custom internal kick miking

tbmills

tbmills

Gold Member
so i finally did it...
i custom-made a microphone mount inside my bass drum.

materials used:
1/4" stereo jack
xlr cable
mic stand
brass L flat bar
grip fabric (grated stuff used to keep a rug in place)
6/32" nuts and bolts

tools used:
phillips screwdriver
1/4" drill bit
6/32" drill bit
hacksaw
soldering gun
pliers

i wanted to put a universal mic mount in there. i plan on getting a beta 52 in a month or two and wanted to have this for when i do. i should be able to make a mic switch without removing the reso head. i also decided to hide the cable inside the tube for some tidiness.

and if there arent any pics, than it never really happened.

IMG_0463.jpg


IMG_0494.jpg


IMG_0493.jpg


IMG_0489.jpg


IMG_0495.jpg


IMG_0496.jpg


IMG_0497.jpg


well, it DOES work and sounds fantastic!
and itll be cool telling the soundguy, for the first time, to just line out the kick...
hell have no clue what im talking about.
 
tbmills said:
so i finally did it...
i custom-made a microphone mount inside my bass drum.

materials used:
1/4" stereo jack
xlr cable
mic stand
brass L flat bar
grip fabric (grated stuff used to keep a rug in place)
6/32" nuts and bolts

tools used:
phillips screwdriver
1/4" drill bit
6/32" drill bit
hacksaw
soldering gun
pliers

i wanted to put a universal mic mount in there. i plan on getting a beta 52 in a month or two and wanted to have this for when i do. i should be able to make a mic switch without removing the reso head. i also decided to hide the cable inside the tube for some tidiness.

and if there arent any pics, than it never really happened.

Vipercussionist said:
PICS WERE THERE SO IT DID HAPPEN!!!! I just edited them out to save space from my post.
Click to expand...

well, it DOES work and sounds fantastic!
and itll be cool telling the soundguy, for the first time, to just line out the kick...
hell have no clue what im talking about.
Click to expand...

NICE!! See, with a bit of planning and know how it can be done on the cheap!!

My only suggestion would be to replace the 1/4 in jack with the more standard XLR connector. That way, if the cord goes AWOL, you can just grab any old mic cable and get back to it. Most pro PA's have XLR's as the standard input anyway.

Awesome!!

Lets see some MORE of these home made ideas!!!! .
.
.
 
Vipercussionist said:
NICE!! See, with a bit of planning and know how it can be done on the cheap!!

My only suggestion would be to replace the 1/4 in jack with the more standard XLR connector. That way, if the cord goes AWOL, you can just grab any old mic cable and get back to it. Most pro PA's have XLR's as the standard input anyway.

Awesome!!

Lets see some MORE of these home made ideas!!!! .
.
.
Click to expand...

i do think an xlr jack is a better idea but that would require me to drill...
and i dont yet want to do that.
 
Nice job. How did you figure out how to wire it???

Quarter-inch stereo is better than XLR in many ways. In fact, the reason it exists is because XLR plugs are too darn big for boards and other connections in many cases. This mod requires no permanent modification to the drum and is completely reversible.

The drawback, as Vipercussionist points out, is that not many sound people have XLR/quarter-inch stereo cables, so you are an your own in that department. One thing you could do is make a couple of short cords that are male quarter inch stereo at one end and XLR at the other end. That way the sound guy could just hook up his own XLR cord to your "adapter" and you could carry a spare without having to schlep around lots of cord.

I would also advise you use right-angle quarter-inch plugs. One good whack from a fallen cymbal or setup oversight, or even the cord getting snagged or yanked, would stress and even snap the plug.
 
Deathmetalconga said:
Nice job. How did you figure out how to wire it???
Click to expand...

that pm helped alot. thanks.

Deathmetalconga said:
Quarter-inch stereo is better than XLR in many ways. In fact, the reason it exists is because XLR plugs are too darn big for boards and other connections in many cases. This mod requires no permanent modification to the drum and is completely reversible.
Click to expand...

absolutely, that was my main motivation...

Deathmetalconga said:
The drawback, as Vipercussionist points out, is that not many sound people have XLR/quarter-inch stereo cables, so you are an your own in that department. One thing you could do is make a couple of short cords that are male quarter inch stereo at one end and XLR at the other end. That way the sound guy could just hook up his own XLR cord to your "adapter" and you could carry a spare without having to schlep around lots of cord.
Click to expand...

we have a few of those 1/4" to xlr cables at the house. our bass amp has a 1/4" out and we needed some cables to plug it in to the bar pa.

Deathmetalconga said:
I would also advise you use right-angle quarter-inch plugs. One good whack from a fallen cymbal or setup oversight, or even the cord getting snagged or yanked, would stress and even snap the plug.
Click to expand...

ill get a 90 1/4" and a 1/4" to xlr adapter soon and make it easy on those hopeless soundguys. the main bar we play at has a 1/4" direct box that we use for the acoustic guitar, so i SHOULD be able to use the standard 1/4", but well see.


and maybe one day ill diy something worthy enough to make your list...
 

