Avantis Overheads starting point
Beginner Skill level for both modes below. Optional intermediate and advanced tips are in Going further.
Two starting points for this source: pick the mode that matches your room, dial it in, then adjust by ear in the full mix.
Avantis note: Consider making the overheads a stereo channel (Setup > stereo input configuration); Stereo Image width is on the Preamp tab.
Which mode?
Small room with a loud kit: use A (cymbals only). Big room, quiet stage or a livestream: use B (full kit).
Mode A Small room: cymbals only (default)
Use when: Small club or room where the kit is loud on its own and you only need a little cymbal clarity.
1High-pass filter
300-700 Hz (start ~400; up to ~700 in a small loud room)
Illustration in the style of the Avantis low cut / HPF, not a screenshot. Drawn at 12 dB/oct; the shaded area is what gets cut. Drawn at 400 Hz, the card's suggested starting point.
The kick, snare and toms have their own mics and the room is already full of drum low end; the overheads only need to add cymbal detail. Set by ear: raise it until the kit thins, then stop.
On the Avantis: Processing > Filter tab: the HPF goes up to 2 kHz (20 Hz-2 kHz; slope 12, 18 or 24 dB/oct), so 300-700 Hz is well within range. Same on Avantis Solo.
2Gate
- Use
- No
Gating cymbals sounds choppy and unnatural.
On the Avantis: Processing > Gate tab: Threshold, Depth (Avantis' name for range), Attack, Hold, Release. Side Chain lets you pick the key source and switch in an HPF/LPF key filter. The Gate Library also offers a Ducker in place of the gate.
3EQ
- HPF 400 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 1 Bell 3 kHz, -2.0 dB, width 0.9 oct
- 2 High shelf 11 kHz, +1.5 dB
Illustration in the style of the Avantis EQ screen, not a screenshot. Curve shows the midpoint of the suggested ranges; HPF drawn at 12 dB/oct.
| Frequency | Gain | Q / width | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-4 kHz | -1 to -3 dB (only if harsh) | Q ~1.0-2.0 (about 0.7-1.4 oct) | Cymbals get piercing in a small loud room. |
| 10-12 kHz | +1 to +2 dB (only if dull) | Shelf (Band 4 (HF) set to shelf) | A gentle lift for shimmer. Leave it flat if the cymbals are already bright. |
On the Avantis: Processing > PEQ tab: 4 bands, +/-15 dB each. Width is set in OCTAVES, not Q (roughly: 1.5 oct = Q 0.9, the widest; 1 oct = Q 1.4; 1/3 oct = Q 4.3). LF and HF bands switch between shelf, bell, or 12 dB/oct cut. Drag the dots on the graph, or pinch for width. PEQ runs before the compressor by default; swap per channel via Options (saved in the Show, not in Scenes).
4Compression
Attack 15-30 ms · Release 100-200 ms (timing, not shown on graph)
Illustration in the style of the Avantis compressor screen, not a screenshot. Compression is optional here (Off, or 2:1); the graph shows 2:1 in case you use it. The threshold is an example only: it is set so a −6 dB peak gets about 1 dB of gain reduction, the middle of the card's target. Set yours by ear while watching the gain reduction (GR) meter. Drawn hard-knee with no makeup gain. Attack and release shape timing and don't change this curve.
- Ratio
- Off, or 2:1
- Attack
- 15-30 ms
- Release
- 100-200 ms
- Gain reduction
- 0-2 dB
Cymbals rarely need compression; heavy settings bring up the wash.
On the Avantis: Processing > Compressor tab: Threshold, Ratio (1:1 = no compression up to Infinity = limiter; the steps in between aren't published, so read the value on screen), Gain (makeup), Soft Knee, Attack, Release, Manual RMS or Manual Peak detector, Parallel Path for dry/wet blend, and a sidechain HPF/LPF. dPack adds DEEP compressor models (Opto, 16T, 16VU, etc.).
5FX send
Little or none
Keep dry: no FX send.
Illustration in the style of the Avantis sends view, not a screenshot. Bus numbering depends on how the venue file is patched; set the level by ear.
A small room already adds plenty of ambience.
On the Avantis: 12 RackExtra FX slots. In the FX screen's Back Panel, set the unit to Mix->Return and pick the FX send bus. To set a channel's send: press that FX send's Mix key on its master strip (input faders become send levels), or open Routing for the channel (On/Off, Pre/Post, level). Hold Pre + touch a Name Block to toggle pre/post.
🎧 What to listen for
Bring the overheads up until the cymbals sound just a little clearer than they do acoustically, then back off a touch. If you notice them in the mix, they're probably too loud.
Mode B Full kit: big room or stream
Use when: Bigger room, quiet stage, or a livestream/recording where the overheads carry the whole kit picture.
