Comparing ribbon mics (Cascade Fatheads) and small diaphragm condenser mics (Oktava MK012s) using different overhead and room configurations.
Parts of this video will be used in the future to demonstrate the effect that the room and acoustic treatment can have on drum recordings. For now, enjoy the comparison of two very different types of mics in very different arrangements. This is by no means meant to be a scientific comparison of them, but rather a showcase of the wide variety of sounds you can get by paying attention to mic choice and placement.
An XY pair is a very common overhead arrangement for drums. Both mic capsules are in basically the same exact point in space, so there are no phasing issues to worry about. It provides a realistic, not over-exaggerated stereo image of the drums, with the snare in the center. Assuming the mics are a matched pair, you can set the gain the same for both mics. It's fairly fool-proof. I've seen people use LD and SD condensers, dynamic mics, and ribbon mics in this configuration. Usually, mics with a cardioid pickup pattern are chosen for this configuration so there is minimal room sound picked up - good for recording in acoustically non-ideal spaces like bedrooms and basements.
The Glyn Johns technique involves setting up two overhead mics that are the same distance from the snare. It gives a bigger stereo image, and picks up more of the drums' sound that XY does, whereas XY tends to emphasize just the cymbals in the mix. This technique is often used when you can't/don't want to mic up all the drums individually. By using ribbon mics, the cymbals are de-emphasized even more, and the figure-eight pickup pattern of the mics picks up more room sound. You can use a string, or mic cable, etc to measure the same distance between both mics and the snare. I'm using a modified version of the Glyn Johns technique. By making a triangle shape between the kick beater, top overhead mic, and snare, you can set up a second overhead mic to be the same distance from the snare and kick as the first overhead mic but it will be slightly over the floor tom. This ensures that the kick and snare are both in phase in both mics so you can keep the drums in the mix rather than cutting the low frequencies and just keeping the cymbals. Generally, this will make a more roomy-sounding drum mix.
A spaced pair will give you a more exaggerated stereo image, but the drums will give you phase issues so this is best used when you cut out all the lower frequencies and just keep the higher frequency cymbals. You also have to pay more attention to setting the gain since the snare might not be the same level in both mics, as it should be.
Finally, the Blumlein setup has both ribbon mics in the same location, but perpendicular to each other. The figure-eight pickup pattern of the mics creates a very realistic stereo image of the room and picks up A LOT of room sound. Coupled by pulling the mics far away from the drums, this creates a very boomy sound even in a dead-sounding basement. This kind of room sound is usually utilized by compressing it to bits, and then subtly pulling it up in the drum mix to provide a very small amount of room sound. It can take a lot of tweaking, but it can be a fun way to make dead drums in a small room sound much bigger without resorting to reverb plug-ins.
Contact me to set up virtual mixing or recording lessons, and let me help level-up your recording game!