Mic’ing up a drum kit can be a challenge. But with the help of producer/engineer Brian Deck, we take it on and offer some quick tips to getting started.

Recording at home or in your practice space requires reconciling what is usually a small number of inputs on your recording interface, so Brian started by showing a great way to get a punchy, present drum sound with just one microphone. Contrary to what you might think, it is possible.

With so many pieces to account for in the kit, adding microphones is a necessity to achieve a full, robust drum sound. As we added more mics to the setup, we always checked the phase relationship between any two microphones, something you’ll need to consider and deal with to make the best sounding tracks possible.

As always, this is a launching point, a guide to start recording drums. Every song and player you work with will require you to approach things differently to serve the song and make it special. Always experiment, never settle for anything less than what your ears perceive as great, and always, always check phase.