Top tips required for recording PERCUSSION parts

[MrSpock]

I've taken to recording tracks that feature a fair amount of percussion of late but I'm not really capturing these parts the way I hear them in my head. Would anyone care to share some advice on this subject with me? I'm thinking: mic'ing & processing techniques (compression? reverb? etc.) in particular relation to:

 

- MARACCAS (hope I've spelt that right!)

- BONGOS

- HAND CLAPS

- COWBELL

 

I admit I do rely fairly heavily on channel strip preset plug-ins this end. I normally tend to start any given song using the 'Songwriter' template in Logic 9 but there doesn't appear to be a preset for Percussion and, to date, I've just been using one of the channel strip Vocal presets without much success. As always, any advice greatly appreciated!

[Joe Lonsdale]

There are many possible answers, but I would try to capture each of them differently so you have a variety of sound on the track. For instance, handclaps in the bathroom with the microphone facing into the corner is a good way to get nice dense, charismatic, roomy claps without massive transients making them disappear in a mix (that was poorly explained, sorry). Try using cr@ppy microphone for one of them, say bongos - an SM58 is not really equipped to capture the transient detail, but can bring a nice 'compressed' sound to your recording. A standard LDC vocal mic is fine for shakers, just not to close or you get an unforgiving, scratchy recording. Whatever microphone you have left for the cowbell! Don't bother recording in stereo unless you have multiple bongos and a really nice room. Try to get the recording nice so they don't need much processing, but a touch of fast-attack compression and some modest room verb can work wonders at fattening them up and giving them presence.

[Joe Lonsdale]

Can I add, I believe using channel strip templates on audio is a bad habit - the template cannot POSSIBLY know what issues the audio has that need addressing! Try to think of processing as addressing specific problems - identify a problem, think of a solution, apply solution, move on to next issue. Channel templates are an okay start for finding virtual instruments, guitar sounds etc, but can easily fool you into thinking you are making your 'terrible' recordings sound 'great' - but you could just as easily be making your 'great' recordings sound 'terrible' and you won't know for sure because you are avoiding getting to understand the underlying processes and processors and tuning your ear into recognising good/bad etc.

[MrSpock]

Brilliant advice Joelonsdale! Thanks for such a thought out 'logical' reply to my question - much appreciated.

CHEERS!

PS: 'Multiple Bongos' sounds like some kind of disease LOL!

[denitronik]

A quick advice for percussion micking: don't close-mic percussions when using condensers, stay at least one feet away from the mic. The over-abondance of high frequencies will sometimes saturate the condenser capsule and distort.

 

I have found through experience that ribbon microphones are great for percussion recording as they handle high frequencies generated by percussions better than condensers. Dynamics would be my next choice.

[Joe Lonsdale]

That's good advice. If you have a nice sound in the room, you can always use the microphone off-axis with the subject - even point the microphone at the wall and capture a 'vibey', rather than focused, recording. Great for getting depth into the mix if you contrast it with a more direct recording of a higher pitched instrument.

 

Live percussion is amazing - it's all too easy to reach for a loop or tap-in a bland bongo part on a GM kit, but I think putting the effort into recording some percussion instead pays dividends. I always play live tambourine parts on my tracks and have a selection of different tambourines for variety of tone. I'll record in different rooms using different mic techniques for vibe, and even use Logic's varispeed function to further affect the er.. effect. I might slow the track down 5-10%, record the part then speed the track back up - tighter, brighter, hyper. For deeper, vibier tracks, the opposite.

 

I have also made atmospheric 'beds' to vibe-up a drum part by recording an off-axis bongo part using varispeed to slow down the final recording, then compressing the part to further lessen the transient and extend the sustain, heavy distortion, tonne of reverb and a low pass - voila - instant vibe!