Here’s a sample of what the drums sound like recorded with the Glynn Johns microphone setup: This is a very minimal drum miking technique that yields surprisingly huge sounding results. Otherwise, it would get lost underneath everything else in the final mix, making the drums lose a bit of punch.

The purpose of this mic is to fill in the kick drum so that it is more apparent and punchy in the drum mix. The third mic will be positioned as a close mic on the kick drum. The objective is to get a good overall balance of the whole kit, as they will function as the main drum sound. These two microphones will serve as the “overhead” mics. A second mic at the 3 o’clock position to the floor tom (drummer’s perspective), about 1 or 2 feet above the rim of the tom, looking across the kit to the hi-hat, and 40 inches from the snare drum.

One mic directly over the kit, about 40 inches high, and looking directly down at the snare drum. John Bonham himself being the other part of the equation. Glynn Johns is a producer and recording engineer behind many of the Led Zepplin records, and part of the equation attributing to John Bonham’s mammoth-sounding drums. Hey, look! It’s Glynn Johns to rescue with his simple yet monumental method for recording drums. The options to weigh when recording drums can be overwhelming. The Glynn Johns Three Mic Drum Recording SetupĪs minimalist as possible.