Remove all drums that the drummer doesn't need to record. A drummer may have lots of drums in her kit, but only use some of them for certain songs. For example, the tambourine may be a permanent fixture on the hi-hat stand during rehearsal and live performance, but if it's not being recorded, remove it. This reduces the chances of things rattling and making unwanted noise during recording.
Put the kick drum on its side, with the outside skin facing up. Loosen each of the tension rods with the drum key. Lift off the rim and remove the skin. Place your wadding material, such as old sheets, pillows and foam blocks, inside the shell of the drum so it is half full. This material dampens the sound of the drum. When half filled with wadding, the kick drum should retain its punch but lose the unwanted "boom."
Put the skin back on so the edges sit between the tuning rod clamps. Place the rim back on the skin. Tighten the tuning rods to fasten the rim and skin in place. Turn the rods in opposite pairs, for example the rod at 12 o'clock and the rod at 6 o'clock. This way you apply equal tension across the skin. When all of the wrinkles are gone, tap the skin with a stick. If the tone is the same all over the drum, it is tuned. To tune to a specific note, using a tuning fork for reference.
Tune the tom-tom drums. Use a drum key to tighten the tension rods in parallel. Hit the drum in the center after each round of tightening until the drum makes a tight, snappy sound with minimal ring. There should be a distinct difference in pitch between drums. The smaller drums should be higher in pitch.
Tighten the clamps on the tom-tom stands so the drums are firm and do not move. The sound of a tom-tom sliding into the drum next to it can ruin an otherwise perfect take.
Cut an inch of electric tape and roll it into a tube, sticky side out. Stick the tube of tape to the edge of the skin, about 1 inch from the drum rim. This dampens the skin and reduces vibration, eliminating ring.