Overhead Dynamic mic recommendation

S

snarebears

Junior Member
Hello All. I could use some help on a current situation. I sub for different rock / pop bands, sometimes on short notice and sometimes without any knowledge of the band's PA gear. Mostly small clubs and small outdoor gigs. Usually no sound man, is done by somebody in the band. What I need is a simple micing solution which would include a bass drum mic (already have) and an overhead Dynamic (no condensers) to capture whatever it can. I play a 4 piece with 3 cymbals, basic setup. I've been looking at large diaphragm, cardioid, dynamics such as Senn MD 421 II, EV RE320, Shure SM7B, Heil PR40, etc. Would prefer to only have 1 overhead mic. This is all live, no recording involved. Is this setup even possible? Thanks in advance.
 
That set up would work. If you’re set on a dynamic for an overhead, I’d go with the Shure SM57 (or the Beta 57). But, you could also get an In-Line phantom power supply that runs on a 9v battery and use a condenser that would do a better job picking up and sounding better as an overhead. I use either an AKG C214 or their SE300 condensers as a single overhead.

OR - go for no overhead. The front vocal mics will pick up enough of your kit for general coverage too. The bass drum is the drum that could use a mic the most.
 
Thanks for the reply Bo. Has anybody out there used the mics that I mentioned? Any info / opinions would be appreciated.
 
snarebears said:
Thanks for the reply Bo. Has anybody out there used the mics that I mentioned? Any info / opinions would be appreciated.
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I’ve used both the 421 and the SM7 and I’d go with the SM7 only because that funky 421 handle eventually breaks. I’ve seen so many taped together with gaf tape over the years I’m surprised Sennheiser never addressed the issue. Now it’s ubiquitous!
 
I wouldn't go with the 421. I've never seen one used as an overhead, they are bulky and have that specialist stand connector which (as above) can easily get damaged.
A 57 is fine. I like the Aston Spirit. I also use the SE Mics V7 on snare and it would work fine as an overhead.
Also I agree with the above, do you need an overhead? Cymbals are often an issue bleeding into vocal mics.
 
My first choice for live would be two Beyerdynamic M201TG. If cash is of no problem two Sennheiser MD441-U. A little warmer and more "open" (cardioid) is the Heil Sound PR40 or the classic EV RE20, also cardioid, both could work as single overhead.
 
I like @Supergrobi suggestion with the EV RE20, but if I had to use only one mic, I'd force myself to go with a condenser of sorts and follow @Bo Eder advice with a portable power supply. I've tried both and a condenser had more clarity, less of a muffled sound (I tried an SM57 and a Sennheiser e914 'cuz I already had them).

What I don't like about bringing my own mic to a small stage is having to bring a boom stand. Maybe the solution is to try out a Yamaha EAD10.

But still, the SM57 is $100 (not including stand & cable).
 
Another vote for a single condensor mic. I've used a single Sennheiser e614 and a single Rode NT5 as overheads a number times. Both did what was needed in those contexts; helped push more of the drum kit as a whole through the PA.

A knee mic position is also an option. That will capture more drums and less cymbals. Although mainly considered a studio technique, it works in a live context as well.

The Yamaha EAD10 is the knee mic concept on steroids :D
 
In response to the OP's list of mic options the Heil PR40 is more suited for capturing bass drum than overhead. If you want a Heil mic for a single overhead then consider the PR30.

A second vote for the Aston Spirit. For the OP's requirements this would be the best single dynamic overhead mic option for the price. A FOH engineer introduced me to this mic. He dubbed it "the miracle worker" when you could only have one mic for group vocals or in an overhead position. I can't believe the Spirit is not more widely recognized. It has been my secret weapon mic for select applications.

Two other microphones worth mentioning are the Royer R10 Ribbon or the Stager SR-2N Ribbon mics if you want a warmer, silky sound. The caveat of using ribbon mics--especially outside of a studio environment--is they need to be handled with extra care. Also most ribbon mics need a good preamp to deliver the best performance. You would be at the mercy of whatever sound system you plug into. Different preamps will introduce their specific colorization. That being said a ribbon mic used In a live situation the coloration from a preamp wouldn't be as apparent as in a studio environment. The Royer R10 is designed for both studio and live application so it has a more robust build than most other ribbon mics.

If budget is no option than you might consider doing away with your kick mic altogether and going with a Stager SR-2N STEREO mic as a front of kick mic (placed slightly above the reso bass drum hoop placed in-between the floor and rack tom but slightly angled toward your snare drum) or
use strictly as an overhead mic. It has a 5-pin stereo line which splits into two 3-pin XLR feeds (Left and Right) to the sound board. Again, you would have to feel comfortable using this mic outside of a studio environment.
 
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Another option if you don’t have phantom power available is a battery powered condenser. Shure PG81, Rode M3, Rode NT3, AKG C1000, etc..
 
My old mixer did not have phantom power and I bought one of those 9 V battery powered Phantom power boxes the battery seems to last forever. I actually have it on reverb for sale now.
 
Chris Whitten said:
I wouldn't go with the 421. I've never seen one used as an overhead, they are bulky and have that specialist stand connector which (as above) can easily get damaged.
A 57 is fine. I like the Aston Spirit. I also use the SE Mics V7 on snare and it would work fine as an overhead.
Also I agree with the above, do you need an overhead? Cymbals are often an issue bleeding into vocal mics.
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Thanks for your recommendations. When I look up the Aston Spirit, it's a condensor. Aston does make a dynamic, the Stealth, which looks interesting. I understand about the cymbal bleed, I'm trying to mic the kit as the toms seem to get lost in the mix sometimes.
 
Thanks for the help, this forum is great. A lot here to contemplate, maybe I'll go with the SM57 to see how it sounds as it's cheap and if it doesn't work for me I can always use it for something else.
 
snarebears said:
. I understand about the cymbal bleed, I'm trying to mic the kit as the toms seem to get lost in the mix sometimes.
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Dick mic, positionaly speaking.
I use an Audix i5 or Shure Beta57. I set it up under the ride, between the rack and floor tom. Great coverage for snare, toms, and attack from the kick.IMG_1902.jpeg
 
I use an AKG C1000S.
Battery powered condenser, so avoids needing Phantom power.
Yes, there are better sounding overhead mics but its perfectly fine for live gigs.

AKG C1000S

Mic technology has come a long way since AKG launched the original C1000S. Does the latest version offer enough improvements to keep up with the competition?
www.soundonsound.com www.soundonsound.com

Mick
 
As others elsewhere have mentioned, try a pair of Audix i5 for overheads.
My usual condenser pairs are sE Electronics sE8, Rode NT5 and M5, and Lewitt 040 Match.
I'm currently using the i5 pair and I love them!
I've used SM57s before and they were just fine as well.
 
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