Rhonda Vincent stepped out of her bus on Thursday, July 12 and was escorted by her husband Herb to a red 2012 Chrysler 200S, Special Edition hard top convertible.  Herb had to hide this vehicle from her for the last 6+ months. Rhonda was very surprised and even asked me if I knew about it.

Later, the Bluegrass Queen and her group The Rage would perform to an almost packed house at The Ryman Auditorium.  She has been a KSM44A ambassador  for many years. Performing well over 200 dates a year, it seems like her tour never ends.  She takes a short time to record and then it’s back out on the circuit. I receive regular emails from her with a photo of her singing on the KSM44A at various shows.  (Thanks Rhonda, keep em coming!)

Her band just keeps getting better and now they travel with a dobro player for the first time in the groups’ history. The group has been using the PSM900 for monitors and the SE535 for earphones.  I was able to grab a few photos here and there throughout the evening.  Once in a while, I get an artistic photo and I was lucky to catch a moment when there was no one in front of Rhonda’s mic and the house was empty with the lights on.  Pretty cool shots.

It’s great to be able to work with an artist for a long time and watch them evolve.  Rhonda is a tireless performer and always puts on a great show.   She has just released a live CD entitled Sunday Mornin’ Singin Live, which has Shure mics in use.  You can visit her site and order a copy or 5 for yourself and your family.  www.rhondavincent.com

Ryan

A single pair of multipattern condenser microphones can provide at least five distinct overhead drum miking choices with surprisingly different sonic characteristics.

To demonstrate these different sounds, we recorded a drum kit with a pair of KSM44A overhead microphones five different ways. The drums, the room, the preamps, cables, and composition remained the same. The only variable was the position of the microphones (and in one case, the polar pattern).

How different can a single pair of microphones, in the same room with the same drums, really sound? As you listen to the tracks below, consider the following:

• Width of stereo field
• Mono compatibility
• Susceptibility to comb filtering / phase coherency problems
• Amount of ambient or room sound captured
• Ease of setup

XY/Coincident Pair

The XY or coincident pair approach wins points for its guaranteed mono compatibility. Because the two capsules are so close together (“coincident”), sound waves from every drum and cymbal impinge upon the two mics’ diaphragms nearly simultaneously, avoiding any risk of comb-filtering due to partial cancellation of out-of-phase waves when the two OH tracks are heard in mono.

A consequence of coincident positioning is that the resulting stereo field is narrow, even when the two OH tracks are panned hard L/R. This is a good choice for arrangements in which the drums play a supporting role, or when mono compatibility is critical.

Overhead microphone height is an important consideration in this and every technique. If the mics are very high, the capsules will point straight over the sides of the of the kit, essentially putting the entire instrument off-axis. This will result in an overly roomy sound.

Lowering the microphones, or using an angle less than 90o can result in a more direct sound, although the kick and snare will always be off-axis.

Regardless of height, I recommend mounting the XY array directly above the snare drum, to ensure that the snare is centered in the stereo image.

Mid-Side

The M-S technique, like XY, ensures mono compatibility. And like XY, it produces a relatively narrow stereo spread.

A primary benefit is that the perceived size of the space can be changed at mix time, by varying the amount of “side” channel in the mix. This is often described as adjusting the “stereo width,” but to my ear the drum kit doesn’t get any wider. The high and low toms don’t get farther apart. The room gets bigger, but the drums sound less direct.

The challenge of M-S is that one of the two microphones is not pointed at the drum kit. The figure-of-8 mic is positioned so the drums are in the mic’s null point; the microphone hears only reflected sound. If you are recording drums in a small or untreated room, chances are this reflected sound is not what you want on your record.

But if the room does sound good, M-S is a great way to combine a dry, direct sound — the Mid mic — with as much room ambience as suits the rest of the production.

Recorderman

The Recorderman technique is probably the newest and least-known technique here, although it is conceptually similar to the overhead configuration of Glyn Johns’ more-famous approach.

It requires two Cardioid microphones. One is suspended 32” above the center of the snare drum, pointing straight down. The other is positioned near the drummer’s right shoulder, pointing directly at the snare drum from 32″ away.

