Drum Mics

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Cheggs
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Drum Mics

Postby Cheggs » Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:19 pm

So I'm just getting into the whole recording side music & have been looking into getting some drum mics. So I was just wondering what mics any of you guys use out there or what mics you've had experience with, positives & negatives of those experiences, etc etc.
My budget isn't huge at the moment, but I was probably going to start my mic collection with an Audix DP7 mic package (comes with 1x D6 bass drum mic, 1x i5 snare, 2x D2 tom, 1x D4 floor tom & 2x ADX51 overheads). Anyone had any experience with these mics?
Oh yeah, in terms of recording gear, I'm currently running Logic through an M-Audio Profire 2626 with a few of my mates SM57's on the drums.
Any insight into this topic would be greatly appreciated! Cheers in advance guys!
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Isaac Lee
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby Isaac Lee » Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:45 pm

While I don't have any expertise per say on the subject, I would say that I have been happy with my D6 and my cheap Audix overhead condensors. My D6 actually did stop working and I sent it in and it was fixed and sent back very quickly with excellent customer service.

This stuff gets the job done for my current needs. Some day I would like to have an array of high end equipment though. :)
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby Rodge » Tue Nov 09, 2010 4:43 am

Man, I saw "Brillant" Blade with just 3 mics from DPA, I want the same now !!! (very expensive)
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Randy Walker
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby Randy Walker » Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:44 am

those mics are great choices, i use all but the overheads in my studio. I'm running Logic 9
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Matus
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby Matus » Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:08 am

In my experience, the best results have come with a great sounding room, a good bass drum mic and good overheads. So that's where I'd put my money and effort first. Find a nice spot for your drums and/or make your room sound better through adding some absorbing/reflecting surfaces. Then go for something nice like a Shure Beta 52, which has a great round overall sound. Sennheiser D112 is a bit dull for my tastes but still sounds nice for live situations. For overheads I'd try to get some nice big diaphragm condenser mics, a la Neumann. You can find a nice starting guide here: http://mixguides.com/microphones/produc ... o_micsthe/

Then you can start reinforcing the individual elements. For snare drums I haven't found anything that works better and faster than your good old SM57. I'd get two of those so I can get both top and bottom heads.
For toms it depends on what sound you want. My personal favourites are Beta98s, they just work the best with the Maple Absolutes. Then I've also had great experiences with an older version of the Sennheiser 421, the grey ones.
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YamahaPlayer
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby YamahaPlayer » Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:25 am

Room and Drums for sure. Different mics, head and drum combination is a big part of the equation.

I'm have to jump in the boat on the 57's and D112/B52, the most used by everyone from what I've seen, used and heard. I use Sure KSM 137's for overheads and use the Sennheiser e604 mics for the toms, they sound great, are fairly small and the clips actually work really well.

Also depends on budget of course, if you only got $300 for everything, or $300 per mic.
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Matus
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby Matus » Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:26 pm

Surely budget is a key factor. I'm just naming mics I've worked with that really brought out the best of my kit, which is always nice sounding within the room to begin with, I take care of that first.
For instance, if you're going with Sennheiser, I'd rather use e904 mics, which are basically the same clip mount and shape as e604 but warmer and more versatile. Real good sounding with flat EQ.
The Yamaha Subkick is something to look at when you already have a nice set of microphones. Combined with B52/D112 will give you a nice balance of frequencies. Another great combination would be with a B91 but it's too rock/heavy oriented for some.

The next step would be good pre-amps. I can't really help you there, but they surely make a difference.
And one other thing I forgot, no two mics sound the same. They can be pretty consistent but you can record two different SM57s and you'll notice small differencies. Sometimes these little dynamic things will give you the kind of sound you want right out of the box, so if you can actually compare it's a plus.
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YamahaPlayer
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby YamahaPlayer » Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:56 pm

Matus have you used a sub-kick? Are they worth the money?

I'm curious to try one, but nobody I know has one. I've seen a lot of DIY plans to reverse a speaker cone, but I'm sure the built in electronics in the Yamaha are what make it what it is.

I'm have to check out the 904's too, I got the 604's such a long time ago.
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LADanny
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby LADanny » Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:29 pm

YamahaPlayer wrote:Matus have you used a sub-kick? Are they worth the money?


I record with a Yamaha Subkick and either D6 or D112. I really like it, but it's not for everyone. I know some guys that roll off everything below 80Hz on the kick, so the subkick would be worthless.

You can't go wrong with the good old SM57. It's a great all around mic for high SPL recording.

Mic pres do make a huge difference, but before that, the mics, drums, room, really should be in good shape first. I personally use API on all the drum mics.

Danny
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Matus
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Re: Drum Mics

Postby Matus » Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:39 am

They're worth the money if you appreciate that kind of sound and have the $. Surely you can also get pretty good results with a B91/B52 combo because the B52 will get most bass frequencies and even sub-bass ones. That's what I usually do with my band, our sound man always brings his B91 and uses whatever the venue has for the low end, most times a D112. The subkick is just a whole different level in getting that low end. Even if you make that low cut below 80Hz, the way it catches around the 100-250Hz range is very warm and just boomy so it's always nice to have that extra beef in the mix and it's easier to control as an independent mic/channel. But before that, a good individual bass drum mic is a must.
Again, I'm no expert, but I've tried lots of different stuff on tours and studios, some great, some awful. And I always like to record something and see what the microphone has to offer by itself so we can spend a few extra minutes playing around with the positioning, tuning, etc. The best sounding drums I've recorded so far have been with very special stuff, including those old 421s, a specially picked SM57 on snare, B52/Subkick on bass and some mics I didn't even know existed for overheads/room sound. All that in the best sounding room I've ever experienced and amazing pres, of course.
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