Here is a practical StudioLive 32S drum starting chart for your exact setup for a small venue. For a larger venue or outdoor, you may want to add mics for your two overheads for your cymbals:
Channel 1 = Kick front mic
Channel 2 = Kick batter-side mic
Channel 3 = Snare
Channel 4 = Rack tom
Channel 5 = Floor tom
Channel 6 = Hi-hat
The StudioLive Series III Fat Channel gives you gate, compressor, EQ, polarity, HPF, limiter, and FX routing on the input channels, so this can all be done inside the mixer and then saved as a scene once you like it.
(PreSonus)
Important before you start because you have:
no overheads
no cymbal mics
and 2 kick mics
the most important first step is to check polarity on the 2 kick channels. The StudioLive saves polarity as part of the channel settings, so use that feature and keep the position that gives the fullest low end.
(PreSonus Support)
These numbers below are my recommended starting points for live rock on this setup, not factory PreSonus presets.
DRUM CHANNEL SHEET
CHANNEL 1 — KICK FRONT MIC
Purpose: low-end body, weight, thump
Level
Start with this as the main kick channel
Target: slightly louder than Channel 2
Gate
Threshold: -38 dB
Attack: 2 ms
Hold: 60 ms
Release: 120 ms
Range: 18 dB
Compressor
Ratio: 4:1
Threshold: -24 dB
Attack: 30 ms
Release: 100 ms
Makeup gain: +2 dB
Effects
None
Notes
This mic should give the meat of the kick.
If the kick is too boomy, pull this down a little before changing Channel 2.
CHANNEL 2 — KICK BATTER MIC
Purpose: attack, click, beater definition
Level
Start 3 to 6 dB lower than Channel 1.
Gate
Threshold: -32 dB
Attack: 1 ms
Hold: 40 ms
Release: 90 ms
Range: 20 dB
Compressor
Ratio: 5:1
Threshold: -26 dB
Attack: 20 ms
Release: 90 ms
Makeup gain: +2 dB
Effects
None
Notes
Bring this up only until the kick speaks through guitars.
Classic rock = less of this channel
Modern rock = a little more of this channel
CHANNEL 3 — SNARE
Purpose: crack, body, backbeat
Level
Set strong, usually right near the kick in importance.
Gate
Threshold: -34 dB
Attack: 1 ms
Hold: 80 ms
Release: 140 ms
Range: 12 dB
Compressor
Ratio: 4:1
Threshold: -22 dB
Attack: 15 ms
Release: 100 ms
Makeup gain: +2 to +3 dB
Effects
Send to short plate reverb: start around -18 dB send
Optional modern/tighter setting: -22 dB send
Optional classic rock/open setting: -15 dB send
Notes
Do not gate too hard or you will lose ghost notes.
Snare is the main drum that should get reverb.
CHANNEL 4 — RACK TOM
Purpose: fill presence and punchLevel
Lower than snare and kick.
Bring up enough to make fills speak.
Gate
Threshold: -30 dB
Attack: 2 ms
Hold: 100 ms
Release: 180 ms
Range: 20 dB
Compressor
Ratio: 4:1
Threshold: -24 dB
Attack: 20 ms
Release: 120 ms
Makeup gain: +2 dB
Effects
Send to same reverb as snare: start around -24 dB send
Notes
If the tom sounds cut off, lengthen release before lowering threshold.
CHANNEL 5 — FLOOR TOM
Purpose: deeper fill weight
Level
Usually a little fuller than the rack tom.
Gate
Threshold: -28 dB
Attack: 2 ms
Hold: 130 ms
Release: 220 ms
Range: 20 dB
Compressor
Ratio: 4:1
Threshold: -24 dB
Attack: 25 ms
Release: 140 ms
Makeup gain: +2 dB
Effects
Send to same reverb as snare: start around -22 dB send
Notes
This one can usually take a slightly longer gate hold and release than the rack tom.
CHANNEL 6 — HI-HAT
Purpose: time and top-end definition
Level
Keep this low.
Bring it up only until the time feel is clear.
Gate
Off
Compressor
Usually off
If needed:
Ratio: 2:1
Threshold: -20 dB
Attack: 10 ms
Release: 80 ms
Makeup gain: 0 dB
Effects
None
Notes
Without overheads, it is tempting to turn this up too much.
Do not do that or the whole mix gets harsh quickly.
FAST START VERSION
Ch 1 Kick Front
Level: main kick
Gate: -38 / 2 / 60 / 120
Comp: 4:1, -24, 30, 100
FX: none
Ch 2 Kick Batter
Level: below Ch 1
Gate: -32 / 1 / 40 / 90
Comp: 5:1, -26, 20, 90
FX: none
Ch 3 Snare
Level: strong
Gate: -34 / 1 / 80 / 140
Comp: 4:1, -22, 15, 100
FX: short plate, send about -18
Ch 4 Rack Tom
Level: medium-low
Gate: -30 / 2 / 100 / 180
Comp: 4:1, -24, 20, 120
FX: light send about -24
Ch 5 Floor Tom
Level: medium
Gate: -28 / 2 / 130 / 220
Comp: 4:1, -24, 25, 140
FX: light send about -22
Ch 6 Hi-Hat
Level: low
Gate: off
Comp: off
FX: none
GOOD ROCK BALANCE ORDER
Most important:
Kick front
Snare
Next:
Kick batter
Then:
Floor tom
Rack tom
Least:
Hi-hat
CLASSIC ROCK ADJUSTMENTS
Lower Channel 2 kick slightly
Reduce gate strength on toms and snare
Use a little more snare reverb
Let toms ring a bit longer
Use slightly less compression overall
MODERN ROCK ADJUSTMENTS
Raise Channel 2 kick slightly
Tighten tom gates a bit
Keep snare reverb shorter
Use slightly firmer compression on kick and snare
Keep hi-hat very controlled
BIGGEST THINGS TO WATCH
If kick sounds hollow:
flip polarity on one kick channel and recheck
If snare feels dead:
back off the gate first
If toms sound too short:
increase hold/release before changing anything else
If mix sounds harsh:
turn down hi-hat, not up everything else
If the kit feels too dry:
add a little more snare plate before adding more tom reverb
My recommendation for your first soundcheck pass:
Start with all drum faders down
put kick front up first
then kick batter
then snare
then toms
then hi-hat last
That will get you to a usable rock balance fast.I can also turn this into a Presonus scene-style sheet with EQ starting points next.