Walking into the Metro is always a nostalgic treat, so many great rock shows took place there and it is the epitomy of the term “rock club.” I made my way up the stairs and caught the band setting up and preparing for a sound check. Jeff Neuberger, the band’s monitor engineer greeted me and walked me around the stage, pointing out all of the Shure gear responsible for Cults’ sound. On vocals, KSM9 was the favorite. Guitar cabinets were captured with SM57s. The drum kit featured Beta 52A and Beta 91A on kick and SM57 and Beta 181/C on snare. A Beta 52A was also the complement to the bass cabinet. Finally, the band took a mix from Jeff in monitor world through the PSM 900 personal monitor systems.

As the band ran through a few tunes and the lighting tech set the mood, I ran down to the legendary green room to set up for my interview with the band. In about an hour or so, the venue went quiet, letting me know that it would soon be time to sit down with Brian and Madeline and learn a little more about Cults. Looking back on it now, it was a pretty good conversation. We’ll be posting this soon, so stay tuned.

Leaving the band to their own devices, I met up with legendary photographer Paul Natkin for some dinner at Uncommon Ground, one of the sites for our National Open Mic Night. This place is always packed, but Paul knows everyone, so the 10 -15 minute wait turned into, “Please follow this gentlemen to your table.” This is a great place if you ever make it to Chicago, very organic and green-minded. The acoustic music that takes place there is pretty incredible, too. I have to make a note to show up in mid-November for the Jeff Buckley Tribute Show. I’m a big fan, but never got around to going. After listening to Paul talk about it, I’m making my plans already.

After milking our dinner time for every minute we could, we made our way back to the venue… two hours to show time and nothing to do but check out the opener and people watch.

Finally, 11 PM rolled around and Cults took the stage to a screaming crowd. It’s always interesting to see how a band is going to pull off certain elements of songs from their album, and I have to say, they pulled it off effortlessly. The sound on stage was a little more aggressive than the album, making it a little more lively for an onlooking crowd. All in all, a great show and a great band. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Cults. This evening also ended with a stop at White Castle.

-Cory

A series of shows was being recorded during a residency at Grocery on Home in Atlanta, GA… audio in a small venue is always a challenge. Ben and company reached out to us and put us up to the challenge of capturing Ben’s vocals, cello and overall vibe of the room. Sounded like a job for the KSM9 on vocals and Beta 181 on cello and ultimate room vibe. The Beta 98AMP made an appearance on the toms and snare, KSM32 was on overheads duty and employed to mic the big bass drum, Beta 91A in the cajon, KSM9 on the box and the standard SM57 on amp. The captivating results are evident on Ben’s latest recording, Live At The Grocery On Home. Ben Sollee was joined by fellow musicians Casey Driessen (fiddle and mandocaster) and Jordon Ellis (drums, cajon and samples) and the vibe is certainly captured, it feels like you’re there, really. Here’s a link to the CNN story… http://bit.ly/xJToh3

Ben will be coming to Chicago soon and I will definitely be there. In the meantime, I will keep this CD on repeat, picking up on every nuance our trusty Shure microphones captured. Thanks to Grayson Hunter for the great photos and thanks to Mr. Ben Sollee for making us a part of this very cool project.

- Cory

A whole lotta rock, that’s what.

Shure Europe set out to find the best amateur drummer in Europe and the Middle East. Several rounds of competition produced five finalists, each with his own style. They duked it out at the Gamli Gaukaurinn Club in Reykjavik, Iceland. The winner was determined by Tom Colman of Shure UK and a jury led by seasoned pro drummer Darren Ashford.

Congratulations to Antonio de Marianis of Italy, who carried the day, and to the other finalists. Their skill and enthusiasm wowed us to the end.

Enjoy the killer beats in the competition video!

Watch more videos at http://www.drum-mastery.eu/.

Indianapolis, IN

The Percussive Artist Society International Convention (PASIC) is one of those events I look forward to every year. Being a drummer myself, this event is close to my heart.  So are a lot of people that attend from many other great companies like Pearl, DW, Zildjian, Remo, Vic Firth, Vater, Istanbul and so many other individuals.  I have been fortunate enough to have not missed one of these events for the past 15+ years.  Everyone pitches in to help make each event happen and it’s such a great feeling to see all of the same people each year.

