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Originally Posted by skinslapper  Welcome to the forum Sjoko. Really glad to have someone here with some sound tech knowledge.
Could you give us a basic rundown of where the drumset pieces sit in the mix? Ie; panning, volume. |
As a standard I would lay the kit out as tough I am sitting behind a kit, then make the stereo spectrum broader of narrower depending on the type / feel of the music.
Kick - center
Snare - center
Hat - slightly to the left
Toms - depending on number and which one(s) get played, left to right. Go extreme with them if it feels good, as they should be fillers only to the 0-heads.
Overheads - L / R
In summary, I don't believe in rules. Place things where they realistically sit, dependent on the music. For instance, if a ride is positioned on the right of the kit, place it there. But, if the ride is dominant, place it more to the center, so it does not become overbearing in the r-h-s of the mix.
I am a firm believer in using a little number of mics as feasible. Old school rules, learned when we didn't have many tracks:
1. Record in a good sounding space.
2. Use good microphones and good preamps.
3. 3 microphones are important - kick, 0-head left, 0-head right.
4. Position those 3 mics correctly. Even distances between the snare and each of the 0-head mics
5. Consider any additional mics as fillers only.
Regarding volume, start with the kick. Kick can be at a good volume, as there should not be much else in their frequency range.
Second, pan the 0-heads sharp L/R and feed them in until you have a sweet balance.
Use additional mics to fill the image created by the 0-heads. The less, the better.
Make very sure that additional microphones are not out-of-phase. If a mic is out of phase you will feel/hear the low-end of the spectrum disappear.