Instrument
Congas
- Sources
- 4 (3 independent)
Mics sources recommend
13 setups from 4 sources, 3 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.
Studio
Multi-mic plan
- Shure SM571 independent source
- not named1 independent source
Close
- AKG C 4141 independent source
- AKG C451 / C452 / C460 series (earlier version of the AKG C451 B)1 independent source
- Neumann U 871 independent source
- Royer ribbon1 independent source
- Sennheiser MD 421 / MD 4091 independent source
- Sennheiser MKH 401 independent source
- Shure SM521 independent source
- Sony C-800G1 independent source
Room
- Neumann U 87 / Rode NT10001 independent source
The 9 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Multi-mic plan each drum: Shure SM57 + room: not namedone mic per drum, inches off the head, plus a room mic 8-10 ft away
The great thing about using 57s on congas is they can take the power and still get clarity you want. (Jim Gaines)
1 - Close Sony C-800Gsingle mic 1.5 ft in front and above
Single mic 1.5 ft in front and above; the 800G for brightness from a distance (Eric Schilling, paraphrase)
1 - Room Neumann U 87 / Rode NT1000room mic 8-10 ft away for air
Room mic (an 87 or Rode 1000s) 8-10 feet away for air (Jim Gaines, paraphrase)
1 - Close Sennheiser MD 421 / MD 409close, multiple percussion
Prefers dynamics (Sennheiser 421, 409) over condensers for multiple percussion (Tom Flye, paraphrase)
1 - Close Sennheiser MKH 40 or AKG C451 / C452 / C460 series (earlier version of the AKG C451 B)close or 1-2 ft; isolated overdubs
condenser mics have a thicker low-end response, are faster to pick up transients ... AKG 451/452/460 series named as condenser choices for isolated percussion overdubs (paraphrase)
2 - Close AKG C 414close, top of drum, 45 deg down, 1-2 ft
Condenser microphones such as AKG 414s on congas (Boris Milan)
3 - Close Shure SM52floor mic between drums, low end
A third microphone, such as a Shure SM52, sitting on the floor (Carlos Alvarez)
3 - Close Royer ribbonclose, top, about 4 in
Royer ribbon mics on top about four inches away and it sounded incredible (Carlos Alvarez)
3 - Close 2 × Neumann U 87X-Y pair in front angled at rims, about 1 ft
X-Y pair of Neumann U87s in front of the congas and angled towards the rims (Javier Garza)
3
Studio and stage
Close
- Sennheiser MD 4211 independent source
- Sennheiser MD 4411 independent source
- Shure SM572 independent sources
The 3 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close Shure SM57close, 6 in to 2 ft; live band tracking
Dynamic mics are far better in dealing with the leakage of a nearby drummer
2 - Close Sennheiser MD 441close; live band tracking
Dynamic mics are far better in dealing with the leakage of a nearby drummer
2 - Close Sennheiser MD 421 or Shure SM57close, fast tempos
Dynamic mics such as the Sennheiser 421 catch both tone and attack well (Boris Milan) ... ... and even the workhorse Shure SM57 catch both tone and attack well (Boris Milan)
3
On stage
Close
- Shure Beta 56A maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- Shure Beta 57A maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- Shure Beta 98D/S maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- Shure SM57 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
The 1 setup behind this: placement and quotes
- Close Shure Beta 98D/S or Shure Beta 56A or Shure Beta 57A or Shure SM57one mic aiming down between the pair, just above the heads
One microphone aiming down between pair of drums, just above top heads
4
Range
Spectra in Rossing's Science of Percussion Instruments (fig. 4.11, p. 36), as quoted on a conga forum: open tone with its (0,1) fundamental at 240 Hz; a bass stroke with its fundamental at 70 Hz and a strong harmonic at 280 Hz. Drum size not given. The book itself could not be opened (Google Books shows no text), so this is second-hand. Slaps reach far higher (no Hz figure found).5
Frequency bands
| open tone | 120 Hz – 400 Hz | tumba 138 Hz, conga 164 Hz, quinto 215 Hz; second modes up to about 350 Hz |
|---|---|---|
| low resonance | 60 Hz – 100 Hz | about 78 Hz in all three drums of both sets, probably the air column in the shell |
| slap / attack | 1 kHz – 6 kHz | in the first 10 ms of open tones; slaps (not measured) are much brighter |
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: VSCO 2 CE Conga/Quinto/Tumba-HitN_v2_rr1; Virtuosity close mics.
Sounds it makes
| Tumba (lowest) | fundamental about 138 Hz |
|---|---|
| Conga | about 164 Hz |
| Quinto (highest) | about 215 Hz |
The sound
Tall single-headed drums: the head gives the pitched open tone and the long shell adds a low air resonance.
Recording it
- Where: from above, pointing about 45° down, 30–60 cm (1–2 ft) away; or a mic 1.2–1.5 m up aimed at the player
- Extra: a mic on the floor aimed up between the drums adds the low end
- Mics: condensers; dynamics for fast playing
- EQ: a small cut around 200 Hz and a lift at 300–400 Hz (one engineer's approach)3
Playing techniques
- Open tone: full and pitched
- Slap: a sharp, bright crack
- Bass: palm in the centre, a low thump
- Muted tone: short, dull
Sources
- Jackson, B. (2004) The Big Beat, Mix
- Ferguson, E. Our Friend the Conga, Recording Magazine
- Daley, D. (2006) Recording Latin Percussion, Sound On Sound
- Shure: Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcement
- MyCongaPlace forum: Tuning and relationship to song key (quoting Rossing, Science of Percussion Instruments, fig. 4.11)