This technique requires that the kick drum is also equidistant from both microphones. This can be checked by taping the two ends of a length of string to the center of the snare and kick drums, respectively. Pinch the string together at the point where it touches the mic above the snare, so that both legs of the string are taut. Move that point of the string in an arc toward the drummer’s right shoulder to find the perfect location of the second microphone — at a point where it, too, is 32” from the center of the snare, and equally distant from the kick as is the first microphone.

The two tracks are panned L and R, although not necessarily 100%. Extreme panning of Recorderman overhead tracks can leave a hole in the middle of the stereo field.

Mono compatibility is not guaranteed, except for the kick and snare.

Because the microphones are relatively low, they will hear primarily the drums themselves. Cymbals will be understated, as will the sound of the room.

This is therefore a great way to combat some of the problems that plague live drum recording in home or project studios:

• Small, untreated rooms that don’t sound great
• Untrained drummers who bash their cymbals

Even in large, purpose-built studios, the Recorderman technique is a useful way to capture dry overhead tracks that can be supplemented with more-distant ambient microphones, should the arrangement call for a roomier sound.

ORTF

With a stereo bar, ORTF becomes very easy to use. Once the two microphones are locked into position — with capsules 17cm apart, at 110o– the single stand can easily be raised, lowered, or angled to tune the array to best suit the size of the kit, the sound of the room, and the desired amount of ambience in the recorded track.

Due to the wide spread of the microphones, it is likely that most of the drum kit will be between them, off-axis. This approach, like mid-side, is less likely to succeed in a small or untreated space, because the microphones will mostly hear reflected sounds. Moving the array closer to the drum kit, whether from behind or over the top, will result in a drier sound.

The ORTF stereo image is wider than XY, MS, or Recorderman, but not unbelievably so. Perhaps because the microphone position simulates human ear position, the resulting stereo field seems very natural and realistic, and generally collapses to mono without significant problems.

AB/Spaced Pair

The AB or Spaced Pair approach is among the simplest stereo techniques to understand, but it presents the most problems in practice.

Because the microphones are far apart, AB arrays are susceptible to comb filtering. The risk can be mitigated somewhat by keeping the two microphone capsules equidistant from the center of the snare drum — but even then, the mic placement should be auditioned (in mono) to reveal possible problems with the kick, toms, or cymbals.

Aside from phase-coherency challenges, AB is a powerful technique, with a large palette of sonic colors. By lowering the array, or angling the microphones in toward the center of the kit, room sound can be minimized. Conversely, there are numerous ways to use an AB pair to capture a roomier, indirect sound: by raising the microphones, moving them further out toward the sides of the kit, angling them to point straight down, or changing from Cardioid to a wider polar pattern.

AB arrays can produce a wide stereo image, simply because drums or cymbals very near one of the two microphones will be perceived to come from only that side of the stereo field. This can result in an unrealistically large-sounding drum kit, if the overhead tracks are panned 100% L/R.

Head to head Comparison

Here’s how the techniques compare:

Cheat Sheet

• To minimize room sound, lower the OH microphones and point them toward the center of the kit.
• To maximize room sound, raise the OH microphones, angle them away from the drums, or use wider polar patterns.
• To minimize cymbal sound, try Recorderman.
• To ensure mono compatibility, use XY or MS.
• For the widest possible stereo spread, use AB.
• Avoid phase coherency problems with kick and snare by keeping them centered between the OH mics.
• Dry overhead tracks can be optionally supplemented with room mics.
• A pair of cardioid mics provides several distinct, viable OH sounds.
• Multipattern LDCs provide even more options.

About Matt McGlynn

Matt McGlynn is the founder of RecordingHacks.com. The site contains a searchable archive of specifications and insider information for over 1000 microphones, both contemporary and vintage, as well as in-depth reviews, a microphone sale-price finder, and a frequency-graph overlay comparison tool.

Billy Ward: Touring and Recording Drummer’s Drummer

Multi-Pattern Mics and More
He’s worked with everyone from Yoko Ono, Robbie Robertson and Joan Osborne to jazz artists like Bill Evans Supergroup, Living Time Orchestra and Leni Stern while finding time to produce Big Time, an instructional DVD, his way cool Two Hands Clapping CD, and Inside Out, a compilation of his “Concepts” articles from Modern Drummer magazine.

