Drummer Cafe Community Forum

I'm sure this is a busted old topic, but how do you home record-ists prefer to mic your snare? I've just started recording - literally two days ago -  and have tried a dozen snare mic positions, a few different mics, eq'ing, etc., and the best sound (to my ear) so far is no mic on the snare at all! I want to capture the snare attack, but with it mic'd, I can't seem to get away from what sounds like a snare-in-an-empty-warehouse sound. The rest of the set sounds great, however.

Just wondering if anyone else has any tips on picking up the attack, but losing the echo-y thing on the snare.

Thanks

well... there is no perfect mic placement...  trial and error...  but... many mic on top and on bottom... then mix to get the best sound

If you want more snare attack, aim a mic up at the snares from underneath.  If you can, use a small uni-directional diaphragm condenser mic, which will be quite a bit more sensitive (I use an MXL 91, which I picked up at GC for around $30 on sale--works great for this application).  Also, if you have the ability, gate it so there won't be as much of the snare-in-an-empty-warehouse sound.  Using just a little of the snare track, mix it in ever so slightly into the overall drum mix.  You may have to experiment more with the mic position, but hopefully this gives you some more ideas.

I prefer to pick up the snare with an overhead and have a good kit mix.

The standard scenario is a Shure 57, angled at about 45 degrees, with the tip of the mic about one inch above the metal top rim of the drum, pointing at the centre of the drum.
You should use minimal or no eq.
If you can't get a good sound it's either a problem with 1) the drum, 2) the room, or 3) the micamp you are using.

That's basically what I'm doing / using. I'm using 5 different snares, and getting virtually the same result echo-wise, so I guess it's time to start rearranging furniture. I have noticed some positive benefit by using a studio ring on the snare, but I don't think that's the real problem, and I don't really like the choked effect it ends up with.

My music room is a 14 x 30 "tube" over my garage, and as such is shaped like a bisected octagon with the ceiling cutting the overhead corners. Make sense? So, that may be part of it as well.

Thanks for the tips.

Warren,
Two big factors in drum sound are the drum and the room. If the room sounds bad, even Steve Gadd will struggle to get a sound.
What are the properties of the sound that you don't like? Is is harsh, or boxy, or just darn weird?
I wouldn't be afraid to damp the drum by the way, but if the room is against you, it'll take a lot of work to sort it out.
Like you said, move furniture, introduce damping measures to the walls and ceilings (pillows, carpets).
Usually an irregular shaped room works better than a box or a quasi-tube.

I think "harsh" is a good description. For lack of another way to describe it, it sounds as though it's not part of the rest of the kit. There's a sort of echo - not resonance - associated with it (all snares I record) as well.

Maybe I'll post a sample, and you guys who know what's normal can let me know if I'm being too picky on a budget. You'll just have to forgive my playing!

It sounds like a problem with the room.
You'll probably have to settle for a drier drum sound, once you brought a lot of damping elements into the room (cutting down on the harsh, reflective surfaces).
 :)