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anonymous 17 October 2005

Hi Guys
Recently I recorded drums for a rock band with some rented mics and the results of the kick were shocking.
I used 57's on the snare and toms, Audix overheads and a BETA 52 for the kick drum.

I now want to but a kick drum mic so I don't have to rent, which do you suggest. The kind of stuff I record is mostly rock/pop oriented. I also record djembes, congas and floor toms from time to time for a percussion band.

Thanks
Kuzan

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anonymous Mon, 10/17/2005 - 07:08

Some of my not so obvious favorites are:

Cad E100 (I really like this "guy" on kick- Paul from Suma here in Cleveland used it on one of my kicks and since then I have adopted it in my project studio.

Audix D6 (well, this mic has made the "big time" now I suppose) and I like the scooped/sticky sound it gives me for a more modern kick sound.

I have the D112 and EVRE20 to me the sound more dated but that is ok also. The Beta 52 is a great mic. I don't own one but I've had it used on my set in live applications and quite frankly "it ROCKED"!

anonymous Mon, 10/17/2005 - 09:50

I think the point is he is asking to get a kick drum mic when he already has a perfectly good one. It's not the mic that needs to changed. It's the mic placement, kick drum tuning and/or the drummer.

Actually, he asked . . .

I now want to but a kick drum mic so I don't have to rent, which do you suggest

Wes

CoyoteTrax Mon, 10/17/2005 - 11:08

I would recommend the D112, or another mic designed for kick/bass cabs.

The reason why, is that you're also tracking hand percussion like djembe and congas where the low freq's at high spl's are carrying some very musical harmonics that should be captured as accurately as possible by a LD Dynamic mic that's designed for that. IMO you'll get a much better (harmonic) signal on the low "Dooms" the djembe produces than you get from the beta 52. the will go for frame drums like Bodhran, Native American, and all the other whacky stuff Percussionists show up with.

Just my opinion.

Davedog Mon, 10/17/2005 - 11:55

There are MANY mics which make great kick-drum sounds.

Here's a list that in choosing one would simply be all about choice as one is not 'better' than another....simply different.

D112 (basketball bounced in an empty gym)

ATM25 (tight firm lows, takes EQ well)

Shure Beta 52 (a cross between Audix D6 and ATM25)

Audix D6 (instant modern kick sound...set it forget it...one trick pony)

Sennheiser MD421 (more of a 'tone machine'...better for not so heavy a foot)

Shure SM57 (hasnt EVERYBODY used one of these yet???)

Shure SM7 (better on male vocals...really good for jazz drums)

Audix D4 ( This is what Audix had in mind for live but everybody wanted more body...so....D6...I LOVE it up close to the beater..not much better for 'click')

Studio Projects B3 (HEY! Whuts that condenser doin in here? You gotta try it to believe it...out in front...a mic to use with a 'click' mic...)

Neumann U47fet ( just thought I'd throw that one in.....ungodly expensive....unreal sound....)

Sennheiser MD409 (had two of em during the 'hair band 'days...this is a serious kick drum mic...no fake or hyped lowend...tight response...handles transients like a champ....you could EQ the crap outta em and never get to a bad spot...why did I sell em???) money....sh*t

Theres more but these are all I know about ...off hand..

Did I mention the MOST important part of kickdrum micing technique???

TUNE THE DRUM PROPERLY

moonbaby Mon, 10/17/2005 - 15:05

The RE-20 and the Sennheiser 421 also make great "other percussion" mics (floor toms, djembe, congas,etc). I will NEVER sell my RE20's. I don't think that they sound "dated".
Years ago,I watched the road crew for Zeppelin take a brand new set of Ludwigs out of the box, right onstage, and set it up. They spent almost AN HOUR (!) tuning JUST the kick. 15 minutes on everything else...the moral is: Tune da drum!

anonymous Tue, 10/18/2005 - 11:59

My RE 20 is a good mic I like it for floor tom tom more than kicks (historically). I'm glad I have one, but I really need to do more recording this winter though- you guys are GOOD. My chops are lacking, but they always seemed on the dry side for me. It's been awhile since I've used mine, so I'm going from memory and my studio has changed quite a bit *for the better* since I've used it.

Davedog Tue, 10/18/2005 - 17:42

I would have put the RE20 on my list....It just never made that much of a dent in the drum mic collection. There was always something available that sounded better....

HOWEVER....for micing most anything else...its very sweet..

Dry....yes..accurate....yes..... BIGTIME proximity boost....OH YEAH!

Any one here ever do banjos or other types of dangerous instruments?

Do your stereo pair or mic technique for the sound and then stick that RE2o out in the room a few feet out....hook it through a nice clean high gain pre....Summitt,True Systems, John Hardy....etc..And watch yer banjo sound like it owns all the space around it...

Markd102 Wed, 10/19/2005 - 21:40

Davedog wrote: Any one here ever do banjos or other types of dangerous instruments?

Do your stereo pair or mic technique for the sound and then stick that RE2o out in the room a few feet out....hook it through a nice clean high gain pre....Summitt,True Systems, John Hardy....etc..And watch yer banjo sound like it owns all the space around it...

That's pretty much my method for mandolin

Davedog Wed, 10/19/2005 - 23:29

Yeah...Except these days I'm really happening on the 4033. In the same position.

Not that I dont still feel some affection for the RE20....In this post I used it to illustrate a usage for it... glad to see theres so many 'alternative' instrument micing techniques going on.

Dont get me wrong....I love getting that electric guitar sound as much as anyone...but catching a well-made acoustic instrument and giving it a size and some life no matter what the composition is doing is a good thing....in my book.

Love the 4033 on the mando all alone....but thats another thread.

multoc Tue, 10/25/2005 - 17:00

Use the beta 52 ultra close to the batter head inside the drum then if u have the inputs use a condensor on the outside of the kick in phase of course! then once u have the tracks recorded make sure to flip the phase of those mics and you'll get a great phat kick drum sound with all the click and low end you'll need

jonyoung Wed, 10/26/2005 - 07:23

Man, I love my Sennheiser e602. Lots of tight, punchy low end. The D112 always sounds like a cardboard box to me, no offense intended to loyal users. I was interested to see that Markd102 has an EV RE38, I bought one a few years ago at a bankruptcy sale of a local music store. Best snare mic I've ever used! Anyone else have one in their locker? What uses?

anonymous Sat, 10/29/2005 - 10:59

jonyoung wrote: Man, I love my Sennheiser e602. Lots of tight, punchy low end. The D112 always sounds like a cardboard box to me, no offense intended to loyal users. I was interested to see that Markd102 has an EV RE38, I bought one a few years ago at a bankruptcy sale of a local music store. Best snare mic I've ever used! Anyone else have one in their locker? What uses?

Ditto on the E602, it's may fav kick mic out of many the standards that I have tried - I have been meaning to try the E902 for quite some time, glad to hear it sounds great.

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