Recording Real Drums

Recording and mixing the sound of a complete acoustic kit can be one of the toughest challenges an engineer faces. Mark Cousins explores the most effective solutions.

Given the number of microphones placed around the average drum kit coupled with the enthusiastic and lengthy discussions engineers engage in about mixing drums, you could easily be fooled into thinking that the process of recording and mixing a drum kit is something that should be left to the professionals! But although the modern drum kit undoubtedly presents a challenge, it shouldn’t be an insurmountable one. Broken down into its essentials and examined from the perspective of what you want to achieve, it is perfectly possible for even a novice to make a recording with a solid and coherent drum part.

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 63
Filed under Home, General Features, Features

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