The convention has been in Indianapolis for the past 3 years so the drive up from Nashville is not too bad, when you’re rockin’ the iPod.  Like the trip 2 years ago, I was in Nashville handling duties at the Country Music Awards and directly after the show finished, I loaded up the gear and headed North for Indy.  I arrived at about 5 AM eastern time, grabbed about an hour of sleep and then brought all of the gear I had in the PT Cruiser into the convention center so it could be passed out for the various events starting around 9 am.  After passing that out, I passed out in the hotel room for another 4 hours.  After that, I went back to the Convention Center and caught a few clinics and chatted with some of the aforementioned manufacturers.

Later that evening, I was invited to 2 special events.  The first was a short party for Pearl artists and employees.  Shure Artist Horcio “El Negro” Hernandez was there as well as a drummer from Australia named Grant Collins.  It was great to catch up with Horacio as he is always gigging somewhere in the world.  He was happy to have a DVD from the Modern Drummer festival from earlier this year.  His performance there was pretty amazing.  Go pick up a copy and see for yourself!  A 12 piece band complete with a Flamenco tap dancer.  I’ve never seen a performance like this before where a drummer was trading 8′s with a dancer.  It was very cool!

The next day, Friday, I arrived early in the morning as Jim Riley’s Clinic was coming up at 1 pm.  I was able to catch drummer Rich Redmond’s clinic at 11 am, which was very informative.  Rich is not only a great studio drummer but also tours with country star Jason Aldean.  He had plenty of great advice to offer attendees about how to succeed in the music business and  a lot of it has to do with having a positive attitude.

The first time I saw Jim Riley’s clinic, I was taken a bit by surprise by his ability to play other genres besides the gig that pays his bills – Rascal Flatts.  He mentioned during his clinic that the last time he played at PASIC a few years ago served as his launchpad for doing drum clinics. He is very well spoken and a solid groove player.  He has been with Rascal Flatts from the beginning and it’s great to see his success, not only as their drummer but as their Musical Director. I put up some Beta 98AMP’s on his toms and used the Beta 181/C for overheads.

AT 5 pm, Grant Collins, a Pearl drum endorser had an enormous kit but chose to not have us close mic it.  Instead, we put up 6 condensers around the front of his kit about 3-4 feet off the ground to capture his toms and his cymbals, put a Beta 91A on each of his  front 2 kick drums and Beta 52′s on the rest and his gong drum.  It sounded pretty amazing!

Friday night after dinner with the Pearl guys, I stopped by the Army Jazz Blues Band concert up in the Sagamore Ballroom.  Special guest drummers Peter Erskine, Simon Phillips, Keith Carlock, John Riley, and Ed Soph all joined the band for a few numbers each.  It was great to see each drummers style shine through with this group.  At the end of the evening, Jim Riley was side stage and I introduced him to Peter Erskine for the first time. Peter had noticed an article in the most recent Modern Drummer magazine about Jim’s studio.

Closing out the clinic events on Saturday for PASIC was Simon Phillips.  His Tama kit was placed on stage and he had already brought his mic set which consisted of KSM137′s in shock mounts on all of this toms, 2 SM27′s for overheads, SM57′s in his Octobons and 2 Beta 52′s permanently mounted in his kick drums.  Simon was interested in hearing how the new Beta 181/C might sound on a few of his toms.  We listened to his stock mics then switch out 4 of the 137′s for 4 of the Beta 181′s.  He liked them just enough to want to go with them for the clinic.  Simon did a long drum solo and then took questions at the end of the clinic while also mentioning all his supporting companies and their gear.

Once Simon was done, I packed up a few more things and headed to go see  a great new band Shure just started working with called Mona.  I will talk about them in a separate blog.

Thus ends another successful PASIC and planning will begin soon for next years’ event in Austin, Texas.  Looking forward to that trip – come join us, wont you?

