How I Record Music_5_Drum Mic's

It all starts at the microphone, correct? Wrong. It all starts with the people setting up and choosing the drum mic's.

 Not everyone in a creative collaboration will respect the 2 Rules to No Rules:
Rule 1: Don’t be a Dick. 
Rule 2: Physics.

The physics aspect of recording arts and science is easy. If it does not sound good to your ear it will not sound good to the microphone. If it sounds good to your ear in the performance space but does not sound good in the control room …change the microphone first. It’s that simple.

Does the person placing the microphones understand phasing and its relationship to periodic events? Basically, are all the microphones that will be combined through an ACA (active combining amplifier ...buss) placed equal distances from their point source? 
Sound basically travels at 1 foot per millisecond. If your drum mics are placed a 3" different distance from the point source (drumhead) you will have a .25 ms delay between the two mics. If they are on the same instrument combined (bussed) to the same source (track) you will have a phase shift that muddles the sound of attack ...or akin to rounding the corners of a square wave. It makes it softer sounding.
Again, it’s just simple physics …but
What if you run into a Dick while placing drum microphones? Maybe they’re an A-hole of a drummer (I've had my share) and you have it confused. Do you answer an A-hole by being a Dick to them? No.
The best tack to follow is Rule One: Don’t be a Dick and nobody will confuse you for an A-Hole. ...it's called mutual respect. Don't stop giving it if it's not being returned.

Massive amounts of microphones placed over and under a single drum is a prime example of an engineer who has lost touch of Disney’s 4 C’s to making your dreams come true:
Curiosity - Courage – Confidence – Consistency.
Of those Walt said Confidence is the greatest. I don't see any confidence manifesting itself in engineers who are afraid to commit to an idea as simple as a single drum mic for a single drum …oh damn; there I go being a dick.  


Next up_”I’ve no F-ing idea”

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