EQ setting for drums

[JL]

I am trying to miked up my drums to an 8 channel powered mixer and play back through 2 x 12" speakers. Every drum has it's own individual mic. Not only am I not getting a good sound, it sounded terrible.

What I would like to know is how to set the EQ on the powered mixer? The mixer has 3 frequency ranges ie. High, Mid & Low.

My current setting:
Bass drum: High & Mid set to 7 O'clock position & Low to 3 o'clock position
Snare: Set High, Mid & Low to zero (ie. neutral, 12 o'clock position)?
Toms: High & Mid set to zero and Low set to nine o'clock position
Overheads (2 condenser Mics) : High Mid & Low set to neutral at 12 o'clock position (I hearing alot to tin metal sound)

Appreciate very much if you could give me some advice.

My second question on drum stick tip:

Why do you have different shape tip on a drum stick? Some are round, tear drop & etc etc. Does it give a different bounce or sound? Certain shape for certain music?

Thanks for your time.

[Bart Elliott]

Why do you have different shape tip on a drum stick? Some are round, tear drop & etc etc. Does it give a different bounce or sound? Certain shape for certain music?

The various tip types for drumsticks affect not only the feel but more importantly the sound. A rounded tip is going to have less mass or surface area touching the instrument than say an oval shaped tip. Furthermore, the larger the tip, the more mass is coming in contact with the instrument. There are other factors (ie. stick length, weight, wood type, etc.) that play into the overall sound that you'll achieve.

The most obvious sound difference that you'll hear with the various drumstick tip types is going to be when you play on the cymbals, more specifically the HiHat and Ride cymbal.

I am trying to miked up my drums to an 8 channel powered mixer and play back through 2 x 12" speakers. Every drum has it's own individual mic. Not only am I not getting a good sound, it sounded terrible.

What I would like to know is how to set the EQ on the powered mixer? The mixer has 3 frequency ranges ie. High, Mid & Low.

My current setting:
Bass drum: High & Mid set to 7 O'clock position & Low to 3 o'clock position
Snare: Set High, Mid & Low to zero (ie. neutral, 12 o'clock position)?
Toms: High & Mid set to zero and Low set to nine o'clock position
Overheads (2 condenser Mics) : High Mid & Low set to neutral at 12 o'clock position (I hearing alot to tin metal sound)

There are four basic types of EQ: Fixed, Sweepable Mid, Parametric and Graphic.

Your mixer has what is called Fixed EQ, which is about as basic as you can get ... well, other than Tone controls. They're designed to tidy up the sound a bit rather than make delicate, exact  adjustments. Fixed EQ's are set to certain frequencies (consult your owner's manual to find out what these are). You can not change these frequencies which means you won't be able to alter the sound much. These types of mixers just aren't made with drums in mind, so I don't know that I can give you any specifics other than use your ears and do the best that you can.

My approach to recording drums is to use the best mic and mic-pre that I can afford for each instrument I'm miking. I work with mic placement and instrument tuning to get the desired sound I want ... and rarely mess with the EQ. When I do use some EQ, I'm typically cutting frequencies rather than boosting them.

Based on what you have, I would experiment more with mic placement and the tuning of your Kick, Snare and Tom Toms. Try to cut frequencies rather boost. If you feel that you are needing to boost something, go back and work with the mic placement and tuning. Only use the Fixed EQ to cut ... and try not to mess with the EQ at all.

Experiment.

Understand that you are desiring/trying to do is paint this beautiful, intricate picture, but your mixer is like a large paintbrush (the kind you would use to paint the side of a house with). What you need is the right tool for the job you are trying to accomplish; like a paintbrush used for delicate/small strokes. Fine tune adjustments are hard to do with a big old brush.

You have what you have to work with, so make the best of it ... but know that the tools you currently have to work with are really limiting what you can do. The mixer (the big paintbrush) you have is right for some situations, but not right for the job you are trying to make it do.

What you need is a Parametric or Graphic EQ so you can isolate specific frequencies to cut or boost.