Ryan

On a rainy early evening at Metro Chicago, I caught the guys from Dawes during load-in and soundcheck. Needless to say, they were pretty happy with their new-found microphone situation on stage. Later on that evening, I would bear witness to the sound they are so grateful for night after night. I first ran into Taylor Goldsmith (lead vocals/guitar) who shared his love of the SM7B on his guitar amp. He also made mention that Dawes used the SM7B to record the vocals on their debut album North Hills. With Taylor back on stage, I was greeted by his brother Griffin Goldsmith (drums/backing vocals), in the middle of some much-needed drum head replacement. He walked me through the rest of the mics on stage and their respective applications, including the Beta 91A, the ONLY mic he uses on his open front kick drum. We were soon joined by Wylie Gelber (bass/gear geek of the band) who rounded out the conversation regarding the rest of gear situation on stage. Keyboard player and backing vocalist Tay Strathairn would later share his love for the Shure PSM 900 personal monitor system, stating that they made such a difference in his performance. Another life changed by the power of the PSM 900.

Of course traveling with a veteran front of house engineer like Wes Delk, formerly of Wide Spread Panic and Waylon Jennings, certainly contributes to how good those mics are going to sound on any stage every night Dawes plays. Wes is also the real deal, this guy knows his stuff and knows how and when to use it. Most importantly, he knows this band. He alluded to the fact that he kind of came out of retirement to work with these guys.

Apparently, Wes was asked to sit in for a friend one evening and serve as engineer at a local listening room in Athens, Georgia. Dawes hit the stage, and about three songs into their set, Wes Delk decided he really liked what he was hearing. The dynamics and space and harmonies were almost sweet nostalgia to his ears. At the end of the evening he went and met the guys at the merchandise table and jokingly offered to get on the bus with them one day and hit the road together. No less than a month later he got a call from Griffin Goldsmith, explaining that Dawes was to hit the road with Alison Krauss & Union Station and they needed to have their own engineer. Knowing he had an old-time friend in Alison Krauss & Union Station’s engineer, Cliff Miller, Wes jumped at the chance and took that seat he had joked about upon first meeting the band. Dawes is more than aware of what Wes Delk brings to their sound on stage every night.

Showtime had finally come. This was a late one for a school night, with the first band, The Belle Brigade from LA, hitting the stage at 9:00 pm. By the way, this brother and sister act definitely had everyone’s attention, check them out, next time you go downloading. Dawes finally took the stage at 9:45 pm and the place erupted. I’m certain that I was not alone while marveling at the dynamics Dawes had on stage. Some personal favorites from the evening’s set list were “If I Wanted Someone,” “When My Time Comes,” “Time Spent In Los Angeles,” and “A Little Bit Of Everything,” which, for a moment felt like a church hymn ringing through the rafters.

After witnessing Dawes, the live version, something tells me that we’ll be hearing more from this band in the years to come, one can only hope. Dawes is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the music industry.

Cory

On a rainy early evening at Metro Chicago, I caught the guys from Dawes during load-in and soundcheck. Needless to say, they were pretty happy with their new-found microphone situation on stage. Later on that evening, I would bear witness to the sound they are so grateful for night after night. I first ran into Taylor Goldsmith (lead vocals/guitar) who shared his love of the SM7B on his guitar amp. He also made mention that Dawes used the SM7B to record the vocals on their debut album North Hills. With Taylor back on stage, I was greeted by his brother Griffin Goldsmith (drums/backing vocals), in the middle of some much-needed drum head replacement. He walked me through the rest of the mics on stage and their respective applications, including the Beta 91A, the ONLY mic he uses on his open front kick drum. We were soon joined by Wylie Gelber (bass/gear geek of the band) who rounded out the conversation regarding the rest of gear situation on stage. Keyboard player and backing vocalist Tay Strathairn would later share his love for the Shure PSM 900 personal monitor system, stating that they made such a difference in his performance. Another life changed by the power of the PSM 900.

Of course traveling with a veteran front of house engineer like Wes Delk, formerly of Wide Spread Panic and Waylon Jennings, certainly contributes to how good those mics are going to sound on any stage every night Dawes plays. Wes is also the real deal, this guy knows his stuff and knows how and when to use it. Most importantly, he knows this band. He alluded to the fact that he kind of came out of retirement to work with these guys.

