Choosing the right microphone for your cajon drum makes a difference in live or recorded performances.
A cajon drum is a wooden drum in the shape of a box. Players sit on top of the drum and plays on the surface of the drum with their hands. A hole cut into the rear of the drum helps to project the sound of the drum and define its tone. Cajon drums can be difficult to mic and mix because of their low-end resonance, but choosing the right microphone and placement can compensate for this in a recording or live sound application.
Instructions
1. Place a large diaphragm condenser microphone 6 to 8 inches away from the drum and pointed at the sound hole for live applications.
2. Place one or two condenser microphones on boom stands several feet above the drum and pointed down toward it in a studio recording environment. This will capture some ambiance in your recording space, and you can mix two microphones in stereo for a fuller sound.
3. Adjust the settings on your mixing board to remove some of the lower frequencies. Because of the drum's resonant sound, dialing out some lows and low mids in and around 300 Hz will allow you to place the drum into a mix easier without causing it to compete with other instruments.
