Help! Recommend me a bass drum mic!

DeepSabbathRailRoad

Junior Member
Hello, i'm new here, I need some help. I play a Gretsch Catalina Club-Rock kit w/ a 26in bass drum, it's loud as hell and i love it. I am about to buy a bass drum mic to use for when I play live shows and I have no idea what kind of bass drum mic to buy or which kind is preferable for bigger kits like the 26inchers. The music I play w/ is LOUD rock in roll and some metal. I play drums w/ music like old school Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Cactus, Led Zep, Captain Beyond etc. and I also play new stuff like High On Fire, Sleep, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu. The most popular mics I've read about are the Beta 52, AKG D112 and the Audix D-6 but once again, I have zero experience w/ either mic and I don't know which kind of mics may be better for bigger bass drum mics. Just a little help, i'm NOT a big fan of the "click" sound that you hear on a lot of drums on a lot on speed metal records. I like a mic that captures the WHOLENESS/FULLNESS of a bass drum. What kind of bass drum mic should I buy?????? Thanks in advance. -Jay
 
i have the d112 and have nothing but praise for it, however i have only used it on a 22" not sure how much of a difference it would make going to a 26" does cost come into it at all ?
 
If it's within your budget, an Electrovoice RE-20. One of the most accurate bass drum microphones I've ever used. It won't muddy up because of proximity effects and accepts very high SPLs. They're about $425 USD new or you can find the used for between $275 and $350.

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Dennis
 
For your purpose, and for kicks in general, I really like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/Audio-Technica-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27b078d628

They are also great on toms, bass and guitar cabs, and I keep meaning to try one on voice. I've heard them described as the poor man's 421, but since the secret's out, they don't go that cheap any more. I'll grab them every time I can get one for under $125 until I have 4-6 of them.

You're welcome to that one, I'm not in a shopping mood. :D

Edit: RE20 or SM7 would be terrific if you want to spend the extra dough.
 
I play a 26" kick, and I own the D112.
The D112 is GREAT, & I love the sound I get with this mic.
I also hate "click" and I don't get it with this mic at all.

The Beta 52 (to me) sounds too "boofy", and lacks a lot of things the D112 gives.

The Audix D6 is really nice too, but I've never had any problem with the D112, and have been very happy with it (so no reason to just buy a D6...)
The price on the D112 is (still) good too. It hasn't gone up much more than when I got mine 7 or 8 years ago.

If you can get the RE-20 at a decent price, it might be cool, but I've never used, or had it used on my drums so I have no experience with that one.

I think audiotech posted something on bass drum micing in the past, and I remember the full front head and the angle on the mic instead of pointing directly at the head.

Seems like a good way to do it if you ask me.

I'd also like to try and mic my kick from the batter side live.
I've had my bass drum recorded from the batter side and it worked out really well, but try and get someone to try it on a show. Ha!

Good luck with your mic buy!
 
Hey DeepSabbathRailRoad

I had a rare and quite enjoyable boring day at work the other day (i work at a music store) and during said day i had a chance to grab a bassdrum and deaded on down to our PA department. We had a nice set of EAW speakers set up with subs and a decent board and we went through a bunch of mikes with the same kik.

Heres what i found.

D112 - lots of low end. but a very bouncy sounding mic with very little top end. kind of like a basketball

Beta 52 - scooped mids for the most part. Lots of low end and top end. a very balanced mic

Audix d-6 - a little less low end then the beta but more top end and some mids for a nice punchy sound.

and the star and suprise of the bunch was the

Sennheiser 602-II - Basically it was the best of all the mics. Lots of low end to go around and a nice clean top end and a decent amount of mids for punch. The kik sounded very clean and could nicely cut through a mix. And its quite a bit cheaper then the other mics ($160 on musiciansfriend.com).

For everyones knowledge it was

22X18 Yamaha Stage Custom kik
Batter: EMAD2 - Clear with the thinner dampening ring
Reso: Onyx - 5 inch sound hole precut
Dampening: Evans EQ Pillow - up against the reso head
DW 5000 Pedal - Plastic side used for test (obviously you'd just loose some attack going to the felt)

and for the real hardcore nerds
EAW FR159z for tops
EAW FR250z for subs
 
I have a small soundco with 4 18Sound LW1400 subs (same drivers as the top of the line EAW's) in home built cabs running off a 6500W Crest amp. (tops are home built small line arrays with P-Audio 8's and ribbon tweeters running off a PLX3402 and 2402). So I can move a little air. I'm also old enough to have seen Grand Funk live.

I don't think you want a highly colored mic like the B52 or Audix. They are very scooped for a modern sound. The Shure is kind of a general purpose modern mic (and the one I tend to use most often) while the Audix is better suited to metal and modern R&B. I use a D112 when I want a less colored sound (also good for bass amps when someone wants an oldschool sound instead of modern direct tone, or the bottom of a Leslie).

I wish I had an RE20 (probably the next mic purchase). Great for both sax and jazz kicks. Another great kick mic is a Beyer M88. Popular with old school sound guys who don't like the super boomy kick sound and want it to be more natural.

The Heil PR40 is supposed to be close to an RE20. I've played with one at the last AES, talking into it and listening though headphones, but there wasn't an RE20 around to compare.

Of the reasonably priced options, I would think that a D112, up inside the kick close to the batter head, would be the best option. You can move it closer or further from the beater to add attack.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, you all have been real helpful. I think i'm gonna get the AKG D112. I've researched elsewhere also and have heard nothing but good things about it for the most part. Hope I enjoy it!

PS. Does anybody know where to find really high quality batter side snare hoops, I think my snare hoop has been slightly bent since i first bought its a little hard to tune it. thanks.
 
Sennheiser 602-II

Second in on this one as well. It was my choice after hearing D112 and the Beta 52. I thought it offered the best of these two. Good attack without tending to be clicky, Good bottom without tending to be boomy.
 
beta52 is what i'd buy for the price, the d112 is pretty good too but what dxtrinc said is quite true. i'd say the d112 is nice for rock.
i personally use an RE-20 if i'm micing a kick but that's only because i have one lying around most of the time.
 
Any of those three will work great. I would preferably take the Audix or AKG but all of them are great. Keep in mind, the microphone captures sound. So the AKG isn't going to give you a clicky sound while the Audix gives you a big boomy sound. Also your EQ's will play a substantial part in your live performance. And lastly mic placement. If your bass drum is ported, you can choose how clicky or boomy you want your sound. The close the mic is to the beater, the more click your gonna get. The farther away, the more boom.
 
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