Apparently, Wes was asked to sit in for a friend one evening and serve as engineer at a local listening room in Athens, Georgia. Dawes hit the stage, and about three songs into their set, Wes Delk decided he really liked what he was hearing. The dynamics and space and harmonies were almost sweet nostalgia to his ears. At the end of the evening he went and met the guys at the merchandise table and jokingly offered to get on the bus with them one day and hit the road together. No less than a month later he got a call from Griffin Goldsmith, explaining that Dawes was to hit the road with Alison Krauss & Union Station and they needed to have their own engineer. Knowing he had an old-time friend in Alison Krauss & Union Station’s engineer, Cliff Miller, Wes jumped at the chance and took that seat he had joked about upon first meeting the band. Dawes is more than aware of what Wes Delk brings to their sound on stage every night.

Showtime had finally come. This was a late one for a school night, with the first band, The Belle Brigade from LA, hitting the stage at 9:00 pm. By the way, this brother and sister act definitely had everyone’s attention, check them out, next time you go downloading. Dawes finally took the stage at 9:45 pm and the place erupted. I’m certain that I was not alone while marveling at the dynamics Dawes had on stage. Some personal favorites from the evening’s set list were “If I Wanted Someone,” “When My Time Comes,” “Time Spent In Los Angeles,” and “A Little Bit Of Everything,” which, for a moment felt like a church hymn ringing through the rafters.

After witnessing Dawes, the live version, something tells me that we’ll be hearing more from this band in the years to come, one can only hope. Dawes is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the music industry.

Cory

The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA

It was time for a road trip….and I knew this one was going to be worth it.  Why?  Because I’ve watched drummer Mike Mangini for years.  He’s been a Shure endorser for over 10 years.  This was the type of band that Mike has worked for, practiced for, and should be in.

So, Mike Farriss from Pearl and myself jumped into the Shure PT Cruiser and headed down south to hang with Mike in his exiting new role as the backbone for Dream Theater.  I have followed this group since the first album and being a drummer, was always amazed at the incredible musicianship behind this  group.  Anyone else who has been following the group knows of the changes that recently occurred and the interesting way the band held auditions to find their new drummer.  Watching the video of Mike playing with the group, you can see why he was picked.  His playing is like the glass slipper that fit perfectly. When Mike got the gig, I was so happy for him and his family.

Upon our arrival at the venue, we walked up the ramp that lead right to his monstrosity of a Pearl kit.  Drums, cymbals, hardware, and mics….was I at a music store?  Considering the group, they have the best of what’s available at a music store.   Mike is using our new Beta 98AMP’s on the bulk of his toms, a Beta 27 on his floor tom, KSM32′s covering  his overheads and then a few Beta 91A’s in the kick drums.  He mentioned that they get tons of compliments on sound after the shows.  Special thanks to Nigel Paul, the bands’ FOH Engineer for that!

Walking around the rest of the stage, guitarist John Petrucci has a pair of SM57′s and a pair of KSM313′s on each guitar cabinet.  He also mentioned that he used the KSM353 to track the album with.  There were also a pair of wired SM86 vocal mics on stage.  One for John and the other for lead singer James LaBrie.

Following sound check, I was able to squeeze in a video interview with Mike Mangini where we discussed his transitioning from being an instructor at Berklee to going back out on the road.  We also discussed his use of several Shure products, both for his many recordings and now live on tour.  Look for that video on our YouTube page soon.

We killed some time between that and show time.  I went downstairs to the merchandise table to see what they had and did something I had not done for many years….purchase a tour book.  It has such great photos and the coolest thing…each member of the group had a page where they list what gear they use on tour!

The other part of the book that I took special note of was the intro letter, written by John Petrucci – specifically a paragraph where he talks about recording with Mike Mangini.

