recording a tambourine

[Rich Wilner]

hey all
I'm trying to record a tambourine to get that tambourine+snare drum
pop music effect, where you hear the attack and then you get this nice
spacy jingly decay. problem is the tambourine sounds very tinny and
thin, and for some reason it just sounds much fuller in pop music.
I've tried a 451 and an AT4050 in all 3 patterns, close (a few ") and
a few feet back, i've experimented with compression and reverb, all to
no avail.
For technique, i'm just smacking the tambourine into the meat of the
palm of my hand (stevie knicks style). I am going into a channel of
my presonus digimaxLT (i don't think the pre should make too much
difference in this app right??).
how do you folks record tambourine?
thanks
Rich

[ar3a]

> For technique, i'm just smacking the tambourine into the meat of the
> palm of my hand (stevie knicks style).

There you go. I think I know the sound you're looking for, and I've always
been able to get it fairly easily hitting it with a stick. Then, hit it
with your palm when shooting the video, like everyone else does...since it
looks cooler.
:-)

Good luck!

[ART]

> difference in this app right??).
> how do you folks record tambourine?
> thanks
> Rich

It is possible you might have a bad sounding tambourine to begin with.. I
find most single chime (only one row of cymbals around the rim) tambs tend
to sound thin. The best one I have heard and recorded are the double chime
half moon style. Usually they are made out of plastic or some other
composite. Rythumtech and Dixon seem to make a decent tamb.

Also you will get different chime decay if you hold the tamb horizontal as
opposed to vertical. You probably know that already.. I was just stating an
obvious observation. Another thing you can try is putting the tamb into a
pillowcase and experimenting with the tightness of the pillow case around
the tamb. If you do that you might lose the jingly decay you are looking
for. But it might be worth a try. Also try using a regular dynamic mic like
a Beta57 or SM57 as opposed to a condenser.

My 2cents

Good Luck
ART

[John Washburn]

"Rich Wilner" wrote:

> hey all
> I'm trying to record a tambourine to get that tambourine+snare drum
> pop music effect,

<snip>

I am going into a channel of
> my presonus digimaxLT (i don't think the pre should make too much
> difference in this app right??).
> how do you folks record tambourine?

Managing headroom is really important for recording tamborine. A lot of
pre's will start to clip if you so much as look at 'em wrong while holding a
tamborine. I don't know the digimax, but you might start by trying the 4050
in fig 8 or card (as far away as you can before it gets too distant
sounding) w/the pad in. Or try a lower output mic. I like the sound of
dynamic (or ribbon) mics for this--57, 421, RE20, etc, but I dunno if
that'll get you that sparkly "pop" music sound.

-jw

[P Stamler]

There was a long and detailed thread about this a few weeks ago. Get thee to a
Google.

Peace,
Paul

[DaveDrummer]

Pop music is heavily overcompressed. make sure you compress it with all your
might. limit too.
"Rich Wilner" > wrote in message
om...
> hey all
> I'm trying to record a tambourine to get that tambourine+snare drum
> pop music effect, where you hear the attack and then you get this nice
> spacy jingly decay. problem is the tambourine sounds very tinny and
> thin, and for some reason it just sounds much fuller in pop music.
> I've tried a 451 and an AT4050 in all 3 patterns, close (a few ") and
> a few feet back, i've experimented with compression and reverb, all to
> no avail.
> For technique, i'm just smacking the tambourine into the meat of the
> palm of my hand (stevie knicks style). I am going into a channel of
> my presonus digimaxLT (i don't think the pre should make too much
> difference in this app right??).
> how do you folks record tambourine?
> thanks
> Rich

[Mark Plancke]

On 22 Oct 2003 09:50:30 -0700, (Rich Wilner)
wrote:

>hey all
>I'm trying to record a tambourine to get that tambourine+snare drum
>pop music effect, where you hear the attack and then you get this nice
>spacy jingly decay. problem is the tambourine sounds very tinny and
>thin, and for some reason it just sounds much fuller in pop music.
>I've tried a 451 and an AT4050 in all 3 patterns, close (a few ") and
>a few feet back, i've experimented with compression and reverb, all to
>no avail.

Try a dynamic or ribbon mic pulled back a couple of feet, make sure
you don't overload you mic pre-amp. Compress to taste.

Mark

[chetatkinsdiet]

Or...if you're comparing yours to what you hear in "pop music", as you
say....do what most of them do. Use your snare to fire off a sample
of a tamborine.
I've got about a dozen though that I play with and usually am able to
find a good sounding one for the song I'm working on. I agree though,
it's just like recording anything else...make sure the instrument to
be recorded is what you're looking for.
later,
m

[Rich Wilner]

(chetatkinsdiet) wrote in message >...
> Or...if you're comparing yours to what you hear in "pop music", as you
> say....do what most of them do. Use your snare to fire off a sample
> of a tamborine.
> I've got about a dozen though that I play with and usually am able to
> find a good sounding one for the song I'm working on. I agree though,
> it's just like recording anything else...make sure the instrument to
> be recorded is what you're looking for.
> later,
> m

thanks for the suggestions everyone.