Kick and overhead mics

menamestom

We have one of those budget drum mic sets in our studio which is okay, nothing more. I've swapped the snare mic for a ride M3 but want to upgrade the kick and overheads. What would be a jump in quality? I'm thinking an AKG D112 and a set of Rode M5's. I'd like a set of NT5's but need to stick with a budget of £200 ish for all 3 mics.

Roland

Someone on here is selling a set of mikes, including drum mikes. I'll let you do the search

PolarityMan

I have a D112 and a senheisser (I think it is either a 602 or a 902) anyway the senheisser doesnt get a look in since our drummer sold his second bass drum cos the D112 pisses all over it.

robwright

I use an AKG D112 but have just bought a CAD D12 for £40 brand new on ebay and it is very close in quality.

Have a pair of Rode M5's as well and they are great overheads. Compare very well to C1000's.

IanSavage

SE Electronics SE2as are rather good also (and interchangeable capsules so you can experiment with omni and figure-of-8 pickup patterns too).

And this is worth reading: http://blog.shure.com/five-techniques-for-stereo-miking-drums/ 

PolarityMan

Great article. I went with recorderman for our album but I've noticed a lot of people using either spaced pairs or cymbal groups spot mic'ed recently so tempted to experiment a little bit next time round.

Drew_TNBD

I love the Audix D6 on kick drums. SE Electronics SE2 or 3A's on overheads are a good shout too.

Cirrus

PolarityMan said:

Great article. I went with recorderman for our album but I've noticed a lot of people using either spaced pairs or cymbal groups spot mic'ed recently so tempted to experiment a little bit next time round.

I used Recorderman for most of our first album, it seems like a good choice to minimise the room sound and get a nice up front drum sound. If the drums sound good in the room though, I'd rather get the mics a bit further back and capture that.

menamestom

What's the best setup in a small room? Our drum kit just fits in the booth, it's tiny. So no When the Levee Breaks ambience. Looking at prices on mics the D112 and M5's are probably more our budget ATM, so will go with those. The Audix looks good, but it's another £70 over the AKG.

PolarityMan

Cirrus said:

PolarityMan said:

Great article. I went with recorderman for our album but I've noticed a lot of people using either spaced pairs or cymbal groups spot mic'ed recently so tempted to experiment a little bit next time round.

I used Recorderman for most of our first album, it seems like a good choice to minimise the room sound and get a nice up front drum sound. If the drums sound good in the room though, I'd rather get the mics a bit further back and capture that.

I'll def add room mics this time round as now have enough channels and mics to cover it, so I figure you prob want closer overheads in this combo.

mayzesguitar

Myself and most engineers/drummers I meet love the Audix D6, It has a bit of a scoop to it, but this means that you can get a great sound instantly. Never needs much EQ, just listen and position and it will sound awesome. The D112 is great but I'm not a fan personally. Too easy to get that basket ball sound and have to spend more time making it sound good (in my own experience). The Shure Beta52 is awesome as well but a bit pricier.

Overheads? A lot more options! M5's are awesome. As are C1000's. As are Oktavia MK-012's. Have a look on eBay and see what you can find! I prefer pencil condensers as overheads, but this is subjective.

Bron_Yr_Aur

Drew_fx said:

I love the Audix D6 on kick drums. SE Electronics SE2 or 3A's on overheads are a good shout too.

Drew I'm thinking about ordeingr their 7 piece set: http://www.audixusa.com/docs_12/units/DP7.shtml

The i5 snare mic seems to be highly thought of too. Any other thoughts?

(Sorry for the slight derail!)

Drew_TNBD

Bron_Yr_Aur said:

Drew_fx said:

I love the Audix D6 on kick drums. SE Electronics SE2 or 3A's on overheads are a good shout too.

Drew I'm thinking about ordeingr their 7 piece set: http://www.audixusa.com/docs_12/units/DP7.shtml

The i5 snare mic seems to be highly thought of too. Any other thoughts?

(Sorry for the slight derail!)

I've not used the kit, but judging by the kick drum mic, I don't think you can go wrong with that!

guitarfishbay

We will be using the kit next week, but the 5 piece version which I think is the same but no overheads.  I'll let you know how we get on.

Bron_Yr_Aur

guitarfishbay said:

We will be using the kit next week, but the 5 piece version which I think is the same but no overheads.  I'll let you know how we get on.

Thanks pal. Appreciated!

bob21

@Bron_Yr_Aur I'm a long time user of the Audix stuff:

The D6, D2 and D4 are my favourite kick/tom mics (short of Sennheiser 421s on toms)..

The i5 is very popular with other engineers I chat to, but I prefer a humble 57 on snare by far.. Not a bad mic though, sounds nice on trumpet..!

The ADX51s are pretty nice - I prefer very slightly Rode NT5s at the same sort of price bracket, but not enough to make a fuss if presented with the other.

The Audix D-Vice clamps which come with that set are one of my favourite drum clamp designs out there. I never have any trouble getting the mics where I want them (actually quite high compared to some) and they're alway rock solid. Only ever found one drum they struggle with, which was a snare with an S Hoop (most clips would struggle on an s hoop) - but I never clip snare mics anyway.

In short, at the price point of the Audix kit, you really couldn't do better, in my opinion! 

Bron_Yr_Aur

That's a great review mate. Thank you. Looks like I'll be ordering these then.

mike257

I bloody love the Audix D6, although it has a particular sound that won't suit everything. I'd have to disagree with @PolarityMan about the AKG and Sennheiser - I carry a Sennheiser e602 in my personal mic kit and can get a great sound in almost any situation. The Shure Beta 52 is also a great all rounder, use them in house at a couple of venues and again get good results in most settings. Out of the main offerings from the big names, the D112 is probably the bottom of the list for me. Although it's perfectly capable of a decent sound, I prefer the Sennheiser, Shure or Audix any time. D112 can be nice on a floor tom though!

I got my e602 for about 70 quid second hand - you'll get that, the Shure or AKG between 70 and 100, although you'll probably have to spend a bit more for a D6.

Cirrus

Bron_Yr_Aur;659205" said:

The i5 snare mic seems to be highly thought of too. Any other thoughts?

It's like a slightly scooped sm57 with clearer treble and faster transient response. Personally I like what the sm57 does to the close sound - it gives it weight and rounds out the insane transient and I get more snap from the overheads - but I can see why some would think the i5 is brilliant if they've struggled with the 57 in the past.