1High-pass filter
80-150 Hz
Illustration in the style of the Avantis low cut / HPF, not a screenshot. Drawn at 12 dB/oct; the shaded area is what gets cut. Drawn at 115 Hz, the middle of the card's 80-150 Hz.
Keeps the kit's body in the overheads while removing rumble and stand noise.
On the Avantis: Select the channel (touch its Name Block on the touchscreen, it shades green), set Screen Mode to Processing, then the Filter tab: HPF 20 Hz-2 kHz, slope 12 or 24 dB/oct, Butterworth or Bessel type (there's also an LPF). Gain, Pad, 48V (hold 1 s), Trim (+/-24 dB) and Polarity are on the Preamp tab.
2Gate
- Use
- No
Gating cymbals sounds choppy and unnatural.
On the Avantis: Processing > Gate tab: Threshold, Depth (Avantis' name for range), Attack, Hold, Release. Side Chain lets you pick the key source and switch in an HPF/LPF key filter. The Gate Library also offers a Ducker in place of the gate.
3EQ
- HPF 115 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 1 Bell 400 Hz, -3.0 dB, width 1.1 oct
- 2 Bell 4 kHz, +1.0 dB, width 1.4 oct
- 3 High shelf 10 kHz, +2.0 dB
Illustration in the style of the Avantis EQ screen, not a screenshot. Curve shows the midpoint of the suggested ranges; HPF drawn at 12 dB/oct.
| Frequency | Gain | Q / width | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300-500 Hz | -2 to -4 dB | Q ~1.0-1.5 (about 0.9-1.4 oct) | Mud and boxy room tone. |
| 3-5 kHz | 0 to +2 dB | Q ~0.8-1.2 (about 1.2-1.5 oct (1.5 oct is the widest on Avantis)) | Light presence so stick attack and cymbal definition come through. |
| 10 kHz and up | +1 to +3 dB | Shelf (Band 4 (HF) set to shelf) | Air and shimmer. |
On the Avantis: Processing > PEQ tab: 4 bands, +/-15 dB each. Width is set in OCTAVES, not Q (roughly: 1.5 oct = Q 0.9, the widest; 1 oct = Q 1.4; 1/3 oct = Q 4.3). LF and HF bands switch between shelf, bell, or 12 dB/oct cut. Drag the dots on the graph, or pinch for width. PEQ runs before the compressor by default; swap per channel via Options (saved in the Show, not in Scenes).
4Compression
Attack 10-30 ms · Release 100-200 ms (timing, not shown on graph)
Illustration in the style of the Avantis compressor screen, not a screenshot. The card gives a ratio range (2:1, 3:1 or 4:1); the graph shows the first value, 2:1. The threshold is an example only: it is set so a −6 dB peak gets about 3 dB of gain reduction, the middle of the card's target. Set yours by ear while watching the gain reduction (GR) meter. Drawn hard-knee with no makeup gain. Attack and release shape timing and don't change this curve.
- Ratio
- 2:1, 3:1 or 4:1
- Attack
- 10-30 ms
- Release
- 100-200 ms
- Gain reduction
- 2-4 dB
Light control evens out the kit without squashing the cymbals.
On the Avantis: Processing > Compressor tab: Threshold, Ratio (1:1 = no compression up to Infinity = limiter; the steps in between aren't published, so read the value on screen), Gain (makeup), Soft Knee, Attack, Release, Manual RMS or Manual Peak detector, Parallel Path for dry/wet blend, and a sidechain HPF/LPF. dPack adds DEEP compressor models (Opto, 16T, 16VU, etc.).
5FX send
Small send to the drum reverb, or none if the room is live
Drum reverb (plate / room), about 1 s decay, send around -18 to -12 dB.
Illustration in the style of the Avantis sends view, not a screenshot. Bus numbering depends on how the venue file is patched; set the level by ear.
A little shared drum reverb can glue the kit for a stream; a big room adds its own.
On the Avantis: 12 RackExtra FX slots. In the FX screen's Back Panel, set the unit to Mix->Return and pick the FX send bus. To set a channel's send: press that FX send's Mix key on its master strip (input faders become send levels), or open Routing for the channel (On/Off, Pre/Post, level). Hold Pre + touch a Name Block to toggle pre/post.
🎧 What to listen for
Start with only the overheads up and get a balanced picture of the whole kit, then add the close mics to fill in.
Phase and time alignment
Phase and time alignment: keep the two overheads the same distance from the centre of the snare (measure with a tape or a mic cable). Then flip polarity on the kick and snare mics one at a time with the overheads up; keep whichever setting sounds fuller. If the snare still sounds thin, try a small delay (a few ms) on the snare and kick mics so they line up with the overheads, and judge by ear.
