I've been recording music in a fairly amateurish fashion for the
lastthree or four years but have now decided to try and get a really
good mic setup for recording my band during the summer. The main mics I
need are good drum mics but I was wondering if anybody here could give
me some advice on the setup I have started to purchase.

So far I have bought:
One Shure SM-57 (mainly for snare drum)
and
one AKG D-112 (for kick drum)

I also intend to buy:
Two Marshall MXL 603s (mainly for drum overheads)
Three Sennheiser 604s (for 2 rack and 1 floor toms)

I am on a fairly limited budget but if anybody could give me some
advice on the quality of this setup that would be very much
appreciated.

If anybody could give me advice on how I could use these mics for the
other instruments in my band and how they compare with other mics more
commonly used on these instruments that would also be greatly
appreciated.

My band's lineup is:
2x Guitarists (one rhythm, 1 lead using acoustics and electrics)
1 Singer and some backing vocals
1 Bass player
1 Drummer

Harlequin Abattoir wrote:

So far I have bought:
One Shure SM-57 (mainly for snare drum)
and one AKG D-112 (for kick drum)

I also intend to buy:
Two Marshall MXL 603s (mainly for drum overheads)
Three Sennheiser 604s (for 2 rack and 1 floor toms)

I take it you're the drummer? g

I am on a fairly limited budget but if anybody could give me some
advice on the quality of this setup that would be very much
appreciated.

I don't argue with anyone's choice of mics unless they're really
wretched, and yours are OK. The D-112 is kind of a 'one-sound' mic, but
since you have it, you might as well get some mileage out of it. The
Marshall 603s and Sennheiser 604s are fine for the purpose you intend,
and more.

If anybody could give me advice on how I could use these mics for the
other instruments in my band

My band's lineup is:
2x Guitarists (one rhythm, 1 lead using acoustics and electrics)
1 Singer and some backing vocals
1 Bass player
1 Drummer

I'd use the SM57 for electric guitar, one of the 603s for acoustic
guitar, try the SM57 for vocals, and the 604 for the bass.

I guess you realize that you won't have enough mics to cover everyone
at once. But if you find it too awkward to record drums separately,
either first or later on, you might experiment with a simpler drum
setup with one 603 overhead, the SM57 on the snare, one 604 on the rack
toms, one 604 on the floor tom, the D112 on the kick, and either the
other 604 or the other 603 on rhythm guitar, and record your basic
tracks that way.

So far I have bought:
One Shure SM-57 (mainly for snare drum)

Can be used for electric guitar cabinets as well

one AKG D-112 (for kick drum)

Can be used on bass cabinet as well, but beware the "bouncing ball" kick
sound. To counteract it, pull down the higher mids (1.5-2kHz) and bring up
the center mids (800-1000Hz). The good news is that it gets excellent
isolation, unlike the SM57.

I also intend to buy:
Two Marshall MXL 603s (mainly for drum overheads)

603's are excellent values, but also only so good, and drum overheads are
critical to the overall impression of the recording. You'll also want to
use these condensers for acoustic guitar, and again they can sound thin and
trashy with bad mics. I recommend Rode NT5's as the least expensive mic
capable of a nice sheen for overheads or guitar, and they can be found on
eBay for under $300 a pair, thanks to new models with extra capsules coming
out. However if that's not in your budget, the 603's are a good choice of
the budget market.

Three Sennheiser 604s (for 2 rack and 1 floor toms)

No disagreement here for the rack toms, but the floor tom should have
something beefier IMO, like an Audix D-4. You might also consider getting a
D-6 for the kick and putting the D112 on the floor tom. If you've got the
extra recording tracks, a large diaphram condenser under the floor tom gets
the hugeness covered like nothing else, but you'll still need something like
a 604 on top for the stick impact. See below about vocal mics, which could
be used under the tom.

I am on a fairly limited budget but if anybody could give me some
advice on the quality of this setup that would be very much
appreciated.

So far the weakness is the 603's, but I don't see any room to save on the
other mics, so if that's your budget...

If anybody could give me advice on how I could use these mics for the
other instruments in my band and how they compare with other mics more
commonly used on these instruments that would also be greatly
appreciated.

Done on the fly.

My band's lineup is:
2x Guitarists (one rhythm, 1 lead using acoustics and electrics)
1 Singer and some backing vocals
1 Bass player
1 Drummer

You're missing a vocal mic. I recommend a used Rode NT1000, going for
around $200, which would work well under the floor tom as well, and it works
with a wide variety of vocal types, like everyone's first vocal recording
mic should.

I also recommend having a hypercardioid instrument mic (Beta57, EV N/D 408,
Audix D-1). This is handy for under the snare, which works really well as a
trigger for a gate on the top mic, otherwise you'll have real difficulty
keeping the hats from opening the snare gate with some drummers. It would
also serve as an alternative to the SM57, since some speakers just don't
work well with them. For that reason you should get something other than a
Beta57, but if you find one cheap...

I'm not a fan of the 57, but they work. I'd rather have a D6 or Beta52 for
kick, but the D112 will work.

I'd go for (used) Audix D4s instead of the 609s, but the 609s are good. A
609 with a D4 is a great combo for guitar cab.



"Harlequin Abattoir" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've been recording music in a fairly amateurish fashion for the
lastthree or four years but have now decided to try and get a really
good mic setup for recording my band during the summer. The main mics I
need are good drum mics but I was wondering if anybody here could give
me some advice on the setup I have started to purchase.

So far I have bought:
One Shure SM-57 (mainly for snare drum)
and
one AKG D-112 (for kick drum)

I also intend to buy:
Two Marshall MXL 603s (mainly for drum overheads)
Three Sennheiser 604s (for 2 rack and 1 floor toms)

I am on a fairly limited budget but if anybody could give me some
advice on the quality of this setup that would be very much
appreciated.

If anybody could give me advice on how I could use these mics for the
other instruments in my band and how they compare with other mics more
commonly used on these instruments that would also be greatly
appreciated.

My band's lineup is:
2x Guitarists (one rhythm, 1 lead using acoustics and electrics)
1 Singer and some backing vocals
1 Bass player
1 Drummer

Zigakly wrote:
So far I have bought:
One Shure SM-57 (mainly for snare drum)

Can be used for electric guitar cabinets as well

one AKG D-112 (for kick drum)

Can be used on bass cabinet as well, but beware the "bouncing ball" kick
sound. To counteract it, pull down the higher mids (1.5-2kHz) and bring up
the center mids (800-1000Hz). The good news is that it gets excellent
isolation, unlike the SM57.

I also intend to buy:
Two Marshall MXL 603s (mainly for drum overheads)

I've only used one MXL, but it was an excellent mic for the money. One
thing I've heard about Chinese condensers in general--since you intend
to buy and use them as a pair--is that they're difficult to match.
Listen to them both together, if possible, upon purchase.

You might want to experiment with these on vocals, as well; but purchase
or devise a pop filter for it.

Snip

jak