Yamaha AW2816 Manual page 11

Here are some guidelines for the different drums within the drum set:
Kick drum – For a tight sound use a dynamic microphone designed for a kick drum. It
should be placed inside the kick drum 6-8 inches from the head and aimed at the beater
of the kick drum pedal. For a more open sound a large diaphragm condenser microphone
or a ribbon microphone would be placed 1-2 feet in front of the kick drum.
Snare drum – A dynamic microphone is used most often. Place it a few inches above the
top head of the snare and aim it at the center of the drum. If the sound of the bottom
snares is also desired a dynamic or small diaphragm condenser would be placed directly
underneath the snare drum and a few inches away. When doing this be sure to reverse
the phase of the bottom snare microphone. (The phase of a microphone can be reversed
on the View screen of the AW2816.)
Toms – If close miking the toms, the same approach as the snare can be used. It is
uncommon to mike the bottom of the toms but can be done if desired.
Overheads – One of the more common methods is to use a stereo pair of condenser
microphones placed a few feet above the drum set. Make certain that the microphones are
equidistant from the center of the snare drum.
Room microphones – For a mono room sound, a single large diaphragm condenser or
tube microphone would be placed in the most pleasing spot in the room. Walk around
the room until a spot is found in which the drum sets sounds the best and place the
microphone in this spot. For a stereo room sound use a pair of large diaphragm or tube
microphones placed in separate spots the same distance in the room from the drum set.
These are just some simple guidelines when selecting and placing microphones. There are no
rules. If these suggestions do not work for you, by all means try other microphones and different
placement. Choosing the right microphone and placing it in the right spot is a major factor in
obtaining a quality-sounding recording. If you are unhappy with the sound, it is always best to
experiment with microphone selection and placement before trying to correct it with
equalization.
It is a good idea to have several different microphones in your collection. A basic starting
microphone collection would be a few dynamic microphones, a pair of small diaphragm
condensers, and a good large diaphragm condenser.
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