OT: Your Thoughts on Kick Drum Mics

[ryan de topanga]

Don't forget the Yamaha Subkick.
http://www.yamaha.com/drums/drumprod...l?CNTID=544671

While not something you'd use for the main in and out mics (like a D-12 and U-47 FET) this thing is awesome as a third mic for adding more low end.

[Howardk]

Hope you'all know the word that an M88 will die at a young age in the kick unless you put a foam pop/wind filter on it. Heard about it happening a number times. . . just thought I would mention it in case someone is not aware. I do the same on large diaphragm condensers when in the kick as well. . .

There are soooo many different mic combos that can work. . . and it is so genre dependant. For me, I don't know of any one mic that does it. . . a big part of the kick sound comes from the mic out front 1-3 ft away from the kick drum. My current setup is M88 in deep, one of B52/D6/D12 at sound hole, and a Earthworks cardioid 2 ft out front. FET47s definitely rock, but I rarely have access. It may look good, but I personally don't like the D112. A past well liked setup involved the Shure SM91 inside, a EV PL20 in the hole, with an SM81 a couple feet out. . . basically I have used 3 mics on the kick 90% for decades although at mix time what gets used varies greatly. . . even within the same song I will drop different mics in/out of the mix or change the blend/eq from part to part. . . just an opinion of course.

[David Pye]

Just adding to whats already been said, I'm a big fan of micing the beater side of the drum.
Again depending on the style of the music, something LIKE a D112 but necessarily a D112, could be Beta 52, RE20, D12, something punchy just inside the hole, a condenser outside the drum a 47 is great, but I find an Audio Technica 4033 or similar works almost as well, sometimes no where near the hole, just off centre is normally good can be too thumpy otherwise.
Then combine those with a mic on the beater side, 57s are ok, but there's a lot of nice top end which comes from the beater that they often miss, e609's work well and lose a bit of the snare spill, but I prefer a small diaphragm condenser here, normally a calrec 1050 or 652 something like that, Beyer M201 can work well too. Of course you need to watch the phase and sometimes side chain a compressor from the snare to duck it out of the beater side mic.
Therefore it doesn't work AS well when a drummer is playing kick and snare together.

[crizdee]

Originally Posted by Craig F

MD-441

Wow a 441 on kick, thats my fav hat mic. so what does it sound like?

I use the Beyer M88 inside and EV RE-20 out.

Chris

[crizdee]

Originally Posted by Howardk

Hope you'all know the word that an M88 will die at a young age in the kick unless you put a foam pop/wind filter on it. Heard about it happening a number times. . . just thought I would mention it in case someone is not aware. I do the same on large diaphragm condensers when in the kick as well. . .

Hi

Have to be careful then with the M88? didn't know you could blow then so easily? i have the original one and the newer TG range, so is it both that are a bit fragile or just the original?? as the TG "touring range" should be able to take that kind of pressure!!!

Chris

[Howardk]

Originally Posted by crizdee

Hi

Have to be careful then with the M88? didn't know you could blow then so easily? i have the original one and the newer TG range, so is it both that are a bit fragile or just the original?? as the TG "touring range" should be able to take that kind of pressure!!!

Chris

The guys that blew them said it happens after a year or so of pretty steady use. . . one live engineer said he was denied warranty for this damage. It hasn't happened to me, but I have heard of it from opposite sides of the land and started using a foam filter awhile ago. . .

I did not ask which specific model of M88. . . but it was first hand comments I came across in my travels.

[BradLyons]

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE MIC PRE! Okay, that should get your attention with the large font. This is something that should be front and center in the clear, but many rarely take this into consideration. Take a standard AKG D112, for example..... patch this into say a Focusrite RED or an A-DESIGNS PACIFICA and you'll get a fat, warm sound with a great bottom end definition. Connect that into say a GML 8022 and well, you might not like it as much----very clean, but no punch. Taking that same mic and patched into a Presonus ADL600 or Manley MonoBlock, again some excellent warmth and clarity----but into a Universal Audio 610-series pre, it might be a little too "thick" or "dark" for you. BASED ON THE MICROPHONE THAT YOU CHOOSE and YOUR CHOICE OF MIC-PRE WILL HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE SOUND.

Personally, I don't use a typical kick microphone.... I use a BLUE MOUSE into a Focusrite ISA828. That combination gives me excellent results---a great bottom end, excellent detailed mids and click that I want. Of course, placement matters and how the kick drum is tuned, yada yada yada....but it starts with that combination. One of things I love about using the Mouse is the rotatable capsule that allows me to play with the axis of mic'ing pattern without having to move the microphone. DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE LARGE DIAPHRAGM CONDENSERS ON KICK DRUM.....They can be magical, but don't forget to consider what pre you're using with it.

Check out this page on my website about the MOUSE including a picture of where I place it: http://www.theaudioprofessional.com/...lue_Mouse.html

[crizdee]

Originally Posted by ryan de topanga

Don't forget the Yamaha Subkick.
http://www.yamaha.com/drums/drumprod...l?CNTID=544671

While not something you'd use for the main in and out mics (like a D-12 and U-47 FET) this thing is awesome as a third mic for adding more low end.

This is there professional take on using an NS-10 LF driver as a mic?
Tried that and didn't really like it, also tried the mic in a bottle as well, for low end. anyone getting excited over these techniques?

alternatively just get a nice tight signal with an sm57 and let TL Rehab or Drumagog do the rest


Chris

[1ace1]

I love the beta52a, fat, full and round. Not to sure about the d112 bit old and eggy sounding. Also the RE20 on the outer skin works V well.

Have used Tannoy dual concentric speaker cones (or variations of this) with an XLR attached mounted outside the kick. This adds an interesting slappy sound to the recording.

Also it all depends on production style, genre and all the other things metioned in the previous posts.

A:)

[Sean Russell]

I usually go D6 or 421 inside. Have used the B52 and D112, but usually a D6.

Outside I go Rode NT-2A (finally found a use for the one in the closet nobody likes) and Yamaha subkick.

The only close mic that I compress on a drumset is the 'dik' mic. It's a 421 (or lately, a C-1000 - again, I found a use for it ) that I put beater side, between the snare and kick, sometimes pointed almost at the drummer's unit. (This is also a technique Royer recommends with the 121, but you ain't borrowing mine to try it!). That C1000 usually goes to a 512c/550b and then an 1176 set to stun. Instant results.

I also usually have my Coles low in the room, and don't HPF them, and have an old 87 or older 47 in the loft which I'll crush and add as well.

Then there's the MKH416 I plant 15' over the kit from time to time - mostly for snare - but depending on placement/player/drum, will give me surprising kick additional stuff!

Wow, just felt like we were in GS for a minute there!