The mic on the wall shares a similar principle to the mic on the floor, but of course, in this case you can’t just drop it!
The idea behind this technique is to pick up the sound that’s bouncing off the wall. So, for this to work, your walls have to have some sort of rebound to it. Soundwaves must be able to bounce off.
This trick works on both big and small rooms, and there are only a few rules:
- Place a mic—for some a dynamic mic is best, but I would try with a condenser as well—as close as possible from the wall, pointing towards it. You can use a credit card to check if it’s as close as possible.
- Set it up approximately 3 feet off the floor.
Other than that, move it around and see what comes out.
- It doesn’t have to be close to the drum set.
- It doesn’t have to be in front, or behind, or in any particular place. You can put it on the side wall if you want.
This technique is also geared towards the mid to high end frequencies, but—as always, depending on the room and walls—it can sound very explosive and articulated, and—depending on where you place the mic—get some reverb out of it, adding a lot of character to the sound.
