how to mic a @#%$ kit

KeithCronin · Post by **KeithCronin** » Fri Jun 14, 2002 2:09 pm

I'm playing in a fairly large concert hall next week, and plan to use my cocktail kit. 
 
Usually I play it acoustically, but for this show I'll be going through the PA system. Any tips for where to tell the sound guy to put the mics? 
 
I would think that 2 mics would be sufficient - one overhead and one underneath. (Actually, because I have a 4" vent hole in the front of the shell, I think I might mic the bass drum from there, similar to the way you would through the hole in the front head of a kick drum.) 
 
Any input? I know John M. has probably played his kit in amplified settings a lot.... 
 
 
Thanks, 
 
Keith

beattheskins · Post by **beattheskins** » Sat Jun 15, 2002 9:14 am

Bernie Dresel, who plays with Brian Setzer, uses just one wireless mic on top. I talked to him about it and he said it pics up the sound of the whole set sufficiently. In fact I only use one mic too, but on both our sets the main drum is tuned pretty close on both sides, like a bass and a low floor tom. What I'd say, however, is get a hold of a couple of mics and try out things yourself before the gig. 
 
Hope that helped 
-Pat

John Mettam · Post by **John Mettam** » Sat Jun 15, 2002 4:19 pm

Hey Keith, 
 
I usually use 2 or 3 mics depending on the size of the space and what the sound system has available. Close micing the kick works well with my drum because I have the bottom head tuned low and well muffled. It could be too ringy if you leave the head more open. If I have only 2 mics I do an overhead on the top. Since I have a lot of traps (bongos, cowbell, triangle, wood block, and cymbal) it works the best. If I have a 3rd mic I use it to close mic the snare to get more body out of it. I suggest carrying at least one LP Claw mic clamp with you. The ones that clamp onto a drum rim. A lot of sound companies don't have stands that can get a mic underneath the drum. That little clamp can save the day (and your sound!). If you have a couple of claws or a claw and a small clip on mic that you like for the snare they are well worth the extra hauling! On tour I cary one claw, one small kick mic (ATM25), and an audio technica clip on condenser. I've never been left out in the cold, even with the worst of PAs. 
 
Let us know how it goes. 
 
JKM
Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub19.ezboard.com/ujohnmettam.sh ... ge=EN>John Mettam</A> at: 6/15/02 4:22:44 pm

KeithCronin · Post by **KeithCronin** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 8:26 am

I'm not going to get to try it - the band has asked me to use a conventional kit for the gig, so that we "look more like a rock band." 
 
Has anybody else run into this kind of anti-c0cktail prejudice? 
 
The very first gig I used the kit on, I got some skeptical looks from the bandleader when I was setting up, but then when I started playing he relaxed, and started digging the look AND the sound. 
 
This group that just nixed my use of the drum has worked with me before when I used the kit, and liked it. But they're trying to differentiate themselves from the coffeehouse circuit and want to be perceived as a concert act. 
 
Ironically, they are all shy and restrained onstage, and I think the presence of a standup drummer would ADD to their stage show. But I'm a sideman, and I'm outvoted. 
 
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John Mettam · Post by **John Mettam** » Thu Jun 20, 2002 12:34 am

Hey Keith, 
 
I am VERY aware of the varied and sometimes intense reactions to the cocktail drum! When I first got one I brought it to a rehearsal for Cocktail Angst and got a lot of half-hearted "yeah, that's kind of cool" comments. It took a while to get the sound right and work out the cowbell bongo thing but now it is an essential part of the bands sound. As far as rock gigs, if the band is a little off the beaten path then they often go for it but if it's a straight out rock thing people tend to be scared! I try to never push too hard on the cocktail drum because in the end, bands have to decide for themselves what they want and you don't want to turn them off by being a pushy salesman! Not to say that I haven't over-zelously recommended the cocktail drum a few times myself : > ) 
 
John

Don · Post by **Don** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:08 am

You're gonna hate me for this, but if I'm playing a bigger show, I use conventional drums. My philosophy is this: If I need to mic my cocktail kit, I brought the wrong drums. It has very little to do with looks, though - I've just NEVER been able to do a quality job mic'ing my Phatties.

Jason Shanfield · Post by **Jason Shanfield** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 5:57 pm

I've encountered this too. I play my 58 Gretsch all the time. I don't even have a "real drum set." People are sometimes amazed to walk into a club and see us playing, look around for the drummer, and realize he's the one *standing* in a semi-circle with the rest of the band. We play traditional country music in Chicago (Leon Chance and the Long Shots) and the cocktail drum works. Like a charm. It's definitely loud enough, and I've figured out how to tune the bottom head to sound *almost* like a real kick drum. So what, I always have to mic at shows in bigger rooms. Worse comes to worse, I help the engineer tune out all the higher frequencies on the bottom head mic so it sounds proper. 
 
I carry 2 LP claws in my hardware bag. I've used them at half my shows. Particularly where I have to be super proactive about helping set up the stage because the "engineer" isn't going to. We play large and small rooms -- I haven't found that I had to mic the cocktail drum in rooms I didn't think I would also have to mic a "real drum kit." So, I don't buy the argument that you brought the wrong drums if you have to mic them, because many venues in Chicago use sound reinforcement even for quiet bands to fill the sound out, not pump up the sound pressure to your eardrums' tolerance. 
 
In short. Mic'ing good. Bring claws. Under ideal circumstances, I use a large diaphragm condensor on the bottom head, a SM57 clawed to my snare side, and whatever condensor the club has laying around as an overhead. Sounds goodnstuff. 
 
Jason

kcronin · Post by **kcronin** » Sat Sep 21, 2002 8:42 pm

Great advice - thanks! 
 
I've also been toying with the idea of mounting a mic clip INSIDE the bass chamber of my drum. I have a 4" hole in the front of the shell, which is large enough to reach in and stick a mic in the clip when needed. I was planning to do that before the last gig got the kibosh (sp), but I still may do it. I figure that and an overhead should cover the kit quite nicely. 
 
On another note - John, is there any way for the pop-ups on this board to be less, well, *aggressive*? They really get annoying after a while, particularly when trying to post. But it's not a biggie - I still love this board! 
 
-Keith

John Mettam · Post by **John Mettam** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 7:02 am

Yeah, sorry about the pop up windows folks. It's part of EZ-board and you have to pay to get rid of them and I'm not prepared to do that right now. I am looking into moving the message board to the server but that's a whole other level of complication! Anyway, my apologies and thanks to everyone who puts up with it to read and get there posts in. 
 
John

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how to mic a @#%$ kit