Help on projecting drums thru PA

Im looking for basic tutorials or info on how to project drums thru a PA. Pretty much the microphones u can use, the positions u place them in, the other equipment u should use and any valid techniques that could be useful. We're finding it a bit hard to hear the drums over the guitars, so we need some help.

Cheers

Originally posted by Electron Im looking for basic tutorials or info on how to project drums thru a PA. Pretty much the microphones u can use, the positions u place them in, the other equipment u should use and any valid techniques that could be useful. We're finding it a bit hard to hear the drums over the guitars, so we need some help. Cheers

Your kidding right....turn the guitars down until the level in the room is good. You are talking in rehearsal im sure????/

The better thing to do (PA dont like drums and vocals at the same timeBTW) is to go with in ear or headphones plugged into a headphone amp! They are like $40! Sounds like your in a loud enviroment there and the protection will do you good - for obvious reasons.

The other thing you can you can do set a mic in front of your kit and run it through the PA!

You can mic each drum but what a pain if your gigging alot!

I agree with steamyz. The drums are too quiet? How damn loud are the guitars? Have you changed the drums heads in the last 5 years? I would recommend the rest of your band turn down before you really won't be able to hear the drums.

electron,

what's your band situation? what kind of music, and how are you playing now?

merely pounding harder does make for louder drums, but if you're whole group is blaring at 103 db, maybe toning things down would help.

Well i see drummers using microphones all the time on live sets and i basically just wanna learn what they're doing.

Electron- tell us about your PA system, you need a

thumpin' system with at least a few thousand watts

before you should even consider miking drums without

everything sounding like poo.

We have about a 7000 watt system and all I mic is

the bass drum and a condenser overhead and my

drums come through fine, I'll probably have to use

more when we play outside.

But if you don't have a powerful system, then do

like someone else suggested and tell the geetar

players to turn-the-{censored} down;)

BTW, I don't mic any drums at practice...

that's insane:D

Well, on stage it's a whole different story. The sound needs to be balanced and projected out to the audience. Miking each drum allows the sound man to have control over the volume, eq, etc. of each piece so he can make it sound good with the other instruments. In a medium to large venue, just using stage volume

(i.e. your instruments, amps etc.) wouldn't project evenly and the sound, the mix will be not so good.

There's really no need to mic your drums at practice and for shows, if it's necessary, the venue should typically handle the sound will supply the mics and PA. Unless you're really anal about recording tone, or play large gigs and you're anal about your live tone, I don't think you need to worry about it.

alright thanks