Cymbals
- Peaks up close
- up to 137 dB SPL
- Sources
- 77 independent: not from a mic maker
Frequency bands
| ping / low ring | 300 Hz – 600 Hz | ride peaks at 400 and 510 Hz |
|---|---|---|
| wash | 1 kHz – 12 kHz | crash loudest 2.5-4 kHz; ride has peaks near 1.2, 2.6 and 3.4 kHz |
| air | 12 kHz – 20 kHz |
Own analysis: 1/3-octave band levels of the first second after the hit (dB re loudest band), plus a 12 ms attack window and spectral peak picking. A band is listed where the level stays within about 10-15 dB of the loudest band (weaker bands are given with their level). "tone" = clear spectral peaks; "noise" = dense or broadband energy. Measured from: Virtuosity Drums mid_ride_ride_vl2_rr1, mid_crash_crash_vl2_rr1.
Sounds it makes
| Ride | clear stick "ping" over a wash |
|---|---|
| Ride bell | bright, pitched ping |
| Crash | fast, full burst; 400 Hz-8 kHz within 10 dB |
The sound
Thin bronze plates with many closely spaced modes; the stick excites a pitched "ping" at first, and energy spreads to the high modes.
Frequency areas
- Low end to cut: below 150 Hz (in overheads)
- Harshness: around 4 kHz
- Air: 8–12 kHz11
How loud
Sound pressure level measurements as published. Different kinds of figure (a playing level, a peak, a dose at the player's ear) can't be compared with each other, and neither can figures at different distances.
| Peaks | |
|---|---|
| 125.9 dB(Z) | at the entrance of the drummer's ear canal; 18 in crash cymbal of a DW Performance Series kit struck individually with wooden sticks at moderate force by two drummers, live room of a recording studio (Valderrama et al. 2025, Table 2)8 |
| 122.2 dB(C) | at the entrance of the drummer's ear canal; 18 in crash cymbal, same single-hit test8 |
| 137 dB or more(C) | at the player (exposure context); UK Sound Advice guidance: peak noise from a snare drum or cymbal clash may exceed 137 dB secondary9 |
Recording it
Overheads, which are the kit's main picture rather than only cymbal mics, are filed under the drum kit. Close mics under each cymbal are used live.10,2
Mics
- 7 setups from 7 sources, 7 of them independent of any mic maker.
- On top: the mics more than one source names for this instrument, in any role, the most named first. That is a count of sources, not our verdict.
- In the full list, each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those come from a mic maker.
No mic is named by more than one source yet: each names its own.
All the mics sources name, by setting and role (3)
On stage
Close
- Shure SM811 source
The 3 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Spot microphone (type not named)spot, underneath the cymbal, facing away from snare and toms ('underhead')
microphones can be placed underneath cymbals, positioned facing away from the snare or tom-toms ... underhead placement
1 - Close Shure SM81close under each cymbal and hi-hat instead of overheads (shown in a live example, not recommended outright)
Photo example: engineers chose Shure SM81s under each cymbal and hi-hat, with no overheads (paraphrase)
2 - Spot under-hung cymbal micsspot, under each cymbal facing up (live, when overheads are unavoidable)
put up under-hung mics on each cymbal ... The closer placement, and upward facing positions, will reduce much of the drum and room bleed
3
Studio
Spot
- Neumann KM 841 source
- Oktava MK-012 / Neumann KM 1841 source
The 4 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Spot Oktava MK-012 / Neumann KM 184spot, ride cymbal mic if the ride doesn't cut through the overheads
cymbals: Octava MK-012/Neumann KM 184; a ride cymbal mic if the ride wasn't cutting through (paraphrase)
4 - Spot Neumann KM 84spot, ride mic moved around the cymbal by ear; closer gives more low overtones and longer decay
Generally the closer you get to the cymbals, the more low overtones and longer ringing decay you capture.
5 - Spot small-diaphragm condenserspot, over the side of the cymbal about 1-2 in above (hi-hat and ride first), pad and high-pass
Place the mic over the side of the cymbal, about an inch or two above, while making sure that it is away from other drum pieces.
6 - Spot flying mic (PZM)spot, mic lowered to about 6 in above the cymbal, 2-3 ft at the strike, as an effect
about six inches from the top of the cymbal ... about two to three feet above it (flying-mic effect)
7
Sources
- Harrison, J.J. & Hill, A.J. (2013) A scientific approach to microphone placement for cymbals in live sound, Proc. Institute of Acoustics 35(2), University of Derby
- Berklee Online Take Note: Drum Mics, How to Place Microphones Around Your Kit for a Live Concert
- ProSoundWeb: How To Ruin A Mix: Enough Already With The Cymbals (Michael Fay, 2023)
- Recording Magazine: A Beginner's Guide to Miking Drums (Bruce Kaphan)
- Recording Magazine: Drumming and Drummers and Mics - Oh My! (Paul Vnuk Jr. with David Blascoe)
- Signature Sound (San Diego studio): Mic Positioning: Cymbals and Overheads
- Tape Op #10: Recording Recipes #2, Flying Microphones (Larry Crane, 1998)
- International Journal of Acoustics and Vibration: Valderrama, Arenas, Cardenas, Noise Exposure During Regular Practice Sessions of Drummers and Their Risk for Hearing Loss (vol 30 no 4, pp 423-431)
- Representative noise levels table with orchestra noise guidance (UK Sound Advice material)
- Sound On Sound: Recording Drums
- iZotope: EQ Cheat Sheet