To continue with our discussion on unique drum miking techniques in my previous post, we will turn our attention towards the Glyn Johns Drum Recording Method.
Glyn Johns is a recording engineer who has worked with many bands including Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and the Clash to name just a few.
Glyn's method was developed while recording the huge drum sounds of Led Zeppelin and uses just 4 microphones. His technique uses two overhead microphones as well as two spot mics on the kick and snare for more customization during the mixing process.
To start out, one microphone is placed overhead about 3 to 4 feet above the snare and pointed down at the kit. Position the microphone so that you have a nice balance of the different aspects of the kit. Point the microphone towards the toms to bring the hi and mid tom out more in the mix or raise the microphone higher if the cymbals are too piercing. Experiment with the placement to find what suits your taste.
Next, you will take your other "overhead" mic and place it to the right of the floor tom about 6 inches above the rim. Point this microphone across the tom and towards the snare and hi hats. In order to ensure that the phase of your two microphones are the same, place both microphones the same distance from the snare.
You should find that you can get a pretty great balanced sounding drum sound from just these two microphones. The next two microphones are used to reinforce the sound of both the snare and kick drum and to make it easier to adjust the sound of the kit as a whole.
As stated earlier, always use these methods as a starting point and feel free to experiment and find new setups that work for your space. These are great starting points that will ensure you get a good sound, now its time to use your ears and make adjustments.
Please join in the conversation and let me know of drum miking techniques that you've tried and liked. Do you tend to go with a minimal setup, or do you like to put a microphone on everything to have the most control over your drum sound? Leave your comments below, and remember to check back in for future posts as we delve into the world of the recording arts.
These two posts were interesting to read, especially this one as I am reading a book right now and Glyn Johns is actually featured in it.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty inspiring to think about what these two guys were able to accomplish with such a small amount of microphones. Especially considering just today we used four microphones to record a single snare and hi-hat.
I would be interested in knowing if using these techniques today are still relevant, or if they may sound dated. Or is this more of a "less is more" type of deal? I know by limiting yourself with boundaries can help the creative process, but can this be too restricting?
I have personally used these techniques and they do not sound dated at all. The method by Tchad Blake isn't a very old method to begin with. It is simply a means to record drums with less of a setup. Generally the use of these setups is used out of necessity and when you need to conserve time or number of inputs being used at one time. But having used them, I can attest to the quality you can get by using a minimal setup. I definitely recommend experimenting and not always relying on putting as many microphones on a source as possible. You will someday find yourself with limited amounts of gear and must find a way to record a full drum kit. It is nice to have these types of tricks up your sleeve.
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