HOME RECORDING - TIPS, TRICKS AND TRADE SECRETS

Recording Drums At Home:
SOME Options TO CONSIDER!

By Barnaby Gold

The value of recording yourself during practice or rehearsal can’t be overstated. It gives you the opportunity to evaluate many aspects of your playing, including the sound balance between each part of the drum-set and your overall sound in relation to other musical instruments. The humble cassette walkman can provide a rough snapshot of your playing, but the heavily compressed output that a tiny microphone creates (together with tape hiss) can’t really give a true representation of your sound. In this article, I’ll be discussing several recording configurations, including some budget-conscious options.

The choices for home recording have developed greatly in the past few years. Pro Tools, for example, once exclusive to big-budget studios, is available in several home recording packages.

As computers become more powerful and affordable, this type of recording is more accessible than ever. But I’m getting ahead of the discussion. Here, I’ve listed some possible recording set-ups, followed by discussion of each method. Microphone requirements are covered later.

1. A Minidisc recorder with a good stereo microphone.

2. A four-mic input mixing desk and Minidisc recorder (or tape deck).

3. A Multi-track cassette or digital recorder.

4. Computer recording.

Note that with options 2 to 4, you will need to purchase microphones, leads, and stands. A good set of isolating headphones (ear-covering) is recommended for all applications. Computer-based recording set-ups may require extra mic pre-amps (mic inputs), and an external hard drive. Active Monitor speakers are recommended, but you could use your headphones or home stereo (while you save for a pair).

Minidisc Recording
Minidiscs will give you good digital sound, albeit compressed, from $200. Sony invented the technology, but only have three recording levels: low, high, or automatic. Sharp Minidisc recorders are of comparable quality, but also allow you to change the recording level whilst in 'record mode'. A good stereo mic to start with is a Sony ECM MS907, priced at $129.

Mixing Desk
For drummers, the value of using a mixing desk is two-fold. As a practice tool, you can get a mix of your drums, then attach a metronome or CD player to RCA inputs on the desk. You will be able to effectively mix yourself into a recorded backing track. To record your performances, simply attach a Minidisc recorder (or tape deck) to the audio outputs.

Multi-track Recorders
These machines function in the same way as a mixing desk, but with the recording medium built-in to the machine. Multi-track recorders also give you the facility to add effects, like reverb and delay. Cassette multi-tracks require outboard gear to achieve this, while digital multi-track recorders often have built-in FX. The entry-level prices for cassette versus digital machines are roughly between $500 and $2000. Some digital multi-tracks operate as all-in-ones, giving you the tools to record, edit, mix, master, and then burn your recordings to CD.

Computer Recording
Having recently purchased a home recording set-up (Pro Tools LE with a Digi 002 and Apple G4 Powerbook), I am thoroughly enjoying the possibilities that this medium boasts. Though your investment will be in the thousands, there are several affordable computers available right now that will be powerful enough to satisfy your audio recording requirements for many years.

When it comes to PC versus Mac, it is often a case of either price or platform preference. As a guide, look for an Apple Mac at 733Mhz or faster, or a PC with a genuine Pentium 4 processor. These computers are plenty powerful for audio recording and can be used with any recording software, such as Pro Tools LE, Logic, or Cubase. The difference between these three majors is that while Pro Tools is a software-hardware interface, (i.e. you can’t operate one without the other) Logic and Cubase require the purchase of a soundcard and, if you prefer to use hands-on faders, a digital mixing desk. However, while soundcards are built-in to Pro Tools hardware, you will have to purchase extra mic pre-amps if you want to record more than four mic's simultaneously (you may want up to eight alone on the kit). The Behringer ADA8000, with eight mic inputs, is an affordable solution.

Here is one possible configuration for computer recording:

eMac $1299 with Protools LE Digi 002 Rack $2500, Behringer ADA8000 $499, and LaCie 160GB External Hard Drive $360, plus mic’s, leads, stands, headphones, and monitor speakers. If you wanted hands-on faders, you could add a Behringer BCF2000 at $499. (Note: To use the BCF2000 with Pro Tools, you will first need to go to www.behringer.com.au and download the free presets. Behringer promise us that if the Pro Tools presets aren’t there now, they will be within the month). An alternative to the 002 Rack is the Digi 002, which includes motorised faders, but comes at much greater cost.

Microphones
Despite the availability of good quality drum-set mic packages, starting at around $499, spending more on individual mic’s may give you a better representation of your sound. The industry standard microphone for snare, toms, and sometimes hi-hats is the Shure SM57. Standard bass drum mic’s include the Audio Technica Pro25 at the entry-level, to the AKG D112 and Shure Beta 52. These are all ‘Dynamic’ mic’s that pick up a broad range of frequencies with high sound pressures and are used for close-miking. ‘Condenser’ mic’s capture higher frequencies and high-transient (quick) sounds, which are better suited to cymbal and overall drum-set reception. Both Audio Technica and Australian company, Rode, make popular condenser mic’s.

Miking The Drums
The number of mic’s you need depends on the amount of control you want to have over the individual sounds of your drum-set. You could get away with two well-placed condenser mic’s, but four is recommended in order to get an accurate ‘portrait’ of your set-up: dynamic mic’s on kick and snare, and two condensers for overheads. The next step would be to mic each tom, the hi-hat, and maybe the underside of the snare. Then, press record!

I hope this information gives you some ideas as to how you can record your drumming for practice and documentation. Once you hear a clear representation of your drum-set on a recorded medium, you will start to think more about your sound quality. This perspective can only help your music.

Thanks to Adam Fischer from Manny’s Music, Prahran, Vince Sanna from Drumtek, and Andrew Ogburn.