John wrote:  “Recording Mike Mangini was one of the highlights of the album experience for me. Mike’s impeccable preparation and positive spirit were refreshingly infectious and set the mood for the kinds of performances we would capture from everyone on this album.  Between the sheer technical mastery of his instrument and the raw musicality that just oozes from his pores, his performances not only brought all of the songs to life but also infused an intensity and passion into the music that was a sight to behold, a pleasure to listen to and just incredibly inspiring. ”

This was $ 20.00 well spent and I encourage you to get one when you go see them.  Great photography!

The new album is called A Dramatic Turn Of Events.  A very appropriate title because when the group hit the stage, the crowd was ready to see this new super group and to witness firsthand how the groups turn of events has played out.    The show was a musically emotional roller coaster ride.  There are so many time signatures flying around on stage, it’s like being in the middle of the lottery ball machine where all the balls are time signatures instead of digits.  (OK, maybe that’s overdoing it a bit) It’s challenging to keep up with but a joy to watch the musicians do it so well.

About 5 songs in, the crowd was treated to a drum solo “from another galaxy.” If you have ever seen what Mike can do, it is truly jaw dropping.  Not only that, he brings so much intensity and energy that it’s exciting to watch.  When you understand the mechanics behind it, it makes it that much better…but also very depressing, because I know I can’t do that as a drummer.  :)

The rest of the show was great and the crowd loved the new addition the band, signified by a loud applause at the end when James announced Mike’s name again.

If you like progressive metal or if you just want to witness 5 incredibly gifted and creative musicians on stage, you owe it to yourself to find out when they are coming to your town.  If they are not, take a vacation and fly somewhere to go see them or do like I did – ROAD TRIP!

Ryan

Montclair State University – Montclair, NJ

This was the first time in about 3-4 years that I’ve been back at the Modern Drummer Fest and back to MSU.  It was great to see this campus again and it has been growing and rebuilding ever since.

Last year, Shure sent a boatload of mics to the event.  This year, due to the fact that 2 Shure artists were on the bill, I decided it would be good to come out and support.  I arrived Friday afternoon and went over to the hall to see how set-up was progressing……quite nicely actually!  Shure Endorser Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez was setting up his group first as they would be closing the show.  He had 12 musicians and a flamenco tap dancer to top it all off.   Among these musicians was an amazing vocal singer from Spain that Horacio has been telling me about for years: Concha Buika.  Along a percussion player, 3 background singers (one being Horacio’s daughter) a couple of horn players, Keys, guitar, and bass, this would turn out to be one of the most interesting and musically complex performances I had ever seen at this show.  My compliments to Negro’s manager, Margaret Sterlacci for organizing all of these artists, literally from around the globe to come in and perform.  Of course,  I made sure that we had plenty of the new mics along for the ride.  On his Toms, we put up the Beta 98AMP and for his ride, the Beta 181/C.  On overheads, a pair of KSM32‘s.  On the guitar amp, the KSM313 ribbon mic always delivers amazing tone. On the Kick, the popular Beta 52A and the new Beta 91A combination.

The next morning, I arrived at the University around 9 am to catch the show opening with endorser Jim Riley (Rascal Flatts).  Jim was invited to do a Master Class for about 125 people.  Jim is also a fantastic player and a great clinician.  His focus was on using rudiments to enhance your playing on the kit musically.  He played along with several tracks that he had composed.  He also mentioned that as musical director for Rascal Flatts, he is allowed a lot of flexibility in arranging for them.  Jim also used the Beta 98AMP’s and the Beta 181′s for his clinic. A special Congratulations goes out to Jim for being voted the Modern Drummer 2011 Country Drummer of the Year.

Other artists invited this year included Gil Sharone, Trevor Lawrence Jr., Jeff “Tain” Watts, John Riley and Aquiles Priester.  It was a great show and there were plenty of great comments on the new Beta drum mics.

Shure Endorser Billy Ward also showed up.  It was wonderful catching up with him.

Special Thanks to the staff at Modern Drummer magazine for always putting together an exciting show.  Thanks to HB Group and Bill Dest for handling the sound needs and the crew for taking such good care of all of the mics.

