Drum Overheads

[Southsidemusic]

My vote is for the 414 pair. We use the 414 B-ULS matched pair a lot and the Warm Audio U87 clones which are the cheapest cardiode we own and they sound stellar. Did a few A/B tests with the 414’s and two Manley Ref-C mics
(not matched) and the damn WA sounded almost the same = great! And the 414’s sounds awesome on everything. Especially when we mic’d up my Yamaha concert piano full size! Dang how good those 414 deliver.

All in MHO of course

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

My vote is for the 414 pair. We use the 414 B-ULS matched pair a lot and the Warm Audio U87 clones which are the cheapest cardiode we own and they sound stellar. Did a few A/B tests with the 414’s and two Manley Ref-C mics
(not matched) and the damn WA sounded almost the same = great! And the 414’s sounds awesome on everything. Especially when we mic’d up my Yamaha concert piano full size! Dang how good those 414 deliver.

All in MHO of course

What mic pres are you going into?

[Southsidemusic]

We have quite a few 500's and mainly SSL4000G+ desk aswell as UA Preamps. Tubetech is another favve we use lots.

With the 414's we use Amek 9098 and 2 Mike-E channel strips, also Vintech 473 i think its called and API's 500. Manley strip and TK Audio EQ's, It depends on what feels fun that day. We have way too much outboard gear and need to use it hehe. Apollo Preamps with Unison and a nice plugin chain. Many toys so I feel spoiled for choice here

[easyrider]

Possible Options

Tom Duty at the moment is 2 x SM57.



OH are Oktava mk 012- Fine to my ears

SM57 on snare = Fine to my ears

SM57 rack tom and floor- Floppy thin and clicky

Well as I have said, I am thinking of getting AKG C414 matched pair for OH and moving my Oktava's down to my toms replacing the SM57's

The thing is after some recording this weekend...I'm in a quandary...I like the sound of the Oktava's as OH. It pleases me. The SM57's don't.

Do I keep the Oktava as OH and spend £670 on a pair of Sennheiser MD 421-II for the toms.

Or spend £1350 on AKG C414 and move the Oktavas to the toms?

Problem is... I dont have any Senn 421's to test and no C414's either...

I would hate to drop £1350 on some 414 to be dissapointed over the Oktava's

I would hate to spend £670 on a pair of 421's and be dissapointed with them too.

I'm at a crossroads and don't know which road to take....

Any insights into my plans?mezed

[albee1952]

For tom mics, I like the Miktek PM10, but I LOVE either the Audix D6(what's on my rack tom) and the Miktek PM11(what's on my floor tom). Of course, Sennheiser 421's are a "standard" for toms(but a used D6 and PM11 costs less than a single 421)

[easyrider]

Thanks for the input...some great ideas and possible routes... The 421 I have decided are just to pricey for tom duty...They have a reputation as being great mikes but the majority of the sound comes from the OH and I like the Oktava sound.

I may ditch the mic clips on the 57's and try the 57 on mic stands and play with mic placement. Face them more vertically down than they are now...I have watched a few you tube videos of the 421 and 57 and the differenrce in tone is not worth £670 to me after some research. I understand they are useful for other things but I want a set and forget setup for my drums to I can get recording quickly.

Comparison I found here



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXTpna_7ro4

I'll have a play this weekend and try to the scratch the itch of my GAS

The AT230 look good for £139 a pop and they sound fatter over the 57 so I might get a couple of these. I could then move the 57's to the Guitar amps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ogmfZqhK98

I would even have some money left for a Beyerdynamic M201TG for the snare...

Having said that I have seen a couple of Oktava MK 219 that look interesting for the price!

My head hurts lol

[musicman691]

I know this thread started off about overheads and then kind of added close mics and in that vein I have a suggestion: whatever mics are decided to use as close mics make sure they are sturdy enough to take a whack from a stick in the heat of playing. Us drummers aren't always so careful where we hit and can, depending on the exact placement of a close mic wallop the daylights out of it (especially if you're using Moller technique and haven't mastered it ).

[EGS]

Originally Posted by musicman691

... drummers aren't always so careful where we hit and can, depending on the exact placement of a close mic wallop the daylights out of it ...

Yes !!!

I watch how a drummer is playing, and have two close-mic choices. If he/she is a consistent hitter, I use an SM81 (-10pad) on snare and CAD E-100's (original ones, with -20pad) on toms. This sounds great, and the off-axis frequency response (for example hi-hat bleed) is usable. If I'm concerned about a whack to the mics, I use an SM57 on snare and Sennheiser E-604's on toms.

Back to your question about OH's - again - I'd consider Neumann TLM102 for OH. You could then move your current Octava's on toms as you mentioned, and see how that works out. I have NOT yet heard the 102's, but have used many other Neumanns (I use U87 or TLM103 for OH). The 102's might be worth an audition.

A bit off-topic, but I highly recommend this to totally improve your drum sound: http://tune-bot.com/tune-bot-studio.html The best $100 I ever spent!!!