Glyn johns is most famous for his method of recording drums. So i am happy to announce there are a lot of choices for the general listening public, it depends a lot on what you know as the led zeppelin sound as well as your budget and dedication to. The glyn johns method is going to get me in trouble. The glyn johns method of miking a drum kit is characterised by its use of relatively few microphones. This is a discography of records primarily albums produced, engineered, andor mixed by glyn johns for various acts. Glyn johns is a rock and roll producer and sound engineer who has worked with many famous artists on brilliant albums. Snare too loud in ohs w glyn johns mic technique home. The glyn johns method is a simple drum kit micing technique using 3 or 4 mics, as heard on albums by the rolling stones, the who and led zeppelin. Glyn johns, who recorded led zeppelin, had just finished up recording an acoustic guitar track when he placed the microphone that was he was using over by john bonhams right shoulder. Griffiths, ed 2007, the glyn johns method a quick primer for recording drums pdf.
This is placed directly over the snare drum to achieve an overall kit sound. Glyn johns mic technique how to avoid the major fault that no. With this method, four microphones, placed strategically, can give a spectacular sound when recording drums. Glyn johns was the producer or engineer of a number of rocks classic albums, including those by the rolling stones, eric clapton, the eagles, the who, the beatles, the clash, and such singular artists as joan armatrading and ryan adams.
His legacy in the recording studio spans many years, and includes some of the best bands ever. Pan your kick and snare mics to the center, as youd do on any recording. Johns has recorded many wellknown musicians including eric clapton, the rolling stones, the who, steve miller, and the eagles. Can someone please explain to me what the glyn johns method for drums entails see attachment. So perhaps you should include more microphones and tell your friends its better than glyn johns. For not much money new heads can guarantee dramatically better drum recordings. What it came down to here fundamentally was what sound signature each listener is used to. To watch the new episode click here or click on the thumbnail below. Its quite mathematic and exact and involves only four mics. Glyn johns about glyn johns born in epsom, surrey in 1942, glyn johns is a worldrenowned musician and producer, famed for his work with blockbuster artists like the who, eric clapton and eagles. We are in the process of starting to move ronans recording show over to.
Bob dylan, the rolling stones, steve miller band,the beatles let it be and abbey road, led zepplins self titled 1969 album and the. His unique recording method was used to create many of john bonham. He really made a name for himself in the annuls of recording legend with his monstrous john bonham drum sounds on all those zeppelin records. Some things to keep in mind with the glyn johns method and really with any method of recording drums. The idea with glyn john s technique is that you place the snare mic about 2. Then mike the inside of the kick with a dynamic cardioid microphone. Johns developed a unique approach to the recording of drums, sometimes referred to as the glyn johns method, that rarely employs more than two or three microphones, and which usually keeps one mike hoisted several feet overhead to achieve natural perspective of the whole kit, as well as one off to the side not far from the floor tom tom, and one near to the bass drum. Glyn johns mic technique how to avoid the major fault. The glyn johns method works well in the studio but im not sure it would be the most effective situation live, for two reasons. Basic premise is you take preferably two large condenser mics and place one 3540 directly above the center of the snare and point it at the beater.
But he told me that he put the others out to make it look like he was doing his job and knew what he was doing. The glyn johns method is made up of only using 3 microphones and was used by johns on many different recordings from the 1960s through to the 1980s and is still continued to be used by engineers worldwide. A some reasons why your drums might not sound as big as the drums on the led zepplin records. Its not necessary to know all the audio science of why it works. Overhead microphones are those used in sound recording and live sound reproduction to pick. We used the glyn johns method on the drums for this project and it. Later in the book, whenever technical concepts come up, you will find an. Delivering both superior quality and exceptional performance, glynnjohnson products are offered in a wide variety of popular finishes and configurations providing the flexibility needed to meet the most demanding door control applications. If you have two different mics, you can even use the differences to your advantage for example, putting the darker sounding mic closer to the hat and putting the brighter mic by the floor tom. Just like some of the other most amazing developments in drum recording think gated reverb, this method was actually discovered by accident when glyn johns was recording led zeppelin. Instead of using two overhead microphones to capture a stereo image of the kit, the johns method uses one. Glyn johns talked in this video but never had a demo about gain staging the preamp to.
