best mic for micing toms??

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally posted by where02190:
However, most of my tom sound is achieved by proper choice and placement of overheads(Shure VP-88) and room mics(AKG C4000B or 414's).

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">My feelings exactly.
I use close mics on toms just to have a little extra control in the mix.

[woodywho]

go with the KM184s

[bluedemon]

Contrary to popular belief, I can hit my toms properly. The key to getting great drum sounds is to have your drummer play as hard as he can.

I know that sounds animalistic, but I have found that I get the best drum sounds when I, or other drummers play as hard as they can. Playing correctly DOES have a lot to do with it, and unfortunately, there are many "self taught" drummers who just don't know.

As far as mics,

On smaller toms, I would go with SM57's, Beta 98's, or Sennheiser e604's. I like the 421's on larger toms. I have found that large diaphragm mics are a pain to work with on toms because some guys have massive kits, and getting those mics on the drums is a pain in the ass. I think that is why I like the Beta 98's so much. They are small and they clip right onto the drums. Oh, they sound really good too.

I really like the AKG c414's for overheads.

Keep in mind that a majority of your drum sound is going to come from your overheads. In theory, you only need two overheads, kick, and snare mics. Getting your overheads right is the key.
Everything else is gravy.

[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Superclock]

I was just kidding about drummers. I think a good drummer is a blessing in the studio. I do have a question: what is a good stereo mic for overheads? I've never used one.

[where02190]

Originally posted by bluedemon:
Contrary to popular belief, I can hit my toms properly. The key to getting great drum sounds is to have your drummer play as hard as he can.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I suggest some study in dynamics. Louder does not equal better.

[mentalmusic]

I personally like the way a drum sounds when it's pounded! It just matters what style of music you're playing. If you're going for the John Bohnam sound, you've got to hit every drum and cymbal with everything you've got. If you're doing something like jazz, it's all about dynamics.
A lot of people don't understand that this goes for guitar amps too. At blasting volumes, they actually achieve frequencies that they can't at lower levels.

[where02190]

Metalmusic, contrary to your beliefs, Bonham was very much a dynamic drummer, and not just a pounder. this is part of why he sounds so great.

Hope this is helpful.

[bjoneill74]

I agree with where02190.
I usually only end up using a little bit of the direct tom mics in the mix. The overheads don't usually have a problem picking up the toms. Another thing is the sound of the toms themselves. A good pro level kit with heads that are in decent shape, a drummer that really knows his/her instrument, and knows how to tune them usually sound great.

Brian

[mentalmusic]

Yeah, I'm not saying that he doesn't use dynamics. Everybody's seen when he even plays with his knuckles to achieve different timbres, but the "John Bohnam sound" that he's known for is those times when he's playing so hard that it sounds like the heads are going go cave in.

BTW, just to make some people jealous [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] ; through the engineering bootleg chain, I have actually obtained a CD of soloed Bohnam tracks from ACTUAL Zepplin reels of tape! No joke. Some soloed Jimmy Page stuff too! The funny thing about the Bohnam tracks was that he played to live monitors in the room, instead of headphones, so you can hear the bleedthrough in the drum mics.

[unclemurray]

I vary frequently on my close tom mics depending on the drummer, but recently have been using the audix d2 alot. It has a great balance of punch and warmth.