Well to Line Out the kick, you'd need to have a preamp installed in your circuit, so he won't be using a Line level, he'll still have to use the Mic level input and the preamp on the desk. But you've already got the XLR conversion lead, which is good - because I wouldn't want to run the Jack lead to the stage box if it's anywhere like the places I play in. I don't like the way you call all us soundguys 'hopeless'. Get behind the desk and try running a Jack into a preamp; most desks tend to bypass the preamp on a Jack input - so no, it's not 'making it easier for the hopless soundguy', it's actually necessary that you run the XLR unless you do indeed DI it, but where's the fun in that?

Is the cable to the jack output balanced or unbalanced? It'd just be interesting to know.

Pretty useful mod, actually - I've seen some Custom drums (Noonan, actually) that had the XLR's outputs built into the shells. That was a great idea.
 
Mediocrefunkybeat said:
Well to Line Out the kick, you'd need to have a preamp installed in your circuit, so he won't be using a Line level, he'll still have to use the Mic level input and the preamp on the desk. But you've already got the XLR conversion lead, which is good - because I wouldn't want to run the Jack lead to the stage box if it's anywhere like the places I play in. I don't like the way you call all us soundguys 'hopeless'. Get behind the desk and try running a Jack into a preamp; most desks tend to bypass the preamp on a Jack input - so no, it's not 'making it easier for the hopless soundguy', it's actually necessary that you run the XLR unless you do indeed DI it, but where's the fun in that?
Click to expand...

first off, your in england so you dont count!
the soundguy at the bar we mostly play at eats spaghetti and plays scrabble with his girlfriend... while were playing!

at the other bar that we often play, the soundguy showed up at 11:35p AND he decided to gate my cymbals. it sounded dumb.

Mediocrefunkybeat said:
Is the cable to the jack output balanced or unbalanced? It'd just be interesting to know.
Click to expand...

i have no idea.
 
Hey, I love how you built that mount! I did a low rent version- no pics of it but I might take some and then edit this post. I posted the following elsewhere on the forum and thought it'd be neat to compare notes here:

timmdrum said:
When I buy a new kit, I'll get a virgin bass and a May internal mic mount for the BD. However, here's my cheapo version. With my current Pacific CX's and Tama Rockstars prior, I was already using a rack and so the air coming out of the BD mount hole would make my 2nd rack tom ring (even with a small offset hole in the BD reso) because it hovered over the empty BD tom mount bracket. A coworker at a music store I used to manage found an old part (turned out to be a Gibraltar part, but mine's black rather than the chrome one here: http://gibraltarhardware.com/?fa=hires&mid=1246) and asked me if I wanted it. Turns out it's the same diameter as my old BD tom mount. So I got my memory lock from the tom mount, put the Gib. part inside my BD, hanging upside-down from the tom mounting bracket on the BD sticking just far enough out to put the memory lock on it, flush with the end of the tube- i.e. now the mounting bracket on the BD just looks like the memory lock is sitting on top of it. I then took an old mic stand boom arm, sawed it off about 5" from the threaded end, put it on the clamp of the Gib. part, put my cheapo Samson BD mic on it, and voila- instant internal mic mount. If it makes any residual noise through the mic, I can't hear it. (Maybe the plastic lining of the mounting bracket insulates it somewhat?) I only use the memory lock as a failsafe against the mic and hardware arm falling out and onto the inside bottom of the BD shell, in case the wingnut on the bracket loosens during play or transport.

So, those of you with BD's with a hole and bracket on the top, there's another use for it. Try it out! -Tim
Click to expand...

The obvious advantage of yours over mine is that you can plug your cable right into the shell rather than going in through the front hole, but the only customizing work I had to do was to saw the mic' stand boom off! :p You've also inspired me to cut a section out of the side of the pipe so that I can run the cable right out the top of the bass drum. Currently I just run it out the hole in the front head & up onto the rack bar.
 
hey socalmike, i really like your mount. i have a few questions about how you did it...

1a. how did get that acrylic mounting piece?
1b. did you make it or have it made?

2. where did you find that elastic material?

3. how did you mount the elastic strings to the lug bolts?
 
You know...the Kelly SHU is now available in a composite/synthetic version at about $50 for the complete setup.

I own the aluminum version, and I can't imagine someone building something as good or clean, that works inside or outside the drum, for close to the same price...assuming your time is worth some money as well.
 
DingerJunkie said:
You know...the Kelly SHU is now available in a composite/synthetic version at about $50 for the complete setup.

I own the aluminum version, and I can't imagine someone building something as good or clean, that works inside or outside the drum, for close to the same price...assuming your time is worth some money as well.
Click to expand...

Yes get the Kelly setup for $50.00 you can't go wrong
 
tbmills said:
hey socalmike, i really like your mount. i have a few questions about how you did it...

1a. how did get that acrylic mounting piece?
1b. did you make it or have it made?

2. where did you find that elastic material?

3. how did you mount the elastic strings to the lug bolts?
Click to expand...


Yes I had a shop make me a few of these out of acrylic for myself and a few other Guys.
alot of the stuff I used was picked up from my local hardware shop.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top