This technique involves four microphones two overhead microphones,a kick mic, and a snare mic. The glyn johns drum recording method recording revolution. My 50 years of producing rock classics 15 it pissed me off, the assumption that, to be in with anyone famous, to be cool in that group, you had to. Ac bc oh mic pointed at bass drum pedal lt mic pointed at highhats the glyn version makes up for the tilted oh mic by having the snare mic more centered with a. Ive read that the u4 and u5 are the ones to get, as far as the original variants go. Any of us who record rock music are likely aware of glyn johns. Glyn johns is one of the uks most respected producers and engineers. The options to weigh when recording drums can be overwhelming. Tape op question about glyn johns drum micing method. It seems simple but there seems to be real problems with phase coherence, in particular if you are recording in a small space.
If youre using glyn johns, you need to make sure that the distance between the snare and each mic is the same or on a wavelength node but lets not complicate the issue. The one major fault of the glyn johns technique that no. The two overheads in glyn johns are picking up very different pictures of the kit. Other drum overhead positions include the recorderman technique where the distance between both. In todays episode, i talk about the glyn johns method for overhead microphones, and how to avoid the one fault that no one talks about. Though johns is best known for his work as an engineer and producer for other artists, he recorded several singles as a solo act in the 1960s. The glyn johns method is a super popular way of recording drums, made famous by mr. He would put out 8 microphones to make it look good. Its called the glyn johns method, and its a favorite of recording engineers everywhere trying to get professional results on a tight budget. You need a good sounding kit in a decent room to make it work. Glyn johns technique how to mic a drum kit with three. First phase first or why you should never use the glyn. Glyn johns drum miking technique george adams audio.
Especially for people recording at home or in cramped rehearsal studios. Its glynn johns to rescue with his simple yet monumental method for recording drums. Musictech posted on september 2, 2008 posted in ask musictech. In fact, i dont even bother teaching the glyn johns method because there are simply better techniques out there. Other drum overhead positions include the recorderman technique where the distance between both microphones and the snare drum is equal, as is the distance between both microphones and the bass drum and glyn johns method where one overhead is placed to the drummers right, aiming across the floor tom to the centre of the kit.
Glyn johns 4 mic drum recording technique my les paul forum. Specifically all you need for this method are 2 overhead mics ideally large. The one major fault of the glyn johns technique that no one talks about what is the glyn johns technique. Youre probably miking drums wrong, and how to fix it. Glyn johns technique a cool and authentic final step youtube. Often referred to as the glyn johns technique, this relatively easy method of mic placement was discovered by accident while british engineer glyn johns was recording led zeppelins debut album. Glyn johns is a british musician, engineer, and producer who most notably worked with led zeppelin, the who, the rolling stones, the eagles, eric clapton, and even started his career assisting for the beatles. His big break as a producer came on the steve miller bands debut album, children of the future, and he went on to engineer or produce iconic albums for the best in the business. Learn how to mic a full drum kit using the glyn johns method, with a pair of lauten oceanus microphones and a lauten horizon from soundpures audio expert fletcher. Have you ever used the glyn john s method of recording drums. If you are in the studio recording 7 days a week and tracking quality bands, i guess these sorts of techniques are bound to be. B what challenges you can expect when using the glyn johns drum miking technique. Abbey road with the beatles, led zeppelins and the eagles debuts, whos next by the who, and. Johns developed a unique approach to the recording of drums, sometimes referred to as the glyn johns method, that rarely employs more than two or three microphones, and which usually keeps one mike hoisted several feet overhead to achieve natural perspective of the whole kit, as well as one off to the side not far from the floor tom tom.
Glyn johns method we were lucky enough to do a recent drum session with one of our resident stickmen simon edgoose, for a forthcoming future music commission. Panning the microphones in your mix once youve recorded is what makes the glyn johns method work perfectly. There are several interpretations of it, however the principal remains the same. More glyn johns drumswhy dont my drums sound huge like. Born just outside london in 1942, glyn johns was sixteen years old at the dawn of rock and roll. New drum heads beater and resonant are a must to getting the best tones out of your kit. Johns is probably best known in the drumming community for his legendary drum sound. You place the second mic the same distance and about 46 above the floor tom. Many amazing and iconic records were recorded with this method, and im just some dude thats not mixing led zeppelin or the eagles or eric clapton. The brief was country crunk a kinda cross between country and hiphop, so we wanted some straight country grooves and some more swung laidback beats using brushes and hot rods. The glynn johns three mic drum recording setup jon stinson. Before your frustration robs you of your creative flow, lets discuss some critiques of the glyn johns method specifically. Ive been using the glyn johns method cuz of my lack of mics.
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