According to one reviewer, “Billy Ward must munch on a steady diet of hipness pills. Everything he plays just sounds so cool.”

So, here it is. Ten minutes with the master.

Recording or Live Performance?
Recording, mostly

Gig
Drummer/producer

Years in the Business
30 lives

Where
New York City

Miking Application
Drums

What I Learned
There are many ways to skin a cat. Everybody has their secret ways to mic a drum kit, but in the end, there are no “across the board” rules because there are so many factors in achieving a successful drum sound on tape.

The room is the biggest factor, which is usually overlooked by inexperienced engineers. Then, of course, there’s the tuning of the drums and the drummer’s touch. Geoffrey Daking once pointed out to me in an article for Modern Drummer Magazine: “You can take six drummers in the same room with the same drums and mics and you will have six different drum sounds.”

Personally, I always encourage younger, budding engineers to get mics that have different patterns available (such as the KSM44 and KSM141 series mics). A figure-8 pattern (like in the KSM44) is tighter – like two hypercardioid patterns. If you are doing a multi-tom setup, placing the KSM44 for two toms is a great solution. Everybody knows that more mics are bad – they create a phase party! So that’s one solution for live or studio application.

For studio, when the room is sonically accurate or safe, omnis are so underrated! The KSM44s in omni are a wonderful snapshot of the drums.

As is the case with any drum miking, it’s best that the mics are at equal distance from the snare drum (and the bass drum too, if possible). The KSM series is understated – it’s non-hyped in the top end. Very mixable. The sounds sit within any setting because there is nothing false in the top end.

An experienced engineer will appreciate the choices that are available and the novice can learn from the huge differences in sound and EQ that come from a different pickup pattern.

Knowledge is truly power and the KSM series enables the user to have multiple patterns at a reasonable cost. Switchable patterns R U L E!

Shure Notes readers can keep up with Billy, check out his music, sharpen percussion skills with his book and DVDs and even – yes –join the BWSS (Billy Ward Stalking Society) by purchasing licensed gear that includes everything from coffee mugs to thong underwear at www.billyward.com

Raz-Man Jeff Rasmussen: Michael McDonald’s Main (FOH) Man

Jeffrey “Raz” Rasmussen ought to know a little something about mixing sound. He’s been at it for a good two decades now and has been the man behind the controls for about as diverse a group of artists as you can imagine: Rick James, LL Cool J, Oingo Boingo, Prince, Leann Rimes, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Tony Toni Tone and more recently, Michael McDonald. You get the idea. He’s a pro.

We asked Raz to weigh in with a problem and a solution.

Recording or Live Performance?
Live and Studio

Present Gig
Currently FOH engineer for Michael McDonald

Years in the Business
20

Lives In
Hollywood, CA

Challenge
Miking McDonald’s vocals was a problem since Michael’s wedges can reach up to 118db, which tends to really color the FOH sound.

Solution
Shure’s KSM9 has incredible rejection of background noise. The KSM9 really isolates Michael’s voice and allows me to get a natural tone. I tried a lot of different large diaphragm condenser mics. The KSM9 was the only one to offer this performance.

The Path That Took You There
Ryan Smith of Shure told me about the KSM9. He asked me to try it. I loved it right away.

He came to a rehearsal where both of us listened to McD’s voice soloed up in the headphones. Neither one of us could believe how much isolation the KSM9 was providing with such high monitor level. Not to mention that the tone was fabulous, too. Bravo, for the Mylar diaphragm! I also use KSM32s for overheads, but I place them equidistant from the drum kit and make sure that they are in the same phase plane. This eliminates any swishy, phase shifting sound when the cymbals are struck.

Drums

Snare: KSM27, SM57

Kick: SM91 (Editor’s Note: This product is discontinued. See Beta 91 or Beta 52 for other kick drum miking recommendations.)

Hi-hat: KSM137

Toms: Beta 98

Wood Block: Beta 98

Overheads: KSM32

Guitar: KSM27

Vocals: KSM9, SM58

Choir: KSM9, KSM32

Flute: KSM9, KSM32

Leslie
(Low): KSM27
(High): SM57

Shure Notes thanks Raz for stepping away from the mixing board long enough to participate in this issue.

