In this free drum lesson, Jared Falk and DrumLessons.com sound engineer Victor Guidera, guide you through the microphones and miking techniques used for getting the bass drum sound you hear on all the free drum lessons on DrumLessons.com. This free drum lesson on bass drum miking includes tips for getting more click or tone out of your bass drum; a list of good quality budget microphones; what to consider when buying a microphone for your bass drum, and tips that will help you make your own subkick.
You have to realize that there are numerous factors that contribute to the sound you’ll be getting from your bass drum. Having a good quality drum set, good tuning and drumming abilities, comes before having the best microphones and knowing the best miking techniques in the world. The idea here is that you get a great quality sound out of your bass drum before you start capturing its sound with a microphone. Therefore, if you’re lacking on good tuning skills and knowledge on muffling techniques, we encourage you to check the free drum lessons “How To Tune Your Bass Drum” and “How To Muffle Your Drums“. If you want to improve on your bass drumming technique, we encourage you to check our ever growing collection of free drum lessons on bass drumming, so you can start working on your weaknesses or on something that interests you.
If you’d like to learn more about how to mic other instruments on your drum set, we encourage you to check the free drum lessons “How To Mic A Snare Drum“, “How To Mic Toms” and “How To Mic Cymbals“.
To learn about common technical terms and theory behind drum set miking for both live and studio settings, check the free drum lesson “Drum Set Mic Technique Overview“. You’ll learn about audio spectrums, frequency responses, and how the type of microphones used affects the overall sound you’re capturing.
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thanks for the ‘how to mic your kick’. I’m learning and following our advise. What amps would you recommend to connect my Beta 52A without breaking the bank. I currently have a Roland KC-550 that goes w my V-drum kit that I am considering to use.
Any advise from the experts? /dale
hey guys great info..ok so do need to buy a bass drum head with a mic port in it for best sound?..
I have done all of these, but #8 is by far the worst. I will often try to capture a sort of sntnoapeous vocal to get something fresh and powerful, which is nice, but in the end the word for it is pitchy! would that I had natural perfect pitch, but instead I spend entirely too much time in front of the tuning software editing myself sam m
Here’s an idea for next lessons on recording. How to Setup a DAW using different interfaces. Mixer to external audio card using either XLR or TRS. Mixer to PC using line outputs. Mixer to PC using USB interface.
Overall one 10 min vid on how to set up a DAW using basic free software like Audacity or Kristal and a mixer and/or audio interface.
Many people here want to do covers and this information would be GREAT to have.
Thanks!
Great video! just one question, i dont have a port in my bass drum. Will I still be able to get a good sound out of it?
great vid guys . could i use any speaker size cone for a sub sub-woofer ? as i,ve never seen one used that way before. many thanks.
sup, young!?i still listen to cocsnious and aware and don’t let me go . they are two of my favs! hope all is well. i’ll hit you up on facebook. talk to you soon.-f
A very good mic is the CAD KBM412. MSRP $99, but you can get it online @musiciansfriend for $50. Has good range/response, and if you know what your doing with an EQ, you can dial in the exact sound you want.
Hey! very good information for me because i have some problem with my first experience of base drum mic. i have a 10 or 12 inch hole in the middle of a 22 inch skin, is it causing me some problem?
my mic come from a kit of 4 (cost around 200$).
thanks !!! excuse my english (speak french)
Jared – it would have been good to see a range of the mic’s available while discussing them. The “sound” generated by the beater on the back skin can also be changed – try these out: a piece leather hanging where the beater hits held in place by gaffer tape, alternatively a sizeable coin taped at the impression point (once upon a time, the NZ 50cent piece was ideal but now they’re too small!), even a cross of gaffer tape (X) makes a difference. So you can get quite distinctly different sounds without any special tuning effects – great if you have a double bass kit! Dean
Cant wait for the snare video, together with the eqing of the snare, because you guys get an awesome snare sound in all your drum lesson videos.
how would you make a cheap soundproof room to record in
Excellent, thanks a lot!
I´d love to watch more videos about recording etc.! 😀
1. I’ve found a pop filter can nboiceatly filter the high end. I followed some recording vet advice and simply raised the mic a couple inches. (our voices carry upwards naturally) The one caveat is that I had to learn not to tilt my head up and point my mouth at the mic while singing (I’m an amateur vocalist).7. Duuuude, I hate, hate, HATE it when that happens! (walking in the amp/drum booth and seeing why you’ve had to continually mess with Eq for the last 45 minutes!)
This is such a huge addition to drumlessons.com! I didn’t expect it, but it’s great! Especially since I’m an audio engineer who’s learning how to drum here, this is really nice, keep it coming our way!
Very useful video !!
thnx again 🙂
i am looking forward for another video about the equipment
which we need for a drum recording 🙂
sorry for my bad English!