Instrument
Timpani
- Range
- D2–C4
- Overtones to
- about 600 Hz
- Peaks up close
- up to 140 dB SPL
- Sources
- 5 (4 independent)
Mics sources recommend
5 setups from 5 sources, 4 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
Spot
- Neumann TLM 170 (earlier version of the Neumann TLM 170 R)1 independent source
- Royer R-122 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- Schoeps MK 211 independent source
- cardioid or wide cardioid condenser (type only)1 independent source
The 4 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Spot Neumann TLM 170 (earlier version of the Neumann TLM 170 R)spot, over the timpani
Smith miked the percussion with a TLM170 over the timpani (quote)
1 - Spot Royer R-122spot, scoring session
Scoring session at Sony with an R-122 spot mic on the timpani.
2 - Spot Schoeps MK 21spot, percussion section (timpani, bass drum, cymbal players)
the percussion had some MK21s, which are the wide-cardioid pickups (Jackson; the percussion group was timpani, bass drum and cymbal players)
3 - Spot 3 × cardioid or wide cardioid condenser (type only)spot, beside the main omni array (Decca tree or AB)
Spot mics in cardioid or wide cardioid; a spot list includes timpani and percussion (2 to 10 mics) (paraphrase)
4
On stage
Close
- Shure SM571 independent source
The 1 setup behind this: placement and quotes
- Close 2 × Shure SM57live (orchestra pops); two on short booms, each pointing down between a pair of drums from about 18 in
Two SM57s on short booms, each mic pointing down between a pair of drums from about 18 inches (Colby)
5
Range
D2 to C4673.4 Hz – 262 Hz
Set of four to five drums. VSL gives C2-C3 for the largest (76 cm) drum and up to C4 for the smallest.
| Large drums (about 66-76 cm) | D2–A2 | dark, booming |
|---|---|---|
| Small drums (about 45-65 cm) | Bb2–C4 | clearer, shorter |
Each drum covers about a fifth; best in the middle of its range (VSL). Split between large and small drums is approximate.
Tuning: Pitched drums tuned by pedal to any note; each drum covers about a fifth (Wikipedia) to a sixth (VSL, Adams chart).6,7
Overtones reach about 600 Hz (the highest harmonic within 40 dB of the strongest, at a moderate level; louder playing reaches higher).
- Bass (D) drum, 75-80 cm (VSL): As listed by VSL.6
- Large (G) drum, 65-70 cm (VSL): As listed by VSL.6
- Small (C) drum, 60-65 cm (VSL): As listed by VSL.6
- High (F) drum, 55-60 cm (VSL): As listed by VSL (the F and A drum ranges overlap oddly; given as written there).6
- High (A) drum, 50-60 cm (VSL): As listed by VSL.6
- B drum, 45-50 cm (VSL): As listed by VSL.6
- 32 in drum (Adams Professional Gen II): Read from Adams' range chart (an image of notes on a bass staff, read here by locating note heads against the staff lines); each drum spans a sixth on this chart.8
- 29 in drum (Adams Professional Gen II): Read from Adams' range chart image (see 32 in).8
- 26 in drum (Adams Professional Gen II): Read from Adams' range chart image.8
- 23 in drum (Adams Professional Gen II): Read from Adams' range chart image.8
- 20 in drum (Adams Professional Gen II): Read from Adams' range chart image.8
- Standard four-drum set, 32-29-26-23 in (Wikipedia): 'The range of this set is roughly D2 to A3'; each drum typically a perfect fifth.7
- Orchestral three, 29-26-23 in (Wikipedia): 'Range extends down only to F2'; top not stated.7
- Piccolo drum, 20 in (Wikipedia): 'Can reach pitches up to C4'.7
The sound
The kettle and air load tune the drumhead modes to near-harmonic ratios (about 1 : 1.5 : 2 : 2.5 : 3), which gives a clear pitch; the lowest (0,1) mode is damped quickly.
Where the sound goes
Nothing found.
Recording it
No source here gives a close-mic distance for studio work; the SoundGirls and Royer pages do not say.
