Instrument
Cowbell
- Sources
- 5 (5 independent)
Mics sources recommend
12 setups from 5 sources, 5 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
Close
- Behringer ECM80001 independent source
- Sennheiser MD 4211 independent source
- Shure SM573 independent sources
- microphone (type not named; condenser, dynamic or ribbon)1 independent source
- ribbon mic1 independent source
- small-diaphragm condenser pair1 independent source
Bottom
- microphone (type not named)1 independent source
Top
- Oktava MK-0121 independent source
Room
- condenser (unnamed), omni1 independent source
- large-diaphragm condenser1 independent source
The 12 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close microphone (type not named; condenser, dynamic or ribbon)close, about 2 ft in front of the bell and 1 ft above it, angled down
Place a mic about 2 feet in front of the cowbell but about a foot above it and angled downward.
1 - Bottom microphone (type not named)bottom, 12-18 in away, below the mouth of the bell and angled upward
place a mic about 12 to 18 inches away, below the mouth of the bell and angled upward.
1 - Close ribbon micclose, as in either technique above
A ribbon mic in this situation can be the best of both worlds.
1 - Top Oktava MK-012top, about 2 ft above the cowbell
Oktava 012, about 2 feet above the cowbell. (Harvey Gerst)
2 - Close Behringer ECM8000close (distance not given)
we usually use the Behringer ECM8000 for cowbell. (Harvey Gerst)
2 - Close Shure SM57close
57 and 57 only. It's a cowbell! (Big Kenny)
2 - Close 2 × small-diaphragm condenser pairpair, matched SDCs in X-Y about 2 ft back, for a 'tink' sound
I'd use the best matched pair of small diaphragms I had (X-Y, about 2 feet back; Richard Monroe, paraphrase)
3 - Close Shure SM57close, about 12 in away, aggressive in-your-face sound
I use an SM-57 about 12" away from the cowbell. (kid klash)
3 - Close Sennheiser MD 421distant, 18-36 in away, blended sound with less mid ring
MD421 about 18 to 36 inches away for a blended sound with less mid ring (kid klash, paraphrase)
3 - Room large-diaphragm condenserdistant, about 3 ft away, slightly higher than the bell, in a fairly dead room
stick an LDC about three feet away, pointing in the direction of the cowbell (keerus)
3 - Room condenser (unnamed), omnidistant, about 3 ft or more, omni if the room is good (bells)
For shekere and bells, about 3 feet or more in omni if the room sounds good and bleed is controlled (Tonio, paraphrase)
4 - Close Shure SM57close
I also like to use an SM57 for the cowbell (Carlos Alvarez)
5
Frequency bands
| tone | 450 Hz – 1 kHz | main modes 450-700 Hz and about 1 kHz |
|---|---|---|
| clank | 1 kHz – 4 kHz | inharmonic partials near 1.3-1.4, 1.8 and 2.5 kHz |
| upper | 4 kHz – 10 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: VSCO 2 CE Cowbell1_Hit_v3_rr1; Virtuosity Drums cowbell close mic.
Sounds it makes
| Mouth | struck near the open end: louder, brighter |
|---|---|
| Body | struck on the flat side: lower, fuller |
The sound
A folded steel bell: a few strong, inharmonic plate modes give the clanking pitch.
Recording it
- Mics: a dynamic like the SM57 handles the attack; farther away than you think: very loud peaks
- EQ: a small cut around 6 kHz leaves room for other bright instruments5
Sources
- Bobby Owsinski blog: Two Excellent Techniques To Mike A Cowbell
- HomeRecording.com forum: Cowbell (mic choice and placement) (2004 thread)
- HomeRecording.com forum: How would you mic a cowbell? (2003 thread)
- My Conga Place forum: suggestion for percussion recording (2007 thread)
- Daley, D. (2006) Recording Latin Percussion, Sound On Sound