Auto Align Multi track drums...Overheads?

[Daystar14040]

Hey guys

I have a drum track with 1 Kick Mic, 2 snare Mics, A spaced pair of Overheads . Quite simple.

Neither the room nor set up was perfect so naturally there are phase issues etc

I have been using Melda Auto align to try and help, but i Keep reading completley different advice.

Correct me anywhere...

1) Insert an instance of the plug in on my top and bottom snare mics - group these as snares - Align them. Group 1

2) Insert an instance on the snare Bus and Kick mic - Align them - Group as Closed Mics. Group 2

3) Insert an instance on both overheads - Align them - Group as Overheads. Group 3

4) Insert an instance on Close Mic bus and Overhead Bus - Align them - Group as Drumset. Group 4


Regarding step 3) I am confused as the whether I should be aligning the overheads together at all? Or should I skip this step and just align the 2 overheads with the Close Mic group?


Thanks

[steve2KVR]

...fwiw...there is no "correct way," try something and if it sound good/better keep doing it, if not?...try something else...I've had situations were "none of the above" was better, i.e. = "nothing at all"...KISS...if the client likes it! Perfect!...hth.../s~

[AGIGA]

Yes you need to try out different configurations and find out what sounds best to you.
How I do it (most of the time):
Use MAutoalign only on KickIn/KickOut and SnareTop/Bottom. Then listen to each of them against the OHs an flip the channel polarity switch and see if you gain or loose bottom end/punch. Same with the Toms and Rooms. Finally but everything in and listen how it works together. There is usually one setup that clearly sticks out as the best sounding one.
Also try to switch the polarity of bass instruments in the full mix. Sometimes they are out of phase
with the kick.

[mibby]

Regarding step 3) I am confused as the whether I should be aligning the overheads together at all? Or should I skip this step and just align the 2 overheads with the Close Mic group?

I believe Vojtech has said it only makes sense if they were close together when recording. Since a lot of times we don't know, I always try it out, then toggle the Bypass and see which I like better.

Also, as Agiga said, I have a pair on my Kick/Bass after all my processing, then analyze and toggle the Bypass to compare to see which I like better. It's surprising when it does flip the phase on one of them and can really lock in your low end.

[MeldaProduction]

It's usually best to just try. But from my experience it doesn't make much sense to align mikes, which are like 2 or more meters far away from each other. At some point the ambience kicks in, delays between the mikes become unnatural etc. I mainly use it on single drums with multiple mics.