Well after two and a half days tracking in Neil Finn's lovely Roundhead Studios we've finished the drums for the forthcoming Subtract album. For those of the nerdy engineering pursuasion (I'm looking at you English_Dave) I'll elaborate a little on the kit we used:
Console was a Euphonix CS2000 with 8 Channels of dynamics processing (great compressors for heavy metal drums). Beta 52 and SM57 inside the kick, Fet47 for the front head. MD421s for snare top, bottom and all the toms with a KM100 on snare top also. MD441 on hats (weird choice I know, but it worked awesome). SM57 under the ride bell and another MD421 on the extra hats on one song (the extra hats were also running through 2 Pultecs... Just because). Overheads were U87s compressed lightly via a Smart C1. Coles pointing at the floor in front of the kit running through Neve 1071s, U67s hiding in the far corners, pointing at the corners also running through 1071s. C&Ts running through 2 ancient RCA pres and compressed via an Studio Electronics C2. U67 mono room running through a Chandler Germanium and a BA6A for compression (aka squishing). We also recorded audio 'splats' out of the Ddrum triggers on kick, snare and hats. All up 25 tracks of drums going to disk...
Console was a Euphonix CS2000 with 8 Channels of dynamics processing (great compressors for heavy metal drums). Beta 52 and SM57 inside the kick, Fet47 for the front head. MD421s for snare top, bottom and all the toms with a KM100 on snare top also. MD441 on hats (weird choice I know, but it worked awesome). SM57 under the ride bell and another MD421 on the extra hats on one song (the extra hats were also running through 2 Pultecs... Just because). Overheads were U87s compressed lightly via a Smart C1. Coles pointing at the floor in front of the kit running through Neve 1071s, U67s hiding in the far corners, pointing at the corners also running through 1071s. C&Ts running through 2 ancient RCA pres and compressed via an Studio Electronics C2. U67 mono room running through a Chandler Germanium and a BA6A for compression (aka squishing). We also recorded audio 'splats' out of the Ddrum triggers on kick, snare and hats. All up 25 tracks of drums going to disk...
Studio looked amazing, and a great website too. I have to say I am not a huge fan of the Euphonix, its characterless for me, and it is so layered with menu's, it drives me mad. Cant say I have used the Dynamics, so will have to take your advice on those.
I love your mic choice. I have to try some of your techniques, like the mic under the ride, thats and interesting idea. I am normally too scared to put anything other than an SM57 on the snare top and bottom, how do the 421's compare?
As for the track count, I am all for throwing everything up and seeing what sticks, especially if you have a great room, and it looked like you had. I take it you recorded to digital too? So you had plenty of tracks?
How was the drummer?