Hey all,

In my area of the US, I tend to work with mostly country bands. For snare I
definitely prefer to record a piccolo style snare drum. But, my question is
about mic suggestions. I like the "pop" you get from a piccolo, but recording
it with a 57 makes it sound a tad thin. I use eq, reverb, and delay (the usual
bag of tricks) to get a good sound, but I would rather get a better sound to
tape, and tweak less in the mix. I live nowhere near a music store with a
decent mic selection, but from what I've heard/read, I would think that an
MD421 would get me closer to the sound I have in mind. Please let me know your
thoughts, and what mics you use for piccolo snare (or snare in general),
especially if you think the 421 is not the way to go.

Thanks,
John Vice

JSVice wrote:

In my area of the US, I tend to work with mostly country bands. For snare I
definitely prefer to record a piccolo style snare drum. But, my question is
about mic suggestions. I like the "pop" you get from a piccolo, but recording
it with a 57 makes it sound a tad thin. I use eq, reverb, and delay (the usual
bag of tricks) to get a good sound, but I would rather get a better sound to
tape, and tweak less in the mix. I live nowhere near a music store with a
decent mic selection, but from what I've heard/read, I would think that an
MD421 would get me closer to the sound I have in mind. Please let me know your
thoughts, and what mics you use for piccolo snare (or snare in general),

Try a 421, a 441, and the cheap little EV N/D 408 or 468.

Also try a condenser mike. I know a lot of folks using SM-81s on snares.
Too much leakage on the 81 for my taste, but if you have one in a closet,
try it.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Hey all,

In my area of the US, I tend to work with mostly country bands. For snare I
definitely prefer to record a piccolo style snare drum. But, my question is
about mic suggestions. I like the "pop" you get from a piccolo, but
recording
it with a 57 makes it sound a tad thin. I use eq, reverb, and delay (the
usual
bag of tricks) to get a good sound, but I would rather get a better sound to
tape, and tweak less in the mix. I live nowhere near a music store with a
decent mic selection, but from what I've heard/read, I would think that an
MD421 would get me closer to the sound I have in mind. Please let me know
your
thoughts, and what mics you use for piccolo snare (or snare in general),
especially if you think the 421 is not the way to go.

Thanks,
John Vice



Small diameter condenser, like a MXL603s, works great for me. (If they hit it
I don't have to buy the farm). Have used an Audix D2 dynamic (hypercardiod).

Best would be to get an old Ludwig (50's-60's) 6" metal shell. Strap a Gretsch
40 strand on the bottom and 7A or 6A nylon tips.


--Wayne

-"sounded good to me"-

JSVice wrote:

In my area of the US, I tend to work with mostly country bands. For
snare I definitely prefer to record a piccolo style snare drum. But,
my question is about mic suggestions. I like the "pop" you get from
a piccolo, but recording it with a 57 makes it sound a tad thin. I
use eq, reverb, and delay (the usual bag of tricks) to get a good
sound, but I would rather get a better sound to tape, and tweak less
in the mix. I live nowhere near a music store with a decent mic
selection, but from what I've heard/read, I would think that an MD421
would get me closer to the sound I have in mind. Please let me know
your thoughts, and what mics you use for piccolo snare (or snare in
general), especially if you think the 421 is not the way to go.


I think my tastes are dramatically different from yours, as I like
rather deep-sounding, warm, wooden snares. But I really like miking
the underside of the snare with an MD-421. It gives a nice crisp sound
of the snares themselves, but a warm, deep pop of the drum as well. I
generally put a 421 on a short telescoping straight stand underneath
the drum and point it straight up at the bottom of the snare, as close
as I can get to the bottom head. I get a fair amount of proximity
effect, but if it's too much for you, either back it off or use the
roll-off switch.

Another thing you might like to try is close-miking the side of the
shell with a small omni condenser, or even just an SM57. Some folks
like to mike the vent, but then you might get a poopie sounding puff of
wind. In any case, there's some great "pop" close in on the shell,
that you may or may not care for. Give it a try.

ulysses

ulysses wrote;

I generally put a 421 on a short telescoping straight stand underneath
the drum and point it straight up at the bottom of the snare, as close
as I can get to the bottom head.



You doing that "as close" primarily to reduce the bleed from other drums or is
it for the depth of the tone?


--Wayne

-"sounded good to me"-

ulysses wrote;

I generally put a 421 on a short telescoping straight stand underneath
the drum and point it straight up at the bottom of the snare, as close
as I can get to the bottom head.


Wayne wrote:

You doing that "as close" primarily to reduce the bleed from other drums or is
it for the depth of the tone?

Tone mostly. I don't really give a **** if I get stray drums in my
drum mikes. That's what they're for. Though I do generally try to
keep as much hi-hat out of every mike as possible. But it's the
proximity effect, I think, that makes the snare tone so beefy when I do
this. Generally I associate "bottom snare" mikes with a thin, papery,
raspy, useless sound; and top mike with a powerful, deep, useful sound
sometimes lacking in crisp snare wires detail. This is kind of the
best of both worlds.

ulysses

Tone mostly. I don't really give a **** if I get stray drums in my
drum mikes. That's what they're for. Though I do generally try to
keep as much hi-hat out of every mike as possible.




I'm on the same page. Drums may be plural, but it's still one instrument to
me. Man I hate tracking cymbals though. Most of the drummers I run into make
a practice of trying to drive them to the floor.

I've been doing mostly the side of the shell thingy under the hat. Next
session, I'm gonna try the mic under the snare.

Thanks

--Wayne

-"sounded good to me"-