A scientific approach to microphone placement for cymbals in live sound

Abstract

Current practice regarding overhead microphone placement on drum kits at live events is largely informed by personal experience and industry-standard practice, where there seems to be a lack of scientific evidence supporting these placements. This research addresses this by first recordings from points around different cymbals which are struck by three types of drumsticks. The measurements are processed in MATLAB to produce visual representations of the auditory data. The work puts forward evidence that cymbal radiation patterns are dependent on shape, size, profile and striking method while the attack and sustain are primarily dependent on cymbal weight. Ideal overhead microphone placement diagrams are generated based on these results to give live sound engineers a quick reference guide for best practice at live events.