Thanks to Mike for the following question:
“What would be the best way to record drums onto a VS880EX? I would like to get a killer sound and use as many mics as possible… am I limited to the 6 line inputs? should I submix to 2 tracks? I know there are probably hundreds of different answers but I would just like to get some help getting started.”
First of all, it’s quite possible to get an excellent drum sound using very few mics; in some cases as few as one! (Firsthand experience for this author, and has as much to do with the skill and technique of the drummer as it does with the mic choice). A simple 4 mic setup [kick, snare, stereo overheads] can also sound fantastic in the right setting. Part of getting the best drum sound is also determining how elaborate the mic setup needs to be for the type of music you’re recording.
For a setup with a lot of mics, however, probably a combination of submixing and using the line inputs on the VS would give you the most flexibility. One of the main problems with submixing all of the drums to just a stereo mix straight to ‘tape’ (sorry, old analog-head here can’t change my terminology) is that if you don’t get the levels right, you could have a frustrating time trying to repair a snare or a kick that’s too loud or worse yet, not loud enough. The goal of every recording session is to get good levels that aren’t going to require any repair work (maybe a little light EQ/compression) during mixdown. With a VS880EX and a 4 or more channel submixer, you can feasibly use at least 8 mics to record; this would be if you used inputs 1-4 on the VS for elements that would be nice to have individual control over in the mix (like kick, snare, lo tom and hi tom on a 2 tom drum kit) and submix other elements, like overheads, room mics, hi-hat, etc., with an external mixer, with its outputs going to inputs 5-6 on the VS880EX. Watch the drummer to see what they’re using the most – if there’s a lot of intricate hi-hat work going on, maybe mic that on an individual track rather than something lesser-used, for instance.
If you don’t have a submixer, try the same setup as above with channels 5-6 as your stereo overheads. Mixing down to 2 stereo tracks within the VS environment is easier to do on the ‘back end’ (mixdown) rather than trying to get the final stereo drum mix exactly right during the ‘front end’ (recording). This still only amounts to six mics, but that’s about all you can do at one time without a submixer of some sort, or a 2-channel mic pre with digital converters to utilize the S/PDIF inputs on the VS – optical OR coaxial, not both – along with the line inputs for eight channels of input. Going a little further down this path, a submixer with S/PDIF outs also frees up channels 5 & 6 for two more individual elements of a drum kit that don’t have to be submixed. For even another option, after recording initial tracks, overdubs can help thicken up some wimpy drums as well.
Another important thing to remember is that there isn’t a definite right answer when it comes to recording drums… in the history of recording, drums have been recorded in such a myriad of inventive, successful and unsuccessful ways. There are definite wrong answers, however. Remember the more mics you use the more chance there is for phasing problems; when you’ve got them set up, listen for ‘swooshing’ noises in the drum mix, no matter how subtle they are. If you hear this, take the mics out of the mix, one at a time, until you find the trouble spot (the swooshing disappears). Then it’s time to go back out and move the culprit mic(s) around until the phasing goes away, or use phase reversal switches if those are available. There’s nothing like getting seasick from all that swooshing during mixdown! Good Luck.