Three Quick Tips for Excessive Cymbal Noise

Drums are an important part of just about every song, like the guitar and bass, almost every song will have these components. As an audio engineer , one of the biggest problems you will face when recording drums, which you won't have when recording a bass or a guitar, is too much cymbal action and too much high frequency. Basically all this means is the sound of the cymbal hit is just too loud and last longer than what is wanted or needed for the action.

Since there is no volume knob for a cymbal and asking the drummer to take it easier on the cymbals is probably not going to be an option, here are three things as an engineer you can try to fix this problem.

Try a De-esser Plug-in. Yes, in most cases this is supposed to be used for a vocal, but I haven't seen that written in stone anywhere. This plug-in might just take away that high frequency and on-going ringing that you need to tame down the unwanted sound without affecting the initial sound too much.

Use a Compressor. Using a compressor plug-in might help keep some of those tones in check. A 10:1 ratio with a threshold of -10 might give you some amazing results. In fact, a slight compression after the De-esser program might really give you a sound that sounds great without using a whole lot of EQ.

Remove the Overhead Mics. If your drummer is hitting the cymbals so hard that the sound is too over powering, it might be time to rethink your microphone set-up. For most drum mic set-ups, you will have a left and right overhead mic. But if your drummer is hitting the cymbals hard enough to ditch the overhead mics, you should do just that. If this is the case, you can possibly just get away with using the individual mics that you are using to pic up the other components, or if you still need a good overall sound from your drum kit, you can try setting up a room mic to capture the drum kit at a whole.

I know as an engineer myself, it's easy to say I don't completely like the way those cymbals sound but I will fix the problem later during mix down. This is a big no-no. What happens if you record five or six songs with the set-up the way it is, later the band packs up and goes home and then when you get ready to mix these songs, you find out that the cymbals just are not fixable without re-recording the drum tracks again, how do you explain yourself? Remember, one of the most important rules in recoding is doing it right the first time.

M-S Miking for a Change of Pace

Have you ever been in that position when you record an instrument or a vocal and it seems to sound like just what you want when recording but during play back you just can't seem to get that sound back? Then maybe it is time to try a different Miking technique.

Mid-Side miking (M-S) is a great way to try to pick up a good sound from all the way around the sound source. Even better, after you have recorded, you will be able to in theory change the way the microphones are picking up the sound without rerecording it. This could really help when your stressed for time and going back into the studio just can't be accommodated; this miking technique can really help open up some options.

Now, you do need two particular type of microphones for mid-side miking. A cardioid pattern microphone and a microphone set at a bi-directional pattern. The Cardioid will be facing straight at the source capturing the direct sound, and the bi-directional microphone will be placed perpendicular to the diaphragm of the cardioid microphone. This should give you a nice stereo sound with options to play with later when mixing.

Obviously, everyone is going to have their own opinion and not everyone is going to like this miking method. But (M-S) miking is the oldest form of stereo miking technique you can use. The best thing to me about this system is if you do not get the sound you are looking for, it shouldn't be a big deal, it's not like it takes 5 hours to set it up, five minutes is more like it, and if it does not work it takes five minutes to take down. But if it does work, that is five minutes well spent time.

Microphone Placement for Best Performance

Have you ever come across the problem of mixing a band that you know sounds great but during the mixing process you find yourself pulling your hair out trying to find that perfect sound? Of course, all recording engineers have, but what is the problem? The problem could be a couple of different things, but most likely the problem lies in the way the music was recorded.

Recording correctly

The reason why where you record and where you place microphones is so important is it can be the difference between having an easy time mixing a recording, or having a hell of a time; it can also be the difference between a great final product or having something that sounds like poop. If you have tracks that need a lot of work to make them sound right, as the engineer you will have to use so much eq and so many different effects that the end result would be an unnatural sound. You would be better off just going back and starting all over by rerecording them again.





Here is an example

When I was just finishing school at the Recording Institute of Detroit (RID), I had a buddy who recorded a couple of songs with his band in his garage for me to mix at a later time. The band sounded awesome at the local bar but when they recorded a couple tracks in their garage the tracks were not even worthy of me taking the time to mix them. This is because a lot of people think that the mixing process is some type of magical process that can fix anything, but that is far from the truth. Eventually, we all got together, I recorded them in a more suitable place for music with correct microphone placement and before you knew it, with just a tiny bit of mixing work they had new tracks that sounded awesome.

How to Avoid This Problem All Together

If you are going to be the engineer recording a project or you are simply just recording your own band, here is the best way to get the best recordings: always make sure each instrument and all vocals coming through the microphones sound just the way you want it before you record. There is no room for error here, for the best results make it right from the beginning. Before recording, each track should not only sound good individually at the stereo-track but also while the band is all playing together.

While you're listening to them practice and you're checking and adjusting levels, take notes on what mics need to be adjusted and in which way. When you're done with the sound check, go back and make the proper adjustments. But don't make the mistake that a lot of other engineers make, don't assume its right just because you moved them; go through the sound check process again. Even if it takes you five or six times and the musicians or your band buddies are getting aggravated, trust me when it comes time to mix the tracks the outcome will make everyone happier.