recording tips: djembe

GarrettDjembe,
originally uploaded by garrettwilkin.

This afternoon I will be recording djembe for the first time. Well, perhaps to clarify, I will hopefully be recording djembe "correctly" for the first time.

Drums in general are a difficult thing to mic properly. An acoustic guitar, it's obvious where the sound is coming from, and you can move the mic to the sweet spot. Likewise with a vocal, a piano, or a violin. But drums, now that's a different story.

When I record drum kits, which can have anywhere between 5 to 8 different drums and cymbals, I prefer to have at least 5 different mics set up. There are the obvious kick mic, snare mic, 2 overheads, and then a random other mic that I stick somewhere in the room to catch reflections of the walls. This seems like the obvious way to do things, mainly because the personality of each drum is emitted from one source. (sometimes you can mic the top and the bottom the snare drum to get the hit of the head and the rattle of the snares... and a little more rarely, crazy guys like to get the kick drum from both sides to get the beater hit and the whump of the drum... I rarely do the former, and never attempt the latter)

Hand drums are a different challenge all-together. Djembe for instance is made up of (at least) two distinct sounds: the slap of the head and the low-end drone that comes out the bottom. Mic only the top, and you get this pitter-patter that lacks any down-low rumble. Sometimes that could be desirable, mainly when you have a full kit in the mix and you just want the percussive slaps to drive the groove.

So comes the issue of micing the top and bottom. Do you mic the sound hole, getting all that direct low-end? Or do you try to mic a short distance away at the floor?

Karen Kane suggests putting a bass drum mic down at the bottom. Unfortunately I don't have access to one of those. Anybody want to buy one of these for me? Thanks, I appreciate it!

So we'll have to see what works the best. I have a good large diaphragm mic, but I don't think that it will respond properly if I stuck in the drum. I'll probably mic it away from the drum and mix it with the mic on the head. I'll take pictures so all of this stuff isn't too esoteric.

Check back soon as I'll talk about my experience in micing cello for the first time and trying to get the right sound on a grand piano!

album update

As March commences, this will be the last month that I work on the album. By April 1st, it will be on it's way to the manufacturers.

There are 3 more musicians to have into the studio: Dan on djembe tomorrow, Nikki on cello next week, and Leah on piano in 2 weeks. I am moving my computer back to the church so I can mix on better studio monitors (see post below).

This has been a long project, but I've learned a lot, and not just about music. Maybe I will elaborate at some point (I'm a bit winded after biking home from Lake Union).

Here's a treat... the track listing!

1. My Redeemer
2. Awake My Heart
3. Begin My Tongue
4. Christ the Life of All the Living
5. My Hope Is Built
6. The Law of God
7. Man of Sorrows
8. Infinite Divine
9. Psalm 86
10. Just Are Thy Ways
11. Faint Were We
12. Micah 7:7
13. Lift Up Your Heads
14. Not What These Hands Have Done

Hope that satiates your appetite... check out cyberhymnal.org if any of these lyrics are unfamiliar; most of the melodies are unique to RUF here in Seattle.

seminary update

For those of you wondering, the application process to Erskine Seminary is going well. I have only 1 more recommendation to arrive in Due West, SC (yes, in the middle of nowhere, check it out!). When that gets there, then my application will be submitted to the board that decides on applicants. I'm not terribly worried about being denied admission, but you never know.

Thankfully, they have a brand new website, one that is much more attractive than the old one. You should check it out!

goin back to cali

at lake tahoe,
originally uploaded by Luke and Sarah.

Sarah has never been to California. There are a number of states that she hasn't been to, but I guess California is rather significant, mainly because of it's size, and some fascination with the Governator (not really!).

Over President's Day, we were skiing at Lake Tahoe. For those of you unfamiliar with the geography of the Sierra Nevada Mtn's, Tahoe sits right on the Nevada/California border.

Sarah was really hoping to go to Heavenly Ski Resort (which straddles the border) and ski into California. No such luck. We stayed in Nevada the whole time. She was a bit sad, but I think she got over it in a few seconds.

So she'll have to wait for our moving/road trip this summer. I'm sure I'll post about that sometime soon as we solidify our plans.

(hmm, only 28 days since my last post... not bad!)

oh it's been so long

Hotel Desk,
originally uploaded by Luke and Sarah.

So I can't even remember the last time I posted or what I posted about. If I don't do this now, I won't do it at all!

It's been a wild two weeks, so here's a quick rundown. 2 weekends ago, Sarah and I travelled to Vancouver, BC. It rained the entire time, so we were a bit miserable: couldn't see any scenery, just the tops of our shoes. On a bright note, by chance we stayed at the hotel where they filmed "Best in Show". The picture above is of the front desk. I walked in to check in and I knew instantly where I was. Pretty crazy, huh?

This week has been crazy with finishing two videos for RUF tonight, one for the Ski Day that's not happening (more below) and a thought piece on the Meaning of Life. This Friday we'll be having a Scavenger Hunt instead of Ski Day, and then we'll be catching a red-eye to Pittsburgh. Tuesday night, just before 12:00 EST, Sarah's grandfather passed away, and we'll be at the funeral on Saturday morning. We're thankful that we get to go and be with family.

I hope to post more soon, but I knew that I wouldn't do it if I didn't do it now. See you soon...