I play drums and my drum kit of choice is Pearl.  I have a Reference series kit with a 22 inch kick drum and 4 toms – 10, 12, 14, 16 inches.  I switch between an all brass reference series snare and the Steve Ferrone signature snare.  For my mics selection, I would put both the Beta 52A and the Beta 91A in my kick drum.  This is a standard technique used both live and in the studio to capture the low end and the attack of a kick drum and to blend between the two sounds as appropriate.  For toms, I would use the new Beta 98AMP on my 10 and 12 toms because I like the clarity of tone they provide. The Beta 27 on the floor toms provides a nice, full low end and the super cardioid pattern give them great separation.  The SM57 on the snare is a must as it always naturally reproduces the acoustic sound of the snare drum. I use Remo drum heads – Clear Emperors on the top and Clear Ambassadors on the  bottom. The Reference snare has a coated Ambassador head on top.  I like to tune the toms so there is no tonal drop-off and the pitch is nice and long, not muted.  No gates please!

For cymbals, I choose Zildjian.  I would use a KSM137 on the Hi-hat as it is not to bright in the high end.  On Overheads, I would use the Beta 181/C.  My first experience with these was last Fall 2010 at the Percussive Artist Society International Convention in Indianapolis.  I was very pleased with the clarity and the tonality that came through these mics.  I heard various tones from the cymbals that I was only used to hearing when I listened to cymbals up close acoustically.  Like the SM57 on the snare, these seemed to truly represent what was in  front of me.

I am very comfortable with this set-up both live and in the studio.  Many drummers have used both similar and different set-up to track their drums.  You can find a some  examples from the Pro’s in our Microphone Techniques for Drums publication.

So there you have it!

Now it’s YOUR turn.  Please comment and tell everyone about your kit and what  Shure mics help you achieve YOUR sound.

Thanks !

Ryan

Here’s a rudimentary primer for miking the rhythm section: guitars, bass, piano, and drums.

This quick overview should help minimize the deer-in-the-headlights feeling you may experience when faced with a daunting live-sound situation – like when you put up an open mic on a stage peppered with monitors, only to elicit the screeching howl of the dreaded feedback monster.

Start with the Right Mics

The best way to figure out where to place a mic is to listen to the source – in this case, the instrument or amplifier. Try using only one ear to simulate the mono pickup of a mic, and listen up close and also from a few feet away. How does the instrument radiate sound? Put the mic where the instrument sounds best to your ear. Sometimes two mics are necessary to capture the full range of a particular instrument.

You’ll always need to use unidirectional microphones in live situations, for isolation of sound sources and to avoid feedback problems with the monitors.

If you have problems with the monitors, mics with a tighter pickup pattern (hypercardioid or supercardioid) are best. For area miking (that is, drum overheads), you can use a transducer with a wider pickup pattern. In most circumstances, you will want to put the mic as close to the instrument as possible without interfering with the player’s range of motion. This will ensure a more focused sound with less ambient reverberation and bleed from the other instruments onstage.

The Match Game

Mics have different frequency response characteristics that make them more or less appropriate for specific applications. Analyze the quality of an instrument’s sound to decide which mic best suits the job.

If the instrument is soft, a tight-pattern condenser might be just the thing for getting a hotter output.

If the instrument is loud, choose a mic that can handle high SPLs.

Is it bright? Try a mic that will impart a little warmth.

Does it have lots of midrange? Perhaps a Shure SM57 would be a good match.

Does it sound bassy? Try a large-diaphragm dynamic to capture the lows fully.

Guitars

Electric guitars

The electric guitar is perhaps the simplest instrument to mic, given that an instrument mic aimed at the amp’s speaker always does the job well.

There are two primary schools of thought for miking a guitar cabinet. Either point the microphone straight into the cabinet and directly at the speaker’s voice coil (the advantage being consistency of sound), or put the mic on the edge of the speaker and angle it into the voice coil (for less spiky mids). In both cases, you should place the mic right up against the grille.

Consider this type: Unidirectional dynamic microphone

Shure mic: PG57, SM57

Acoustic guitars

Any condenser microphone works well for miking an acoustic guitar, as long as the stage sound isn’t too cluttered or loud. If the volume is cranked up and the guitar needs to go through the monitors, you may prefer a dynamic mic with good high-end response to get sufficient gain before feedback.

