Which tom mics?
 

Hey guys,

I am building up an aresnal of mics to record drums. I am kind of torn on what to get for toms.

I'm kind of in the $100-300 range per mic.

I'm kind of deciding between the following:

Shure Beta 98
Shure Beta 56
Sennheiser MD 421

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Re: Which tom mics?
 

Md 421

Re: Which tom mics?
 

421. :cool:

Though a ton of records have been sold using the old Shure 57.

Re: Which tom mics?
 

The 421 is certainly a rock-solid choice(and much better IMHO than all the Shure mics, which I am very familiar with). You should also audition a couple of surprise contenders for toms in the Miktek PM11(their "kick" mic that actually kills on floor tom) and the Audix D6 which is now my favorite rack tom mic:-). Sennheiser e604 and 904 are another option that work very nicely. I also like the Miktek PM10, but the PM11 and D6 are the keepers for me:o

Re: Which tom mics?
 

Thanks guys.

Albee, do you like the d6 on small rack toms too?

I do have a d6 that I plan to use on kick.

Re: Which tom mics?
 

So - is there a good way to audition mics without buying them first? Do music stores rent very specific mics to try out?

Since I'm a home studio, I don't really know how to get my hands on "good" mics to see what I like Mostly, I'm just getting my first set of mics based on recommendations.

Re: Which tom mics?
 

I use the D6 on rack tom and the Miktek PM11 on floor tom. Auditioning is a great idea if you have access to borrowing or renting mics. I spent 2 full days trying every mic I own in every position on the kit and devised my own best configuration from what I had on hand, and what I knew of from years in the biz. Honestly, the Miktek was a bit of a surprise. I started with it on bass drum and found it sounded too scooped. I stuck it on the floor tom and expected an okay sound, but a few hits sold me(and I have longed for 421's for a long time...but no more). You can't go wrong with 421's, but they are likely to set you back over $300 each! Dynamics being rugged by design, buying used can save money, whether its 421's or anything else mentioned:o

Something to keep in mind. With the quality of drum replacement plugins and drum sample libraries, you could use cheap mics, stick them inside the shell for isolation and use samples after tracking:o:eek:

Re: Which tom mics?
 

Everyone seems to gravitate to the Sennheiser MD421.

I've used that, I've also used Audio Technica ATM450s, AKG414s,
Audix d6s, Shure Beta52s, Shure57s, and others.

So, it really, in the end, does not matter.

As long as you hit within your budget, you should be ok.
As long as you realize that tom transients (the initial hit sound) can be very loud, and you get a mic that can handle that loudness (140dB or more) then you should be ok.

Cheers

Re: Which tom mics?
 

For toms I use CAD E100. I have 3 of the original E100, but the current E100S is also getting good reviews:

http://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/cad-equitek-e100s

Re: Which tom mics?
 

I got myself some MD421