The room gets bigger, but the drums sound less direct. The high and low toms don't get farther apart. This is often described as adjusting the 'stereo width,' but to my ear the drum kit doesn't get any wider. And like XY, it produces a relatively narrow stereo spread.Ī primary benefit is that the perceived size of the space can be changed at mix time, by varying the amount of 'side' channel in the mix. The M-S technique, like XY, ensures mono compatibility. Regardless of height, I recommend mounting the XY array directly above the snare drum, to ensure that the snare is centered in the stereo image. Lowering the microphones, or using an angle less than 90o can result in a more direct sound, although the kick and snare will always be off-axis. This will result in an overly roomy sound. If the mics are very high, the capsules will point straight over the sides of the of the kit, essentially putting the entire instrument off-axis. Overhead microphone height is an important consideration in this and every technique. This is a good choice for arrangements in which the drums play a supporting role, or when mono compatibility is critical. Because the two capsules are so close together ('coincident'), sound waves from every drum and cymbal impinge upon the two mics' diaphragms nearly simultaneously, avoiding any risk of comb-filtering due to partial cancellation of out-of-phase waves when the two OH tracks are heard in mono.Ī consequence of coincident positioning is that the resulting stereo field is narrow, even when the two OH tracks are panned hard L/R.

The XY or coincident pair approach wins points for its guaranteed mono compatibility.

We look at each one.Ī single pair of multipattern condenser microphones can provide at least five distinct overhead drum miking choices with surprisingly different sonic characteristics. Share this Five Techniques for Stereo Miking DrumsĪ single pair of multipattern condenser microphones can provide at least five distinct overhead drum miking choices.

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