So you have bought the latest and greatest mic or microphones for your drums, guitars, vocals, or piano. You have placed your mics and you’re sitting in the control room. The only thing is it’s not quite the sound you imagined or are on the hunt for. What do you usually do? Most people who are getting into recording or new engineers usually go for the same thing… they reach for the toolbox in eq’s, compressors, fx, or reverb. 

Here’s a thought though…how many go and change the mic placement? Probably not the first thing to come to mind, but it’s often in recordings the smallest things that can really make the biggest difference. Mic placement is natural eq without really messing too much with your signal chain and can make that guitar pop, drums slam, and that vocal really hit the forefront. So let’s break a couple of concepts out there

Drums

Drums truly are the most difficult thing to get down. Most instruments like pianos and guitars do have a constant frequency signature and are not that affected (except in extreme environments like churches and massive halls or spaces) by their surroundings in general. You can mic up a guitar in your bedroom and it will for the most part still sound like a guitar.

Drums are different animals because they cover pretty much the entire frequency spectrum. It is quite affected by the space you chose to record your kit in. The same tuned-up kit will sound different in a small room, hall, arena, tall ceilings, low ceilings, and even the bathroom. 

Step 1: Find the right space

So the first tip is to get a room that has a small decay because you want a bit of life in the room for some grit, and something that is not too small and not too big. A good medium space will get you a nice warm vibe (except if you are looking for the classic big zeppelin sound, then get a room with very tall ceilings).

Step 2: How many drums do you really need?

Most studios are sold on their drum sound and live room. Then the 2nd big question, how many mics do you really need to get a good drum sound? Well, this is where we get into heavily subjective territory. For me, there are really no rules and experimentation is key. In most recordings from the ’50s, it was one mic in the entire room and that was it. As times moved on the methods expanded with things like the Glynn Johns technique (This drum miking technique uses one overhead mic, several feet above the center of the kick, and another mic off to the side near the floor tom. He would usually add in a kick drum mic and occasionally use a snare drum close mic) we eventually came to the modern approach of close miking your kit.

This means putting a microphone on every drum along with overhead and room mics to capture the essence. With close miking, placement can make a big difference. If you want a more upfront in your face sound, place your mics close to the center, and if you want a bigger more responsive sound pull them away and see how it sounds. Also, a tip is to know the range of your microphones and their limits.

But as always I would say the key is experimentation. Move them around until you get the results you are looking for and then add the magic spice with some eq touches and dynamics and fx. The most rewarding and fun part of the recording process is truly trying to play around and find what works for you. 

Guitars, Pianos, and Vocals

So it’s time to get that larger-than-life guitar sound that would make Jimi Hendrix rise from the grave! Guitars’ sweet spot is in the mid frequencies, pretty much from 500 – 3 k is where the most electric guitars love to live. But where on the speaker cone you put your mic makes quite a difference to how it will sound coming out of the monitors. Most guitarists, myself included, will set up our sound in the room and scratch our heads when we listen to the playback when it sounds muddy and just not the same as when played live. 

Valve Versus Digital Debate:

This goes into the debate about the valve Versus Digital Debate as well. Most modelers and digital units are aiming at recreating the sound from a mic’d up amplifier, not how the amp sounds right next to you. So the middle of the cone will give you the most bass response. The more you move it off-center the more the bass will cut out and mid’s and treble frequencies shine through.

Distance also makes a difference, if you are aiming for the classic fender clean reverb lush heaven sound, try moving the mic back and capturing more of the amp interacting with the room. If you want the high gain in your face growl, try close miking for a 3 finger gap between the mic and the speaker.

Acoustic guitars are more gentle creatures and the off-axis, on-axis is worth moving around with to capture the vibe of your acoustic. Two good condenser mics and messing around between the 12th fret marker on the neck and the soundhole, and you will find the best way to get the soul of the guitar 

Pianos are more like drums where you are dealing with the whole frequency spectrum. The best is to start in the middle and move it around till you get the timbre you are aiming for.

Tip:

Make sure the piano is in tune… 

Vocals are very dependent on the person you are recording. People have varying vocal ranges and gusto in their voices. Although you can not really move the mic, you can play around with the distance between the mic and the vocalists. Depending on the project the distance can make the difference. If you have a churchmouse and someone very soft-spoken, instead of cranking up the gain and adding compressors to compensate, first try placing them very close to the microphone? As with everything, there are no rules and many approaches to try and see what works for the project.

To Close

So as always friends there are no clear-cut rules, only good guidelines, and the key is to have fun, mess around, and find what works for you! So go out there and remember…move the mic first and then try the eq. If you still can’t get what you need, it may be best to opt for a sound production studio that can get what you’re looking for!

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