Fifth Blog Entry - Posted on 2013-09-30 by Mike Slusarczyk

Monday, September 23rd, 2013

Time in- 5:00

Time out- 7:00

Lesson #5

My fifth lesson was mainly centralized around how to properly and efficiently mic a drum kit in the studio. I learned how there are many components that create a proper drum mic setup and what exactly the function of each mic placement was. I started by setting up the drum kit with Mark’s assistance. Once that was done, Mark got out a track sheet and had me keep track of which microphone was connected to its designated plug. He repeatedly emphasized the importance of this procedure and how it ensures a smoother, more organized session in general. I was given a lot of freedom with the exercise, as in Mark sat back and observed what I did as I was doing it, and told me what I did right/wrong after I was happy with my configuration. The first part of setting up was selecting my microphones, which wasn’t too hard because I had researched ahead on what kind of microphones work best for certain types of drums. At first, I neglected several things, such as the safety hazards certain wires present when not organized, or how mic placement operates on 3 planes; but Mark examined each aspect of how I set things up and thoroughly explained how I could be doing it better. By the end of the lesson, I felt confident with how to properly mic a drum setup, what mics to use, and how to document it all on a track sheet.