If the guitarist has a pickup, try taking it direct. If the sound is too dry and the guitarist is using a lot of effects or EQ at the amp, you may need to mic the amp, using the same approach as for miking an electric guitar amp, and combine that sound with the direct signal. You could also mic the guitar itself and blend that with the direct signal for a fuller sound.

Consider this type: Condenser or unidirectional dynamic microphone
Shure mic: PG81, SM57, KSM32

Electric or Acoustic Bass

Electric Bass

Although it’s standard practice to send the bass direct through the P.A., in some circumstances an engineer will also mic the bass cabinet. The mic you choose should capture lots of low end. Large-diaphragm dynamics are good choices.

If the bass cabinet has a mix of 10-inch and 15-inch speakers, you have a couple of options. For more low-end oomph, put a mic on the 15-inch speaker. If you’re a funky slap-and-pop bass player, try putting a mic on one of the 10-inchers or on the horn for more high-end definition and better transient response. Keep in mind that the direct injection (DI) box will give you plenty of low-end fundamentals and that extra twang, so a little lower midrange support from a miked cabinet can fill out the sound.

Consider this type: Unidirectional dynamic microphone
Shure mic: PG52, SM57, Beta 52®A

Acoustic upright bass

It is desirable to take a direct signal from an acoustic bass pickup, though most double-bass players (especially jazz cats) wrinkle their noses at DIs because they never sound the way players like them to sound. In such a case, you should also mic the bass. It’s prudent to retain the option to use the direct sound, however, because in a loud situation where you may not get enough gain or definition from the mic, you can still boost the level to give the bass presence in the mix.

The output of an acoustic bass is relatively low, so you have to put the mic in as close as possible. Unidirectional mics are prone to proximity effect (a boost in the low frequencies) when placed very close to a sound source, so you may need to roll off some of the lows. You can fasten low-profile microphones to the tailpiece, to an f hole, or to the ridge that’s just above the waist of the instrument. Don’t clip them on the bridge – that can inhibit vibrations.

Consider this type: Condenser microphones – cardioid instrument and gooseneck types
Shure mic: KSM32, KSM44, KSM137, KSM141, Beta 98H/C

Keyboards

Electronic Keyboards

Most engineers prefer to get a direct feed on electronic keyboards. If the keyboardist has an amp and prefers that sound, you can mic the cabinet (as you would a guitar amp with a Shure SM57) and combine that sound with the direct signal.

Going direct or using a direct box is generally better, because you tend to get a cleaner sound. In the case of a Fender Rhodes suitcase piano, try going direct and miking the speakers on the piano to represent the Fender Rhodes sound fully.

Consider this type: Dynamic instrument microphone
Shure mic: SM57

Grand Piano

For miking grand pianos, engineers often favor condenser mics. Ideally, you should use a pair of mics to capture the low and high strings Place one mic several inches over the bass strings and the other over the high strings, and angle them apart for greater separation. The closer you get to the hammers, the more attack you’ll get; the farther away from the hammers, the mellower the tone will be.

If the environment is loud, try securing the mics inside the piano and closing the lid for greater isolation. You could also clamp the mics to the soundboard (using a piece of foam to protect the wood) with LP Claws or similar mic clamps. A single SM58 pointing into one of the soundboard holes will also do the trick if you have only one input and the piano is going through the monitors.

Consider this type: Condenser instrument microphone
Shure mic: PG81, SM81, KSM44

Upright Piano

Open the top and place a split pair of microphones inside, aiming slightly toward the hammers to capture both the low and the high keys. Condensers are preferable, but SM57s work quite well, too. You could also mic the piano from the back, taking time to find the sweet spot. Remember to listen – and to think from the mic’s perspective. Another option is to take the front off by the player’s feet and to mic the strings from that angle (if the player isn’t stomping the pedals or the floor too vigorously, that is!).

Consider this type: Condenser instrument microphone, dynamic instrument microphone
Shure mic: PG81 , SM57, KSM44

Drums

Drum sets vary in size, number of components, tonal quality, and head configurations. But most standard kits have a snare drum, a bass drum, a floor tom, one or more rack toms, a hi-hat, a ride cymbal, and a crash or two.

