How to Record Congas

Congas are a necessary percussion element in lots of Latin and Afro-Cuban music, and they can offer a great texture as extra percussion to many other types of music. Congas can be a bit tricky to record, but there are a few options when recording Congas that will allow you get the right sound. These techniques can be accomplished in project studios as well as big commercial studios.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Start with a dynamic mic on each conga. Dynamic mics offer more isolation than condenser mics, which is helpful when capturing multiple congas. A Shure SM57 or Sennheiser MD 421 is a good dynamic mic choice. Place the mic a few inches above the drumhead, pointing at the center of the head at about a 45-degree angle. Adjust the height, angle and position of the mic until you get the right sound.

2. Try using small diaphragm condenser mics on the congas if bleed is not an issue. The sound may not be right for you, but you may be able to get a more natural sound with the condenser mics. A few popular small diaphragm condenser mics are the Neumann KM 184 and the Audio-Technica AT4051. Position them about the same as the dynamic mics in Step 1.

3. Place a single large diaphragm condenser mic in a room to capture a more ambient conga sound. An AKG 414 or Audio-Technica AT4050 could be a good choice for congas. Place the mic in between the congas, angled at about 45 degrees and a foot or two back from the congas. You can also stereo mic congas with an XY stereo pattern, a spaced pair or a mid-side setup to get a good stereo effect.

4. Put a mic underneath the congas to get more bass from the drums. If your conga player is sitting, you can place a large diaphragm condenser aiming at the floor under the drum from about a foot away. If the congas are mounted, you can use a dynamic mic like an SM57 or MD 421 placed a few inches under the hole in the bottom of the drum pointing into the cavity.

5. EQ and compress lightly if at all. Congas have good natural tone and the dynamic range of many conga players should be conserved when possible. You may want to consider a little front-end EQ if you are using mics under the drums, such as rolling off some of the higher frequencies to help reduce the chance of phase problems.

Tips & Warnings

• As with recording any acoustic instrument, there is no perfect way to get great conga sounds. The trick is to be diligent and tweak positions, angles, distances, mics, effects and anything else you can change until you get your desired sound.
• Try an omni-patterned mic to get less bass from the proximity effect and to capture a more natural sound.