The EM Poll

Mic Up the Band

Mar 14, 2008 1:32 PM, By Karen Stackpole

           

HOW THE PROS CHOOSE AND PLACE STAGE MICS

The Driver's Seat

Drum set. Drum sets vary in size, number of components, tonal quality, and head configurations. But most standard kits have a snare drum, a bass drum, a floor tom, one or more rack toms, a hi-hat, a ride cymbal, and a crash or two. The subject of miking drums is immense, and I could easily write an entire article just about that, but here are some basics.

A fat but crisp sound is desirable for snare drum, and a Shure SM57 is the workhorse for capturing this essence. An Electro-Voice 408 or a Beta 58 can also sound very good on snare. Place the mic at about 11 o'clock from the player's perspective, between the hi-hat and the rack tom, about two inches from the head and angled toward it. For more lows, angle the capsule closer in toward the head; for a crisper attack, move the mic slightly farther from the head and point it more toward the center of the drum. If you want to get some extra sizzle from the snare wires for a funky sound, put an additional mic on the bottom head, pointing up at the wires. Use a dynamic that has a lot of high end, such as beyerdynamic's 201, and flip the phase of the mic on the bottom head to avoid phase cancellation.

A punchy kick-drum sound with a lot of low-end oomph makes the rest of the band really pump. Quite a few mics are designed specifically for kick-drum miking, including the AKG D112, Shure Beta 52, Audix D4, and Sennheiser E 602. Usually a kick drum will have a hole in the front head. Put the mic just inside the drum to start. For more attack, move the mic closer inside and aim it at the beater. For a fuller, rounder sound with less attack, draw the mic back farther and angle it slightly away from the beater. If there is no hole in the front head, start with the mic about two to four inches in from the rim and point it at the head, adjusting the angle to get the desired sound. Listen up close to the drum with one ear as someone plays, find the spot where it sounds the way you like, and put the mic there. Refrain from placing the mic at the very center of the drum - that's a dead spot.

Miking toms can pose a challenge if a drummer has a lot of cymbal stands. Fortunately, you have the option of clip-on tom mics such as the Shure SM98, as well as mic-mounting clamps that come in handy for fastening tom mics in place and neatly out of the way. Good tom mics include the Sennheiser MD 504 and E 604, the Audix D2, and the Shure SM57. The Sennheiser MD 421 is a favorite on floor toms for its low-end response. Place the mic near the rim of the drum, pointing down at the head, and adjust the angle and distance for more low end or more attack. If you want greater separation, angle the mics apart.

The use of overhead mics is standard for capturing the cymbals and the overall kit sound, and a split pair will pick up both sides of the kit. Condenser mics are ideal for overheads because of their excellent high end and natural transient response. Examples are the Neumann KM 184; the AKG C 414 B-ULS, C 451, and C 460; and the Audix SCX-1. If you have only one overhead, place the mic centrally over the kit, and move it around to compensate for the playing style and the kit's characteristics (that is, quiet ride cymbal, loud snare, and so on). Just keep the overheads out of the monitors to avoid feedback. If the hi-hat needs more bite, place a small-diaphragm condenser mic a few inches above the hi-hats, angled at the area just below the cup.

Miking stage instruments is a subjective art, and there are nearly as many opinions as there are engineers. By now, though, you've picked up enough pointers to start miking the most ubiquitous instruments in standard venues (we'll follow this article with one about miking other types of stage instruments - such as strings, woodwinds, and brass - in an upcoming issue of Onstage).

If you have some time and the luxury of access to a variety of live-sound mics, the next step is to experiment a little with selection and placement before you have a show. Keep in mind the constants - namely, the proper etiquette for avoiding feedback, and close miking with unidirectional mics for maximum pickup and isolation. Use this article as a guide, but remember: ultimately you should rely on your ears to determine the best mic placement for optimum sound.

arts.ucsc.edu/EMS/Music/tech_background/TE-20/teces_20.html
A primer on types of microphones and mic placement provided by the University of California, Santa Cruz, Division of the Arts.