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Recording a Djembe episode I
9 November 2006, 12:59 PM
Filed under: instruction,

A few weeks back, while reading the Djembe-L Yahoo! Group Lydia asked the group population about how to record a Djembe. I’m not a recording engineer, but I like music and have some equipment to record the instruments that I play. While I replied to her, I realized that my answer was somewhat abstract if you are not directly involved with recording techniques, microphones, preamps, and so forth. So I created a small series of posts, that I’ll publish in the next couple of weeks, about how to record and set-up a recording rig for percussion instruments.

In this first post, I’m including this mp3, that I recorded last night, while trying a CAD that I have purchased on ebay for about $30 dollars. [You can see the mic on the top of my Djembe – by the way, its name is Buda! 🙂 ]
[audio:http://www.oneblueprint.com/miamidrums/wp-content/uploads/djember_recording_mic_test1.mp3]
The Recording was performed with two mics. Both from CAD. One is a Condenser microphone and the other one is a dynamic one, used for toms and kick drums.
On the next post of the series, I’ll explain the setup of the mics, plus the volume settings.

PS: Please have in mind that computer speakers don’t make a lot of justice with the low sounds. More on that later!


2 Comments to “Recording a Djembe episode I”

  1. tom says:

    Diego – Those are NOT slaps, dude. With the drum pitched that low it won’t approach slaps with your hand. In Guinea (where I’ve been)those sounds are called tones. Take that drum up high, pull the energy UP and out the drum until the slaps POP!! Listen to Fatala (Real World) for what great slaps should sound like, and
    Arafan Toure uses two drums throughout the CD, one pitched lower where you can still hear good slaps. The skin on your drum is a little heavy for your playing style as well, making the process more difficult for you. Good Luck, Tom

  2. argonauta.1 says:

    Yes my mistake, their are all tone + bass.

    Thanks for the critique. Yes, I haven’t tour the world with my drum skills
    Thanks for the Cd recomendations!
    Regards

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