Place one condenser mic above the bass drum, between the rack toms. The idea behind this technique is to get the condenser as close to every element of the drum set as possible.
You might get more snare than bass drum (given that the snare projects the sound closer to where the mic is, while the bass drum projects the sound mainly from the front, so it’s moving away from the mic).
Given the position of the mic, the result is a much dryer sound, with little room sound.
Pros to this technique:
- Easy to set up.
- A lot of drum sounds in the mix, thumpy bass drum.
- Hi-hat further away than snare, which may help with the sound mix.
- Good all around sound, drums closer and cymbals further away to the microphone.
Cons:
- If you’re playing the snare too hard, the sound balance might be off. Be mindful of how you approach your drumming.
- The bass drum tends to be more clicky and thumpy, with less bottom end.
