8ball faced away towards the wall by the ceiling. for a crappy mic it sounds very good in the mix to add some natural reverb and space. id like to make the room sound bigger but there is not much more space to put another mic.