In the Studio with Michael Wagener : recording drums part I/2

Recording is an art and often a matter of experience, and so what better way of gaining some understanding of what's involved than by listening to the prestigious American engineer Michael Wagener talk about his recording tips and secrets. Starting with mic placement for drums ...


Michael Wagener: If you like rock in general and metal in particular, you probably know his name, because this engineer has worked with some of the most prestigious artists such as: Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Queen, Alice Cooper, Megadeth, Helloween, Testament, Dokken, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, Accept, Extreme, Janet Jackson, King's X. Quite simply, the list of albums and singles he has recorded or mixed is simply staggering...

So when Royer Labs and Jukebox LTD invited us to meet him while he was in the studio with the band Cockpit, we jumped at the opportunity and decided to film the whole experience, to better show you how he does his thing. And needless to say, we weren't disappointed. We were even surprised. Not by Michael's skill (he has little to prove), but by his affable manner and willingness to share his wisdom.

So, we were able to ask him almost anything we wanted about microphone placement, or about the gear he uses. The result is a kind of Masterclass, that we will unveil, episode by episode, in the coming weeks.

Michael Wagener is quite exhaustive on the subject of mic placement, and his views are all the more interesting since he uses ribbon mics quite extensively. He therefore dispelled certain preconceived notions about them: no, ribbon mics are not only for jazz, no, they are not limited in the high frequency range, and no, they are not as fragile as we're led to believe, you can even record a bass drum with them.

Watch this video and many others in higher resolution on www.audiofanzine.com

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[bandaidemechanic]

3:16-3:40

Wagener: "Hi. Assisting me is this guy from Royer. His nickname is 'Mr. Redundant' because he pretty much just copies what I say, and regurgitates it using a different phrasing."

Royer guy: "Essentially what I'm here to do is take what Michael says, and put a different spin on it so it looks like I'm contributing, but I'm really not."

[SnowboardA51]

so pretty much this would cost you thousands and thousands of dollars to get everything they just said. 

[lavaxtris1]

@lolaslidar that is what I want to know. and if you do it part-by-part then how do you stop? With the cymbals ringing?

[lolaslidar]

do anyone know how can you record like a proffesional band...i mean...is it better to record 1)part-part,2)every drum separately or 3)all the song a once?

[SultaoFeliz]

Ok, lets see if i got it straight: 1 sm57, 3 R121, 2 sm7b, 2 ma100, 1 r122, 1 r122v, 1 ma 201, 1 sf12, 1 ma 200, 2 md421. Ok, it is 14 mics, and 15 channel (sf 12 is a stereo mic). Those mics by themselves cost 16100 dollars, and now you put in that count a 15 channel interface, 15 pre amps, cables, stands, a fucking nice room, compressors, limiters, etc, etc, etc... See how cheap it is to get a good drum sound ? :D I would say the equipment on this video (including the drums) were AT LEAST 40k

[andyrumschlag]

This is the best drum sound I've ever heard.

[FaithDead]

@123scottyman I think they used the glyn johns method back then. 2 condensers and 2 dynamic mics.

[DanielRinerMusic]

Should the snare drum be recorded with a different kind of drum mic other than the tom's or is that just... too weird?

[cauterizedstudio]

Other than the Senheiser 421s and the SM7bs its all Royer. Don't forget the $3k worth of Mohave Audios which is an off-shute of Royer. More or less this was one big Royer commercial.  Its Royer just in case the name was forgotten after watching this........Royer

[TheVelazquez95]

Wat mic did he use on the bater side of the toms

[glassprison01]

sm7 for bottom toms? nice

[darrenguitar]

@123scottyman they had 3 mic on the kit for led the glyn johns technique