A couple of weeks ago, I was working with a drummer and found that a pair of RODE NTKs in knee-high position sounded pretty sweet to blend into my usual drum-kit tracking setup. Of course I checked the max SPLs of the mics and RODE lists that they can handle 151db. So my question is: Even though I was careful in placement and in watching max SPLs, could I have damaged the large d's in them or even the tubes? Will I dramatically shorten then lifespan of the NTKs by using them for this purpose?

Thanks gang---
Daniel Maple
Nuclear Moon Recording