RECORDING Techniques – Kick Drum

When setting up for a drum session, the approach always depends on the music. You wouldn’t mic a New Orleans funk kit the same way you would mic drums for a heavy metal session. Most importantly, try to get the sound right at the source—a great drummer on a great kit in a great room.

Of course, there are many ways to mic a drum kit, and many are genre-dependent. This month, rather than tackling the whole kit, I’ll focus on the kick drum. Most of us have a standard method that works most of the time across the board, but every project is different—and the right mic choice and placement can make all the difference.