Playing techniques
- Mallets: small or hard heads brighter and more incisive; broad or soft heads darker, with a clearer pitch
- Striking spot: a hand-width from the rim; the centre gives a dull thud
- Rolls, pedal glissando, damping with the fingertips6
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.
| Playing level | |
|---|---|
| 74–94 dB | at 3 m; UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels, row 'Timpani and bass drum' (single musician) secondary9 |
| 47–97 dB | at 1 m; Pedal timpani, derived from the TU Berlin sound power values estimate10 |
| Peaks | |
| 106 dB | not stated (peak column); UK Sound Advice table, row 'Timpani and bass drum' secondary9 |
| 133 dB(C) | personal dosimeter at the player; Timpanists, Queensland Orchestra 2004-2007; mean per-session LCpeak (SD 4.2 dB)11 |
| 129–137 dB(C) | personal dosimeter at the player; Timpanists, Queensland Orchestra 2004-2007: normal spread of per-session LCpeak11 |
| 128.8–135 dB(C) | dosimeter microphone on the shoulder; Percussion and timpani players together, Portuguese symphony orchestra rehearsals (mean 131.4, SD 2.15)12 |
| 129.6–135 dB(C) | dosimeter microphone on the shoulder; Percussion and timpani players, Portuguese orchestra rehearsals (2012 abstract)13,14 |
| 140 dB or more(C) | personal dose meter within 10 cm of one ear; Student timpanist, Royal College of Music orchestra, one week of rehearsals and a concert (Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2, Sibelius Symphony 2)15 |
| Dynamic range | |
| 50 dB | sound power, whole range; Pedal timpani, Weinzierl et al. 2018, Table I estimate10 |
| Player's exposure (dosimeter) | |
| 87.7 dB(A) | personal dosimeter at the player; Timpanists, Queensland Orchestra rehearsals and concerts 2004-2007, 63 sessions; mean session LAeq (SD 3.9 dB)11 |
| 86.2–88.6 dB(A) | personal dosimeter; Timpani, O'Brien et al. 2008 (Queensland), as cited by Rodrigues et al. 201412 |
| 85.9–95.4 dB(A) | dosimeter microphone on the shoulder of the more exposed ear; Percussion and timpani players together, Portuguese symphony orchestra, group and general rehearsals of 8 repertoires, 24 measurements; range of LAeq,T (mean 90.0, SD 2.93)12 |
| 85.9–91.8 dB(A) | dosimeter microphone on the shoulder of the more exposed ear; Percussion and timpani players, Portuguese orchestra rehearsals of 7 repertoires (2012 congress abstract)13,14 |
| Sound power | |
| 58–108 dB | sound power level Lw (dB re 1 pW), not a sound pressure at a distance; Pedal timpani, single notes over the range played as soft and as loud as possible, anechoic chamber TU Berlin, 32-mic spherical array (Weinzierl et al. 2018, Table I)10 |
The UK Sound Advice table gives timpani and bass drum together at 74-94 dB at 3 m, peak 106 dB, weighting not stated. A dosimeter study of rehearsals in a Portuguese orchestra found percussion and timpani players at 85.9-91.8 dB(A) (equivalent continuous level, mic on the shoulder), with peaks of 129.6-135 dB(C). The two are different things: a level at 3 m and a personal exposure.9,14
Sources
- Mix: The Changing Landscape of Orchestral Recording (engineer Steve Smith, Music Works Studios)
- Royer Labs: Recording Orchestra (photo captions)
- Sound On Sound: Jake Jackson: Recording The 2012 Olympic Anthems
- SoundGirls: Recording an Orchestra
- Mix: Sound Reinforcement for the Boston Pops: Miking the Orchestra (BSO live mix engineer Steve Colby)
- Vienna Symphonic Library Academy: Timpani
- Wikipedia: Timpani
- Adams: Professional Gen II timpani (sizes and range chart image)
- Representative noise levels table with orchestra noise guidance (UK Sound Advice material)
- JASA: Sound power and timbre as cues for the dynamic strength of orchestral instruments (Weinzierl, Lepa, Schultz, Detzner, von Coler, Behler)
- AKUTEK (BNAM paper): Skalevik, Sound levels in symphony orchestra musicians (with O'Brien's Queensland dosimetry table)
- Noise & Health: Evaluation of the noise exposure of symphonic orchestra musicians (Rodrigues, Freitas, Neves, Silva)
- International Congress on Environmental Health 2012: Rodrigues, Freitas, Neves, Silva, Are musicians exposed to excessive noise in Portuguese orchestras? (abstract)
- Rodrigues, Freitas, Neves, Silva, Are musicians exposed to excessive noise in Portuguese orchestras? (Intl Congress on Environmental Health, 2012; repository copy at recipp.ipp.pt, PDF saved in the earlier attempt, exact bitstream URL not kept)
- Backus, Clark and Williamon: Noise exposure and hearing thresholds among orchestral musicians (ISPS 2007)