A second microphone is then placed near the floor tom, aiming it directly towards the hi-hat. Each of these microphones should be about 1 metre equidistant from the centre of the snare drum. When positioned carefully, these two microphones do a tremendous job of capturing the full sound of the drum kit. Because of the mic placement, the snare drum is in the centre of the stereo image, with the bass drum slightly off centre.
The two photos below clearly show the proximity of the right-hand microphone to the floor tom. In order to capture a balanced sound, it’s important that this mic faces the hi-hat and that it’s raised a few inches above the floor tom. If it is too far away, it will capture a less focused sound, so experiment to achieve the desired effect.