New kick drum mic

Doug Masters

Silver Member
I currently use the Audix F7 mic pack (except the snare, which gets a SM57). We generally play small bars...200-300 people max. My kick drum sound is decent enough but I would like a little more clarity and less thud. Would a D6 or a Beta 52 make a difference in a small place?

Thanks
 
I used to own the D6 and found it sounded great on my floor tom. Bass drum was passable. We use the Beta 52 here at my work and it's also a great mic. But for some reason, I always fall back on the ol' reliable Electro-Voice RE20. You should notice a big difference if you got that one.
 
Honestly, no. Here's why. Most bass drum mics are single, large-diaphragm, dynamic mics. There's one, big diaphragm to capture the sound. Remember that the diaphragm is analogous to a speaker working backward. Bigger speakers produce more low end, but can't follow higher frequencies as well. The same goes for large-diaphragm mics. Different kick mics may color the sound a shade differently, but they're not going to make a dramatic difference.

What I would suggest that you do first is mess with the position of the mic. To paint it with a broad brush, the further back in the drum the mic is, the more body. The closer to the batter head, more definition. The angle of the mic matters a lot too. Making sure the mic is on a decent stand is important for this. A little experimenting can help you find the exact right spot.

Outside of that you may want to look into different choice in heads and beaters before parting with your hard earned money.

Personally, I've used an AKG D-112 most of the time. It's about halfway deep in the drum, pointed down just a tad lower than the beaters' point of impact. 99% of the time I love the sound it gets....plenty of definition....lots of mass.

Good luck!
 
But for some reason, I always fall back on the ol' reliable Electro-Voice RE20. You should notice a big difference if you got that one.

That's a beautiful mic if you're willing to pay for it. Very awesome for micing bass cabinets, upright basses, and all kinds of stuff. I have a pair of those on my studio wish list.
 
Thanks for the quick replies... Can i just smack the sound guy till he gets it right? :)
 
I've had the Beta 52, the D112 and the D6. I like the D6 and continue to use it. It's the only kick mic that needs little or no compression to make it sound good. That's just my opinion, though.
 
I own a D112 and I love it, I also really like the D6.
RE20 is out of my $$ range for how much I need to bring a mic to venues. They always have mics, so unless I hate what they use (Beta 52) I don't use my own mic enough to justify getting something else, and I love the D112 anyway.
 
Thanks for the quick replies... Can i just smack the sound guy till he gets it right? :)

I'd advise against it. That could cause the sound guy to hit the "suck" button. But I would definitely show up early and communicate heavily. Buy the guy (or girl) a drink even. Like doctors, mechanics, and doctors.....find a good one, develop a rapport. I promise it will pay dividends. Also learn as much as you can about running sound.
 
That's a beautiful mic if you're willing to pay for it. Very awesome for micing bass cabinets, upright basses, and all kinds of stuff. I have a pair of those on my studio wish list.

Actually, what I should have asked is what are you plugging the mic in to? Your pre-amps and the mixer's circuitry have more to do with making the mic sound great, and then the drum sound great than anything else. I've stuck SM58's inside bass drums and gotten great sounds when running through something like a Yamaha O1v console.

I take slight umbrage at smacking the audio guy, since that's what I do for a living addition to drumming here at the Happiest Place on Earth....

But I will say we've also hired our fair share of idiots as well.
 
The Electrovoice RE20 is the only microphone I use on the bass drum's resonant head and I've been using them for about twenty years. D 112s are alright, but the Audix D6 is just too colored in my opinion. Although I wouldn't do it, you can get great deals on used RE20s.

DSC_0220.jpg


Dennis
 

I looked at the auction and they said something sounds loose inside. This is why I made the comment that I wouldn't buy a used RE20. What's actually loose inside the mic he's selling is the entire diaphragm. When the acoustic foam that nestles the diaphragm dries out, the entire element moves about inside the casing. Another problem is sometimes when EV replaces the foam, very high level signals will distort the output signal. They spot check the microphones under normal spl levels as in voice work, but never check the microphones out to where the microphone's specifications are actually rated which is about 160 decibels after normal foam replacement occurs.

Dennis
 
The Electro Voice RE20 brand new is only $399. How many of us have dropped close to $500 on a new snare drum? Just disregard your next percussive acquisition and buy the microphone.

You could, after you get the RE20, save up for the AKG 414 and use it as the last overhead you'll ever buy.... Hell, you may not need your individual mics after that purchase, too!
 
beta 52 inside the bass drum facing reso head, d112 at reso head hole facing batter.

or other way around. its one of the best bass drum sounds i've heard EVER.


I'm assuming you have to flip the phase on one of the mics, right?
 
You could, after you get the RE20, save up for the AKG 414 and use it as the last overhead you'll ever buy.... Hell, you may not need your individual mics after that purchase, too!

And now's not a bad time to go down that road, given that the new 414 was introduced a year-ish ago and some people are giving up their prior generations. I've seen some KILLER deals on 414s in the last year. ($750 for a mint stereo pair? yes please)
 
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