Tree House: Dave Catching & Rancho de la Luna

Whether you call the genre acid rock, space rock or stoner rock, you are likely to know Dave Catching, a Memphis-born, former New Orleans resident, who, along with the late Fred Drake, founded Rancho de la Luna. An accomplished guitar-player with a long list of credentials, Dave has worked with Queens of the Stone Age, Mondo Generator, co-founded earthlings? and is presently touring with Eagles of Death Metal.

Our Shure Notes mission was to plug into some handy tips for creative miking. What began as that discussion quickly became an exploration of the elements sometimes required for musical creativity. It’s what some call the “Place Concept”. For Dave and a legion of other West Coast players, that place is Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree, California.

Recording or Live Performance?
I do both actually, and I do a lot of both.

Let’s talk about the studio, Rancho de la Luna.
It was founded by Fred Drake in 1993 (who died in 2002). He found the house and contacted me about starting the studio. A friend of ours was selling a bunch of studio equipment and we bought the gear from the guy. Within a week we had a board and a 24-track one-inch machine and a 16-track half-inch machine.

Then, Mark Howard who engineers for Daniel Lanois, stopped in a few days after our gear had been delivered to ask if it was cool to move his studio into the house for about six months. He didn’t expect to be recording here for more than two or three weeks – so we had the gear for sessions, or for our own stuff the rest of the time. Strangely enough, Daniel was Fred’s favorite producer so it worked out pretty well.

Rancho de la Luna, of course, is where The Desert Sessions are recorded.

Let’s talk about what makes this place so unique.
This is a little house in the middle of the desert. It’s not big and it’s not fancy. But it’s got a very good vibe. We don’t have state-of-the art equipment (except for microphones, of course) and it’s really kind of low-tech.

We do “The Desert Sessions” just about every year with an amazing group of musicians who have never met. It’s run by Josh Homme, a good friend of mine (from Queens of the Stone Age) and we all collaborate.

Since this issue is about creativity, let’s talk about the process or maybe, more appropriately, the magic there.
We have a ton of really strange instruments that we either get at swap meets or someone gives us. We collaborate in strange ways – maybe over dinner where someone has an idea and someone else adds something to it. We’ve been doing it once a year or maybe twice a year since 1997, but now that everyone’s been busy playing, we do it on a less regular schedule.

The place itself really influences the recordings. In the Desert Sessions, we’ve had everyone from Josh to PJ Harvey to the guys from Soundgarden. In L.A., people would be saying “you know, there’s a party” or “my girlfriend’s stopping by …” but out here, there’s none of that. People are more focused, the skies are wide open and you don’t sit in a windowless room all day. There are mountains outside and cactus to look at. Instead of being in the control room or the tracking room, you can sit by the fire pit and if you have an idea, we’ll run a mic out there where you can hear wood crackling in the background. We lay it down immediately. People get inspired by that.

Sounds like an experience that will free some and paralyze others.
If the equipment malfunctions, maybe it sounds different and cool. That encourages people to approach things differently. earthlings? was spawned partly by us having crappy gear. Our albums are kind of weird sounding because we discovered that ‘Hey. Maybe the keyboard’s broken, but it sounds really cool. Let’s throw it on tape.’ I thin k that might’ve had something to do with Josh doing Desert Sessions because he liked the way Fred and I worked. Nothing stopped us.

This is a great place to create and write. The best place I’ve ever been. There’s just something about the vibe and it’s reflected in what’s been recorded here.

We know you use unorthodox instruments and kind of sketchy gear to capture that musical moment. What about microphones, though?
We have lots of Shure microphones. It started with my next-door neighbor who does sound for Queens of the Stone Age, then with Eagles of Death Metal, then the studio.

The (SM)57 is the greatest microphone that’s even been manufactured and I mean that. Right now, it’s on a guitar amp, it’s on the snare on top and bottom, and it’s on the bass amp. I have lots of other microphones but it sound great on guitar and drums, always. And it’s sexy – Robert Plant holding a SM57 – it doesn’t get much sexier than that, does it?