Snare Drums

A fat but crisp sound is desirable for snare drum, and a Shure SM57 is the workhorse for capturing this essence. A Beta 58A® can also sound very good on snare.

Place the mic at about 11 o’clock from the player’s perspective, between the hi-hat and the rack tom, about two inches from the head and angled toward it.

For more lows, angle the capsule closer in toward the head; for a crisper attack, move the mic slightly farther from the head and point it more toward the center of the drum.

If you want to get some extra sizzle from the snare wires for a funky sound, put an additional mic on the bottom head, pointing up at the wires. Use a dynamic that has a lot of high end and flip the phase of the mic on the bottom head to avoid phase cancellation.

Consider this type: Dynamic microphone
Shure mic: PG57, SM57, Beta 58A®

Kick Drums

A punchy kick-drum sound with a lot of low-end oomph makes the rest of the band really pump. Quite a few mics are designed specifically for kick-drum miking, including the Shure Beta 52®A.

Usually a kick drum will have a hole in the front head. Put the mic just inside the drum to start. For more attack, move the mic closer inside and aim it at the beater. For a fuller, rounder sound with less attack, draw the mic back farther and angle it slightly away from the beater. If there is no hole in the front head, start with the mic about two to four inches in from the rim and point it at the head, adjusting the angle to get the desired sound. Listen up close to the drum with one ear as someone plays, find the spot where it sounds the way you like, and put the mic there. Refrain from placing the mic at the very center of the drum – that’s a dead spot.

Consider this type: Kick drum microphone – dynamic or condenser
Shure mic: PG52, Beta 52®A, Beta 91

Toms

Miking toms can pose a challenge if a drummer has a lot of cymbal stands. Fortunately, you have the option of clip-on tom mics well as mic- that come in handy for fastening tom mics in place and neatly out of the way. Place the mic near the rim of the drum, pointing down at the head, and adjust the angle and distance for more low end or more attack. If you want greater separation, angle the mics apart.

Consider this type: Dynamic or condenser microphone
Shure mic: PG56, SM57, Beta 98AD/C

Hi-Hat and Cymbals

The use of overhead mics is standard for capturing the cymbals and the overall kit sound, and a split pair will pick up both sides of the kit. Condenser mics are ideal for overheads because of their excellent high end and natural transient response.

If you have only one overhead, place the mic centrally over the kit, and move it around to compensate for the playing style and the kit’s characteristics (that is, quiet ride cymbal, loud snare, and so on). Just keep the overheads out of the monitors to avoid feedback. If the hi-hat needs more bite, place a small-diaphragm condenser mic a few inches above the hi-hats, angled at the area just below the cup.

Consider this type: Condenser microphone
Shure mic: PG81, SM81

Finally…

Miking stage instruments is a subjective art, and there are nearly as many opinions as there are engineers. By now, though, you’ve picked up enough pointers to start miking the most ubiquitous instruments in standard venues.

If you have some time and the luxury of access to a variety of live-sound mics, the next step is to experiment a little with selection and placement before you have a show.

Keep in mind the constants – namely, the proper etiquette for avoiding feedback, and close miking with unidirectional mics for maximum pickup and isolation. Use this article as a guide, but remember: ultimately you should rely on your ears to determine the best mic placement for optimum sound.

About Karen Stackpole

Karen Stackpole got started in live sound reinforcement in 1988 and expanded into studio work in 1991. In 1997 she launched Stray Dog Recording Services, a mobile recording business, in addition to working on projects as a freelance live sound and studio engineer and drum tech.

Karen is an active member of Syn-Aud-Con and the Audio Engineering Society and is also a performing and recording drummer/percussionist. As a freelance writer she regularly contributes to Electronic Musician and DRUM! Magazines. In 1999 she joined the Sound Arts faculty at Expression College for Digital Arts and directs the Studio Maintenance course.

Visit Karen and Stray Dog Recording Services on MySpace .

SN thanks Karen and Electronic Musician magazine for allowing us to adapt the content that appears in this article.