what are some tips to getting a wide OH sound

[Churley421]

lately ive been really trying to get that wide cymbal sound that you hear on alot of records these days. ive heard sometimes miking in xy can be a reason to this but it seems no matter what placement I do, I cant seem to get cymbals to really spread through the mix. anyone got any tips or suggestions??

right now im using pg81'suke: but im soon getting some sm81's so hopefully thatl help

 

[Ermz]

Don't use PG81s and mic the cymbals with a spaced pair. Control the physical width of the microphones to alter the perceived image width on the record.

 

[Trevoire520]

If you want a wide overhead sound then you need to space your mic's wide. XY is no good for getting a wide sound, though it's great for mono compatibility.

Set your mic's up in a spaced pair above the kit and experiment.
Having them nearer the centre of the kit will give you better mono compatibility, while sacrificing width in stereo, and will also tend to give you more drums.
Spacing them further out will increase the stereo spread, but will decrease phase coherency in mono, you'll also find that you'll get more cymbals and less drums (as the mic's will be closer to the cymbals)

When setting up get the tape measure out and measure from the centre of the snare to each microphone making sure that the distance is the same. This will ensure that your snare is slap bang in the centre of your stereo image.

 

[Churley421]

yeah im thinking getting the sm81's is gonna help a ton. the pg81's arent even mine so ive been kinda forced into using them, which to this point i have come to HATE them. I have been miking with a spaced pair so thats just why im a little confused. if you wanna see what i mean on my cymbal sound heres a link to a few songs ive done:


http://download844.mediafire.com/1cn53i94iikg/0inzelmmmzy/Studio+Montage+MP3.mp3


but thanks for the tips keep em coming

 

[CatharsisStudios]

pg81s aren't that horrible better then audix f15s, what i do is i do a space pair with the ohs pointing away from the snare like / \ i get barely anysnare in my OH

 

[Churley421]

sweet. this is actually something i havent tried! and also thanks for the tip on using a tape measure to eliminate phase issues. both of these should help out alot so thanks!

 

[kickinwing65]

if you have extra condensers, mic the Hi Hats and china or underneath the ride for an even wider image. I went from just using overheads to this method and it really helps

 

[Charlie E.]

lol I forgot about that sig

 

[vespiz]

if you have extra condensers, mic the Hi Hats and china or underneath the ride for an even wider image. I went from just using overheads to this method and it really helps

As a side note, try micing with SM57's!

 

[visceral]

Also, physically separating your cymbals helps. Try to get them all as far left/right as possible.

 

[reg3n]

i use a doubler for my oh's... waves doubler and nothing else (no comp at all)...

 

[Churley421]

oh yeah miking with some 57's has gotta work haha yeah ive tried putting plugins like the doubler but sometimes i get a fake sound that takes away from the mix. and i really do love the sound of dry OH's when a good stereo image is captured; im sure its just a matter of moving the miks and cymbals around a little.

 

[vespiz]

oh yeah miking with some 57's has gotta work haha yeah ive tried putting plugins like the doubler but sometimes i get a fake sound that takes away from the mix. and i really do love the sound of dry OH's when a good stereo image is captured; im sure its just a matter of moving the miks and cymbals around a little.

Just to be absolutely clear, we were referring (at least I was) to micing the ride and hihat with 57's in addition to micing the OH's.

Just be sure to check their phase against the OH's.

 

[Nebulous]

Also, physically separating your cymbals helps. Try to get them all as far left/right as possible.

This definitely helps alot. No point wasting time on micing to try get a wide image if the cymbals are all cluttered near the centre or hovering just over the outer drums.
Get the drummer to try and create some space outwards and upwards. This will give you a naturally wider spread and will make spill into the drum mics much reduced.
I quite like when a drummer sets up a crash or china beyond the floor tom.