3 Rules for Recording Drums

Recording drums can be a daunting task for a home producer. Here are 3 rules to follow:

1. Focus on your overhead microphones.

I use a pair of condenser microphones pointed straight down over the left and right sides of the kit, with the diaphragm of each exactly the same distance from the center of the snare. My spot microphones are simply used to enhance the sound once I get a good stereo image of the whole kit from the overheads. If you only have one spot microphone available, you'll probably make the best use of it on the kick drum.

2. Record to a click track.

This runs counter to advice I was given when I began home production. "It will make the performance sound robotic," they would say. Nonsense! Recording to a click track will save you from an editing nightmare down the road. You'll have better options when it comes to quantization, and you'll be able to copy and paste sections of the song with ease.

3. Check your microphone placement between takes.

Playing drums requires a lot of physical movement. With arms and legs flying all over the place, it should be no surprise when a microphone gets caught up in the mayhem. Spot microphones in particular have a tendency to point themselves further and further up or down when they're clipped directly to your shells. Readjust them between each take to ensure a consistent tone throughout the song.

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Of course, there are always exceptions. But keeping these 3 rules in mind will help you take your drums from sounding like they were recorded in a bedroom to sounding like they were recorded in a studio.