There are many different ways to mic a drumkit. You can use overheads just to compliment the tight mics and produce the cymbal sound for the rest of the drumkit, or one pair of strategically placed overheads can capture the entire drumkit. The situation may vary from a recording session where the drumkit is in an ISO booth all the way to a large band or orchestra where with the drumkit in the free field and in the middle of the other instruments. One can consider each cymbal and drum as a separate instrument, and close mic these accordingly, ending up with nine or more microphones. Again the situation dictates the coarse of action. In an ISO booth the sky is the limit, you can use any technique desired. Place that drumkit in the middle of a large band or orchestra and the fewer mics the better. In the Multi mic approach the final sound is often more in the hands of the recording engineer and producer than of the drummer, but nevertheless this technique is widely used. The simpler approach of using an overhead pair that "sees" the whole drumkit, which puts the dynamics of playing much more in the hands of the drummer. The two overhead mics are further supported by one mic at the snare and one for the bassdrum, although this one can often be omitted.
A note to young and upcoming drummers: Most of the world's best recording and performing drummers i.e. Jim Keltner, Steve Gadd, Harvey Mason, Grady Tate, etc. can be recorded with just a overhead pair, and in that well placed overhead pair, even the bass drum is picked up correctly. This is due to the performance accuracy of the drummer. The secret to the overhead pair placement we lucky engineers have found is that it's the drummers responsibility to balance himself. This gives us engineers more choices for placement and layout. We recommend that young drummers should learn to perform acoustically under a pair of 4006s, 4007s, 4041s or 4011s. Learn to tune your drums with overheads and in a couple of years of practice and performance you will become a valuable recording and performance drummer. When multiple miking is used this balanced performance and tuning knowledge still shines through again and again.
Depending on the size of the drumkit and the style of music being performed, several choices exist within each of the DPA microphones that have been suggested. Lets start with the Cardioids:
Two 4011s give you the choice of stereo in XY, ORTF, DIN, and NOS or simply a spaced placement. These are all explained in "Stereo Techniques" in the "Microphone University" section of the DPA website. Sometimes the Front-head and Under-head work better under distinctive and various acoustic situations. Remember that the cymbals are bi-directional devices and produce the most balanced sound at the side middle of the cymbal and not from the top. Top miking yields more stick sound and a lot of us like that but it's not the only way. Each stereo technique has it's characteristic stereo sound and can be used for much more than drumkit overheads .i.e. orchestras, pianos, big bands, and sound effects. Each technique also lends itself for implementation as an inside or barrier sound for a 5.1 or multiple format scheme.
Standard Omnis
Two 4006s yield a different type of sound altogether. The stereo technique can be AB, Baffled Stereo or Decca Tree. Each of these techniques is also explained in the "Stereo Techniques" section of "Microphone University". Besides the DD0251 standard Silver linear protection grid, the 4006 gives you the choices of passive acoustic manipulation employing the Black protection grid, DD0297 with it's 6 dB boost at 15 kHz. If you're the type to brighten up your cymbal sound while mixing we suggest you lay the sound to tape or hard disc pre equalised acoustically. Also, the Nose cone, UA0777, with it's almost perfect omni pattern, intensifies the impact attack without overshoot. The APE L30B, L40B and L50B also shape and equalise the microphone passively without phase shift or noise. The polar patterns and equalisation charts are also listed in the DPA website. The sound of the APEs is very usable for brushes or softly played drums. You will notice that the Omnis in the Over-head, Front, or Under-head position will pick up the bass drum with no problem. This is because omnis are more phase correct at lower frequencies and have a perfect impulse response compared to a cardioid. Furthermore omnis do not suffer from bass loss at a distance (proximity effect).
In any engineering endeavour there are trade off's; microphones and their usage techniques are no exception, i.e. when you produce "tightness" you loose "air". Learning the balance points between these sounds is a necessary knowledge acquisition. Sometimes a combination of Cardioid and Omni is what is needed to produce both conditions and DPA Omnis and Cardioids will do this without phasing with each other.
High SPL Omnis
Two 4007s are in a SPL class of their own. There are some look alike microphones out there, but when you compare them side by side against two DPA 4007s there is no contest in all parameters, and unlike the competition look alikes, they will sound that good for years to come. Basically, the 4007 is flat from 10 Hz to 40 kHz and at all high SPL levels with a distortion curve that is equally flat. This is the difference, it's called dynamic tracking. Again this is what produces high resolution. These mics are best suited for high volume SPL drumming. The same stereo techniques as the 4006s can be used. These mics sound great with reputable drummers as mid over-heads. Set them about one foot in front of the drumkit just above the Toms and at the mid point of the Cymbals. Again the bass drum will be picked up accurately from this position. The Snare and Hat will be placed exactly as they are physically placed. Fader and Pan manipulation can move the Snare, Hat, and Floor Tom more to the centre of the mix if desired.
A good drumkit tip: "One-Mic-Great-Mono"
One 4041 placed properly can pick up an entire drumkit from a single point. There are no other microphones in existence that sound as clear from afar as DPAs and the 4041 is the top of the line at this. The 4041 microphone sounds great close-up but when its backed off the excitement does not dwindle. The incredible clarity and intensity of a close miking technique comes to mind without the detriments of having the mic too close. In Jazz, Folk, Blues, and other acoustic situations this can be coupled with a mono Piano and or Bass, Guitar, or Sax. Physical instrument placement in the studio or stage is extremely important. The natural acoustic bleed of each instrument coupled with critical panning and fader level will produce a natural stereo field. Acoustic treatment such as bass traps and diffusers along with blankets and foam also help the acoustic situation.
Two 4041s and the sky is the limit. They do not always have to be placed left to right but will work in a number of exploratory configurations such as; Stacked vertically down the middle and in front. One mic is placed about two thirds up the drumkit at the mid bass drum position while the other mic is placed mid overhead just above the cymbals in an equal balance. Or you may try one Mid front and one Mid back pointed in to the drumkit, forming an upside down pyramid. Or it will work impressively as the center mic in a Decca Tree-like configuration.
If we continuously fall shy of our intended sound quality we should try to explore the three microphone technique. Either by the Decca Tree set-up or by adding a third mic. This can be in a visually balanced situation or a spot mic. One three microphone technique, often used in Jazz recordings, gives a very natural sound and also puts the skills of the drummer up front. The stereo pair should be panned left/right and the third mic in the middle. Avoid placing the overheads too close, because it will make the sound wander from the left to the right speaker. An XY, ORTF, DIN, or NOS pair of cardioids is sometimes used too, but it gives generally a less open sound than with spaced Omnis. The spot mic does exactly what it sounds like it does, intensify a spot or one drum. After placing one spot mic, if you still feel the need for more intensification, you should move to the multiple miking mentioned earlier. At this point you have qualified the drummers lack of ability to balance or tune drums. Multi miking is perfect for this situation. The engineer should now be in charge of the drum sound, just don't let the drummer know.