Drum Set Mic Technique Overview

In this free drum lesson, DrumLessons.com sound engineer Victor Guidera teaches you the meaning of some of the more common technical terms and theory behind drum set miking for both live and studio settings. With this video you’ll learn what are audio spectrums and frequency responses, and how the type of microphone you use to record a given instrument affects the overall sound you’re capturing.

Although you can rely on sound engineers to get the best sound out of your drum set in any live or studio setting, you must be well aware that their work is only a small portion of what’s required to make your drum set sound amazing. The type of microphones used and the recording and mixing techniques are all very important, but not as much as what you’re responsible for.

It all starts with the instruments you buy. Good sounding drum shells and cymbals are the number one reasons for getting a great sounding recording out of your drum set. Your tuning skills and the skins you buy are a close second. You can have the most exquisite and expensive drum set on the world. If you don’t know how to tune it properly or if you buy really crappy drumheads, you’ll have the sound of a 100$ drum set. You must learn how to tune your drum set properly and resist the urge of cheaping out on drumheads. This means you have to practice tuning and experiment with a lot of different quality drumhead options. How you hit the drums and cymbals is the last thing you’re responsible for. Hitting them properly requires good technique and spending time on your practice room.