Choosing a snare drum mic is important, as I discussed in “Best Mics for Recording Snare Drums,” but positioning the mic is equally important. Moving the mic as little as an inch can change the sound you’re getting from the snare. Many factors affect the snare sound: proximity of the mic to the drum shell, the distance from the mic to the head, and even the angle of incidence (whether the mic is pointing across the head or down at the head). Here are some tips for positioning a snare drum mic to get the sound you want.
Mic Placement Is Crucial
Mic placement on a snare drum is often limited by the amount of room available in the spaces between the drums, but getting the mic in the right place is crucial. Many engineers only mic the top head of the snare, while others prefer miking the top and bottom heads. For the mic above the snare, when it gets closer to the center of the head, it picks up more low end and less of the sound of the snares. It will sound darker and fuller but less snare-like. As you move away from the center toward the rim, the sound of the drum will be more balanced between the head and snares.
My typical starting point is a dynamic mic positioned about an inch and a half above the head, two inches inside the outer rim of the drum, and aimed down at about 25 degrees from the horizontal plane of the head, pointing directly at the center of the head. If I want less low end, then I move the mic farther away from the drum or farther from the center of the head, which diminishes the low end due to diminished proximity effect, as you can hear in the recorded samples below.
Using Two Mics Can Work Well
A lot of engineers are adamant about using two mics on a snare drum — one over, one under. The sound coming off the bottom of the snare drum is really the sound of the actual snares — the rattling wires that contact the bottom head — that give the drum its name. This sound can be used very effectively to add brilliance and bite to the snare sound picked up from above. This is added to taste and is rarely the dominant sound. In my experience, a ratio of 80/20 (over/under) frequently works. For under the snare, you can choose either a bright mic or a balanced mic — just know that what you hear under the snare sounds like triggered white noise.
Experimentation Is Advised
Depending on the mic you choose and the sound of the drum, experimentation is always key to getting the best sound. If you’re not happy with the starting position, then have the drummer change the angle and position of the mic relative to the head until you find the best sound. There’s no magical placement — it will vary from drum to drum. If you’re in the studio with a player who swaps snare drums from song to song, then you may need to reposition the mic for each different drum or even change to a different mic. If you have a preferred snare mic and it isn’t working, then move on. I’ve swapped my favorite dynamic mic for a condenser mic when we went from a rock groove to a softer jazz tune. Do whatever it takes to get the sound you’re after.
Authored by: Lynn Fuston
Published by: sweetwater.com, Jan 9, 2024, 8:00 AM