How to Record a Snare Drum

The snare drum typically makes up a good amount of the groove of the song. As such, it is essential to get a good snare drum sound when you are recording drums. It is an element you should take your time with, to get right. Here are some tips that will help you record a great sounding snare drum.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Listen to the drum. A snare drum that sounds good in the room is obviously going to be easier to make a recording. Listen to see if the drum sounds in tune, has the right body and depth for your recording, is rattling anywhere or is ringing out of control.
2. Make adjustments to the snare drum. Before you start miking and recording, you want your drum to sound good on its own. Tune it if necessary. Tighten or loosen the snares to get the right amount of sizzle. Cut out any unwanted ringing by using dampening rings or tape and tissue. If all else fails and you can't get a sound you're happy with, try a different snare drum.
3. Pick your mics. Once you have your drum sounding good you want to reproduce that sound on a recording. The standard, go-to snare drum mic is a Shure SM57. You can use two 57s on a snare, with one on top and the other underneath. If you don't have an SM57, you should purchase a few. If it is not an option, try another dynamic mic like a Sennheiser 421 or a small condenser mic.
4. Place your mics. You want the mic on the front side, or audience side, of the drum. Angle it at about 45 degrees pointing toward the center of the drum. You can point more toward the center for more attack or you can move the mic toward the edge to get more resonance and sustain. The closer the mic is to the drum head will make the drum sound beefier because of more bass. Adjust the mic position and angle until you are happy with the sound.
5. Set your levels. Snare drums are very transient, so your level is probably going to be pretty low. You probably won't use much compression on the snare drum, but you may consider a little EQ to get the right attack.
6. Check for phase. If your snare drum mic sounds great on its own but gets thin and brittle when you add in the overhead, room or other mics, you probably have phase issues. Adjust the mics that are phasing until you get the good, big sound back again.

Tips & Warnings

• Think outside the box when getting your snare sounds. Use different mics just to see if something works well. Try putting a wallet on the snare drum to get a punchy sound. There are countless things you can do with a snare, so have fun.