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Recording Live ethnic drums


Tuhiva

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Hello everybody,

My first post on the forum. I need some advice about recording some live ethnic drums for a documentary. Basically the shoot will happen during a dance festival in which multiple group of musicians will succeed one another during the day. Each group consists of several musicians 5 to 10 playing ethnic drums (frequency range of a low tom). the festival takes place in a natural environment with no stage and no FOH systems, the drums being so loud already they don't need to be amplified.

Because ot the nature of the festival and equipment restrictions I cannot close mic every drums. So I was thinking of using two mic placed at 5-6 meters from the musicians (maybe sennheiser MKH 50) to get a stereo image (The musicians are lined up). But I am afraid that the whole thing is going to sound thin. I would like to complete that setup with another microphone that could capture the low frequency and the punch from those drums. Coming from a musical recording school training I know that that punch and low frequency reproduction can only be achieved by close miking especially on drums.

Any suggestion on microphones or microphone techniques that could help me tackle that shoot?

Thanks in advance.

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Hello everybody,

My first post on the forum. I need some advice about recording some live ethnic drums for a documentary. Basically the shoot will happen during a dance festival in which multiple group of musicians will succeed one another during the day. Each group consists of several musicians 5 to 10 playing ethnic drums (frequency range of a low tom). the festival takes place in a natural environment with no stage and no FOH systems, the drums being so loud already they don't need to be amplified.

Because ot the nature of the festival and equipment restrictions I cannot close mic every drums. So I was thinking of using two mic placed at 5-6 meters from the musicians (maybe sennheiser MKH 50) to get a stereo image (The musicians are lined up). But I am afraid that the whole thing is going to sound thin. I would like to complete that setup with another microphone that could capture the low frequency and the punch from those drums. Coming from a musical recording school training I know that that punch and low frequency reproduction can only be achieved by close miking especially on drums.

Any suggestion on microphones or microphone techniques that could help me tackle that shoot?

Thanks in advance.

It sounds like your on the right track. Add in 2 strategically placed "knee high" large diaphrams..if you've got em...

If these drums are that loud you shouldnt have a problem, and remember it takes a longer distance for low frequencies develop. AND since your outside, you could always place a mic behind the drummers and out of site, and since low freq are ommi-directional, you'll have it...Even if you did it with 3 mics.

Are the dancers in front of the drummers?? i.e. drums in back dancers in front?? My guess is that you'd want to capture the sound of the dancers as well. Especially if they are chanting, stomping etc...

Best of luck!

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I find a couple of pzm's on the floor can help a lot. They wont be seen on camera, they will give you a stereo image and you can fill it in with boom plus any presenter radio mic if they are in on the action. Or an MS pair on a little table stand just popped down somewhere out front. Both these approaches have worked for me. I like the MS method because it's just one cable and one little stand but if the centre of the stage is unavailable to plant such a stand I'd just go with a pzm each side panned left and right and placed close to a pillar or anything so as to help prevent it getting trodden on.

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Usually ribbons will make it sounds most natural and you will have a good low end for your recordings .

You can get good stereo image by placing the mics one above another by 90 degree, for double figure of 8 .

Just be careful and place wind protection on mics, not to damage these when you work outside .

MS

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Get your mics where the audience would be. MKH50 would be a good choice if you have them. I think you'll be surprised just how good it will sound. Like some one else posted, just point your shotgun at the action and see what you get. If it sounds good to the audience there's not much reason it won't sound good to your mic in the same spot.

If you tried close micing you would have to mic and mix every instrument. Instead, get you mic back from the performance a bit so one instrument won't overwhelm any other.

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It depends...

" Coming from a musical recording school training "

and musical recording is hugely different from "production sound" recording.

" I just point my shotgun at the action. " very often this is not only easiest, but also the best method. while going to the effort for Stereo may seem a no-brainer, it may not be best for the project. in production sound we often do not actually know what the spatial (stereophonic) relationship ought to be to go with the edited project...

" one Schoeps 41 on a pole. Simple and very effective " Also keep in mind that low frequencies, such as drums, as you describe, tend to lose any directionality in real life...

And as I started off saying, there are so many variables, including: What is the setting/staging ?? What is the nature of the Doco ?? Is it to capture footage of this drum concert, or something else ? Maybe you can capture the drums with a fixed rig of a couple LD mic's to a recorder, and then other record production sound as needed. Just how will this play out?? and the always important: how big is the budget??

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I dont think large diphragm mics generally provide a fuller sound. High quality small diphragm mics like those from Schoeps, Sennheiser and DPA are very accurate and have very good reproduction across the frequency spectrum. If I was you I would try a good pair of cardioids or hyper cardioids on a stand in ORTF or DIN A stereo and be prepared to move the stand in or out according to the size of the group playing. The ORTF in particular gives you a really nice sense of space.

Enjoy! sounds like a great project to be working on.

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What's the focus of the documentary? Is it a doco about the musicians or music? If it is, then I'd agree with a more elaborate stereo mic setup.

From my experience though, I've never had the luxury of time for anything more than using the mic thats on my pole, and it's always sounded good, considering the format it's intended for. Also, whenever I've recorded this kind of ethnic music or festival, in the final edit there is about 5 seconds of music before the voice over kicks in.

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As others have said, I would be inclined to boom it, rarely on doc shoots do I have the luxury to do anything else.

Someone mentioned PZMs on the floor, this seems like an easy way to spend a lot of time getting a poor result, assuming it's a hard floor, you'll get lots of feet stamping from the dancers, and no real addition to your drums, if it's not a hard floor (you mention a 'natural' environment) then you might as well not bother.....

I've boomed percussionists, brass bands, cellists, choirs and more and always got a decent result, on the odd occasion I have had more time, a pair of matched mics on stands at the back of the room/performance area is as complicated as I've ever needed to go.

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Once I recorded a big Steel Pan orchestra in Trinidad & Tobago with a CMC 64, I thought I got a pretty decent sound. Since the whole ensemble was kind of large I decided to go with the caridiod capsule. If you can, add a figure of 8.

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