Simulating room mics

[Andy_TAMA]

So I'm recording drums for my friend on a home produced album he's working on. The other day we were recording for this big power ballad type song he's written and the drums need to sound big in the mix. Unfortunately we're recording in his living room which is carpeted and not the largest room in the world. We've only got space to mic up the kit and there's no room for room mics. So we recorded the tracks and inevitably the kit sounds like it's been recorded in a small carpeted room and does not sound big. How can we simulate the effects of room mics to give the kit that 'bigness' that it lacks?
Thanks

[itchie]

Use reverb and other eq's etc ... Take it in mind to be tastefull when using fx

[Zeta]

Use reverb and other eq's etc ... Take it in mind to be tastefull when using fx

This is key,

you use a pinch of salt not a bucket to add flavor. Think of FX as spices.

[rmandelbaum]

This might be obvious but just in case, using a reverb track and sending the individual tracks to it will help give the feel of the individual drums all being in the same room.

[Jemini]

other than reverb try duplicating your tracks to get more oomph out of the drums and compress the duplicate tracks differently, then add a taste of reverb. This works great for the kick and snare especially

[truckerdrummer]

This might be obvious but just in case, using a reverb track and sending the individual tracks to it will help give the feel of the individual drums all being in the same room.

+1 on this... also if the reverb has it's own track, you can eq the effect itself. which is nice because sometimes you can get more of it in the mix and create more space without having the fx really in your face.

[weezy]

Use reverb and other eq's etc ... Take it in mind to be tastefull when using fx

This.
If you're close mic'ing everything, keep it fairly dry on the front end, then mix in some reverb later.

Another possibility would be to record just the drums, no cymbals, first. Then go back and just record the cymbals. It could free up a couple mics to use as room room mics, and I've read that recording the drums on their own has a way of making them sound bigger. This would also allow you to tailor the eq, compression, and reverb settings specifically for these two groups.

[late8]

If at all possible, try laying down a sheet of plywood underneath your kit to get a hard surface for the sound to bounce off or try to relocate the kit into a room with alot of hard surfaces.

On a serious note, tiled bathrooms make great natural reverb. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith recorded a track in Joe Perry's shower for a blues album.

Quote-Steven Tyler:

"We drilled a hole in Joe's upstairs bathroom in his house, right down to the studio," explains Tyler. "We put a microphone up there, and I'm in the shower, singing. On one particular song, 'Bad Black Train,' that he sings, I'm up in the shower on harmonica.' "

Can you re-locate the kit?

[Markadiddle]

If at all possible, try laying down a sheet of plywood underneath your kit to get a hard surface for the sound to bounce off or try to relocate the kit into a room with alot of hard surfaces.

On a serious note, tiled bathrooms make great natural reverb. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith recorded a track in Joe Perry's shower for a blues album.

Quote-Steven Tyler:

"We drilled a hole in Joe's upstairs bathroom in his house, right down to the studio," explains Tyler. "We put a microphone up there, and I'm in the shower, singing. On one particular song, 'Bad Black Train,' that he sings, I'm up in the shower on harmonica.' "

Can you re-locate the kit?

I do not even want to know what he is doing on THAT throne.

[late8]

I do not even want to know what he is doing on THAT throne.

Practicing doubles?

[EddieV]

I heard a splash.

[Markadiddle]

Practicing in the bathroom... putting the "rude" back in rudiments.

[late8]

I heard a splash.

hahaha...twisted sense of humor...that's great!!

Practicing in the bathroom... putting the "rude" back in rudiments.

Got G.A.S.?