What are overheads used for?

[Irakli Bobokhidze]

I came across overhead snare in the instruments section.
What or when is the overhead typically used for?

 

[Epsilon-144]

It's recording, right?The overhead microphone over a drum set, as opposed to have a condenser microphone on each drum (close microphones).

I think that's what it's talking about, ...its how the snare was recorded. What does it sound like?

reference article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_microphone

 

[krushing]

Overheads are used to capture the room/space & the overall blend of the instruments in their range. A completely close-miked drum set can sound a bit artificial if you only use those close-miked sounds; mixing in a bit of the overhead sound sort of glues the whole thing together. Also a lot of the time people don't put mics on everything, so you might just have one on the kick, one on the snare and the overheads for the rest. Orchestral recordings are often done with overheads as well.

 

[Irakli Bobokhidze]

Thanks for that, I mean in music production where do you use them not why they are recorder.

 

[krushing]

I kind of answered that already - but you use them to add the sound of the room into the mix. Or you can just blend it or use it as such for a different sound altogether - no need to simulate reality