Underheads?

[Lopes]

I was at a Megadeth concert on Tuesday and I noticed that drums didn't have any overhead mics, instead there were two 414's (at least that's what they looked like) mounted down near the toms pointing up towards the cymbals. I was just curious to know if anyone has tried this themselves, and if so, what were the advantages and disadvantages?

 

[Hopkins-WitchfinderGeneral]

On a similar theme... whats with those perspex cages that some drummers use live? Is it like an Iso-booth or something?

 

[ThomasT]

There is no real advantage, but the optic IMHO.

Someboby don't like the poser-rock-overheads but discrete unvisible microfones.

 

[Impy]

Well micing from underneath (if done properly) should have some advantages like less leakage from the stage itself right? I've never tried micing like that myself but i would imagine that it could be useful in live situations.

 

[Cooperman]

Might have something to do with the cymbals coming down from the rack above rather than being on stands. This makes the cymbal height pretty high which enables them to mic them from underneath.

 

[egan.]

I was at a Megadeth concert on Tuesday and I noticed that drums didn't have any overhead mics, instead there were two 414's (at least that's what they looked like) mounted down near the toms pointing up towards the cymbals. I was just curious to know if anyone has tried this themselves, and if so, what were the advantages and disadvantages?

Well since I do a lot of live sound I can tell you that this is a good technique to use when the drummer likes his monitor(s) cranked b/c you get better isolation. The main disadvantage is you can get more toms but from a wacky angle. There is also certainly the asthetic arguement as well.

BTW, what exactly is "poser-rock" about overheads?

 

[ThomasT]

You know the huge drum sets in the 80ties. And the overheads are a part of it.

Today they play a bassdrum, snare, a tom, a floortom, and some cymbals.
And hiding the OH is only consequent.

Miking from below captures less boomy noise from the stage or whole drums set.
But I think this is something that can be solved by high pass filtering or EQ in general.

 

[ThomasT]

P.S. it more an issue of "alternativ rock" than metal.