Boss BR-1180 User Manual page 11

Miking live drums with two microphones.
Many great recordings in the past have been made using few microphones. You can
actually achieve a bigger drum sound in many instances because you will be capturing
more room ambience than you would be using close miking techniques. Try using a
stereo pair of cardioid or omnidirectional microphones 10 to 20 feet out in front of the
kit. Another method would be to use a large diaphragm cardioid dynamic such as an
AKG D-112 to close mic the kick drum and then place an omnidirectional condenser in
the center of the drummer's setup. Experiment with positions to dial in the best balance.
For the kick drum microphone use a boom stand and place the mic inside the drum near
where the beater hits. The closer to the beater the more attack you will get. If the drum
has a head on the front place the mike close to the head or just inside the hole if it has
one. Again, experiment with positions to get the best sound.
Stereo Microphone Techniques
As mentioned earlier, the BR-1180 is capable of recording one or two channels at one
time. We could record two different signals at one time or we can actually employ stereo
mic techniques if a situation calls for it. Here are the three most common methods for
microphone placement in stereo:
A/B or Spaced Pair
This method uses two identical cardioid or omni microphones spaced several feet apart,
pointed directly at the sound source and panned hard right and hard left. The farther the
two microphones are placed apart the greater the stereo image that is created. This type
of miking is useful for recording an ensemble as well as for some instruments.
X/Y or Coincident Pair
To record in stereo using this method take two identical unidirectional (cardioid or
otherwise) and mount one on top of the other with the capsules placed as close as
possible to each other. The grilles of the two microphones can actually touch. From there
adjust the microphones so that they cross to form an angle of anywhere from 90 to 140
degrees. The wider the angle, the wider the stereo spread.
Near-Coincident Pair
To record stereo using the near-coincident pair method, mount two identical
unidirectional microphones but angle the capsules away from each other. The greater the
space between their grilles or the greater the angle, the larger the stereo image that is
created. Try mounting the mics about 7 inches apart and angle the mics to about 110
degrees. (This will form an "X".)
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