A snare that reaches one overhead about 1.5 ms earlier than the other can sound like it's fully to one side; mics fighting each other in time make the kit thin.
On the Avantis: Processing > Delay (inputs up to 340 ms; units ms, metres, feet or samples). Polarity is on Processing > Preamp.
Avantis specifics
- Avantis Solo runs the same Continuity UI, processing and 64-channel/42-bus engine as dual-screen Avantis, just with one 15.6" screen and 12 faders (Avantis has two screens and 24), so the steps above are the same on both.
- Dyn8 (multiband dynamics + dynamic EQ) only exists if dPack is installed (paid; 16 instances, or 24 on firmware 2.0+; check Setup > Config > Add-Ons). Insert it from the channel's Processing > Inserts tab: Insert A sits after the gate, Insert B after the PEQ/Comp. Handy for de-essing vocals or taming boomy acoustic guitars, but these cards don't assume you have it.
- Continuity UI: the strip rotaries handle gain or pan, and one button press folds the bank view to show EQ or compressor settings for every channel in the bank. Three soft rotaries take parameters you assign. Firmware 2.0 adds Smart Rotaries and PEQ, Source Expander and Dyn8 rotary options.
- Save a finished channel to the Input Channel Library (Preamp tab, or touch the selected-channel area). It stores filters, gate, PEQ, comp, delay and name/colour (plus preamp if you choose, and sends on 2.0 firmware). You pick which parts to recall.
Going further (4 optional tips)
Not needed to get a good start. Try these once the basics above sound right.
- IntermediateSpaced pair vs XY vs ORTF
Spaced pair: two mics apart over the kit, widest stereo, but keep them equidistant from the snare to avoid a thin sound. XY: two cardioids with capsules together at about 90°, narrower image but very little phase trouble, good for mono and streams. ORTF: cardioids 17 cm apart at 110°, wider than XY with low phase risk.
No console setting: this is mic placement. On the console, pan a spaced pair or ORTF pair left/right and check the kit in mono (solo both overheads) for a thin or hollow sound.
- AdvancedMinimal-mic method (one over the snare, one beside the floor tom)
A well-known minimal setup: one mic about 4-6 feet above the snare pointing down, a second low beside the floor tom looking across toward the snare and hi-hat, both the same distance from the centre of the snare, plus a kick mic. It gives a balanced kit picture with few channels, which suits Mode B and streams.
Pan the high mic slightly to one side and the floor-tom mic wider; set both channels like Mode B. Check polarity against the kick mic.
- IntermediateMake the pair a stereo channel
One strip, linked processing, and a Stereo Image width control.
On the Avantis: Setup > stereo input configuration, then Processing > Preamp > Stereo Image (L/R, width 0-100 %).
- AdvancedCompare modes in mono for the stream
Streams are often heard on phones and small speakers. A spaced pair that sounds wide in the room can go thin in mono.
On the Avantis: set the overhead pair's Stereo Image mode to Mono briefly (Processing > Preamp) and listen for a hollow sound; set it back to L/R.
Common gear for Overheads
- Rode M5 (pair) · Small-diaphragm condenser
- Shure SM81 · Small-diaphragm condenser
Scene / preset file
Coming later: downloadable Avantis channel preset for this card.
Sources
- Sweetwater InSync: EQ Frequencies of Musical Instruments Explained (Music Instrument Frequency Cheatsheet)
- Sweetwater InSync: 8 Essential EQ Tips for Live Sound
- Shure: Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcement (PDF)
- Sound On Sound: Engineering Drums Live, Part Two
- Audio-Technica: 3 Basic Techniques for Overhead Drum Mic Setup (spaced, XY, ORTF)
- Allen & Heath Support: Avantis Processing (Preamp, Filter, Gate, Inserts, PEQ, Compressor), updated 13 Apr 2026
- ProSoundWeb: Cut 'Em Off At The Pass, Effective Uses Of High-Pass Filtering
- Sound On Sound: Q. What time delay between stereo overhead mics is acceptable? (equal distance to the snare)
- Sound On Sound: Q. Where should I put my overhead mics?
- Sound On Sound: Recording Drum Kits With Only Two Mics
- Allen & Heath Support: Avantis Continuity UI (screen modes, Name Blocks, Pre/Copy/Safes keys), updated 13 Apr 2026
- Allen & Heath: Avantis Firmware Reference Guide V1.30 (PDF; Routing > Aux and FX sends, FX Back Panel)
- Allen & Heath Support: Avantis 2.0 FAQ (dPack, Dyn8, Smart Rotaries, models)
- Allen & Heath Support: Avantis Solo Getting Started Guide
- Allen & Heath Support: Avantis Getting Started Guide (Mix key send modes)
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