If you record live drums in your home studio, proper setup of your drum kit plays an important role in capturing a good sound. Clearly, a poorly configured kit is harder to play which will affect the quality of your recordings. However, there are some less obvious issues to consider:

  • Mic placement: A well arranged drum kit, with the proper space between each piece, is easer to mic.
  • Stereo image: Unless you’re moving components for a particular effect, it’s much easier to get an accurate stereo imagine from a drum kit with all its pieces in the correct place.
  • Relative volume: Drum placement affects the volume level at which each piece is recorded in the overhead mics. This is due both to proximity, and to the physical effect that drum placement has on the drummer. For example, if the cymbals are placed too low, even a well-trained drummer will tend to hit them too forcefully.

Pearl Drums’ fantastic introduction to the basics of drumming guides you through ensuring your kit is properly configured.

Tags: