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[Debbie Dunkley]

Last year I read some articles on using boundary mics for kick.  I saw a couple of shootouts online between the Shure 91 and the Behringer BA19 ( obviously their take on the Shure). The result was quite interesting and put the Behringer at only $70 in a very good light.
It also doesn't need an external power supply like the Shure - just 48v. So I got one just to see at that price.
I was impressed with my recordings at home from playing with it a bit on my kit but the drummer in the 1 band we were playing with didn't have a hole in the front head at that time and the drummer in the other band had a built in mic in his kick drum so I didn't get the opportunity to use it at shows at that time .... till now.

I tried it last week at a show and got a VERY nice shock at how good it sounded. Not as beefy (low end) as a Beta 52 @ only 50Hz - 18000Hz, but so much thud and cut, I was happy after some minimal EQ'ing. This was an 80's band so probably well suited - maybe not so much with rock.

During the break, Chris who was playing bass and using in ears, told me how great it sounded to him so I knew I was onto a winner.
To be able to place this mic directly into the drum (I lay a piece of foam in there first if not there already), and not have to worry about stands or placement in terms of the hole, is another time saver for me. If the sound was only 'MEH' then I wouldn't trade off those things but I'm really liking what I'm hearing. I'll get a recording done next time I think and really get a good listen .....

BTW - It looks cool too if using a clear resonant head because it glows blue when phantom is supplied....

[Mal Brown]

Interesting I hve an old Crown pzm lying around.  Maybe I'll give that a shot.

[Russell Ault]

I too am a big fan of boundary mics in kick drums (particularly on cramped stages!), so I'm glad you've found one that works for you!

{...} It also doesn't need an external power supply like the Shure - just 48v. {...}

(Also, just for the record, the current Beta91A model has a normal XLR plug on the back. )

-Russ

[Debbie Dunkley]

I too am a big fan of boundary mics in kick drums (particularly on cramped stages!), so I'm glad you've found one that works for you!

(Also, just for the record, the current Beta91A model has a normal XLR plug on the back. )

-Russ

Aaaah... yes - I believe when I was looking at the 2, I was using the older model Shure to compare as there were a good few used ones on the market at the time and they all had the old external phantom supply. 

Yes it's the cramped stages where there is a huge benefit to this type of mic.

[Nick Andrews]

Just got one myself , very surprised how good it sounds. I have a gig that I just a1 with another sound co providing all gear and setup. They had one in the mic box and I said let's try it , glad I did ! I like that it allows you to choose between a flat eq and scooped eq sound. I would describe the sound as if a sm91 and a yamaha subkick had a baby. Very very surprised. I got one for $59 bucks on prime day .... figured what the hell for that little money it's good to have for bar gigs and a spare, but it's Def very usable and I'm using it a bunch. Seems like it's built like a tank to.
.

Nick

[Tim Weaver]

I have an old SM90 (omni version of the 91) that I love. Been in my personal mic package for many years. Even with drum kits with no hole, I just lay it on the ground in front of the kick and it still gives plenty of womp.

To be fair most of the acts I work with are singer-songwriters, country, and western swing. For rock bands I add a D6 to this if I have the choice.

I paid next to nothing for mine years ago. I see one on ebay right now for 160. Not Behringer money, but it's a 100 bucks cheaper than a Beta91.

[Art Welter]

Last year I read some articles on using boundary mics for kick.  I saw a couple of shootouts online between the Shure 91 and the Behringer BA19 ( obviously their take on the Shure).
Not as beefy (low end) as a Beta 52 @ only 50Hz - 18000Hz, but so much thud and cut, I was happy after some minimal EQ'ing. This was an 80's band so probably well suited - maybe not so much with rock.

To be able to place this mic directly into the drum (I lay a piece of foam in there first if not there already), and not have to worry about stands or placement in terms of the hole, is another time saver for me.

Debbie,

Like all cardioid mics, the proximity response of the Beta 52 progressively boosts low frequency the closer it is to the source. Compared to vocal mics, the proximity boost is at a lower frequency.
The hole in the front head of a kick drum is the exit of a Helmholtz resonator, similar to the port in a bass reflex cabinet, a huge boost at the tuning frequency.
The Beta 52 adds another 5-20dB on top of that boost at 50Hz relative to 1kHz when placed near the hole.

Like the Shure Beta 91A, the Behringer BA19A has a "scoop" switch to cut the 400Hz region, though it appears even more extreme.
The BA19A also has around a 10dB boost between 20-30Hz.
Unfortunate that mic manufacturers seldom provide proximity related response curves any more.
The proximity to the sound source on the BA19A is not specified, it would be interesting to compare the response of the mics at the same distances. 

Art

[Dave Garoutte]

My go-to is the Senny e901, if there's a hole.  Love the simplicity, sound and floor space.

[Mike Caldwell]

I have a couple of the early Crown PZM's with the external PX-18 power supplies that I used a lot of times for kick drums, the D6 is more my go to these days but I'll bring out a PZM evey now and then.

For what it's worth I always thought the PZM's with the external supply sounded better as a kick mic than the new version with the power supply output preamp built into the mic.
Figured if nothing else it was the larger transformer in the external units.

[John Schalk]

To be able to place this mic directly into the drum (I lay a piece of foam in there first if not there already), and not have to worry about stands or placement in terms of the hole, is another time saver for me.

I've been using a Beyer TG D71c boundary mic lately for this exact reason.  One less stand to carry, or at least to have on stage, and generally faster to deploy than my trusty D6. 

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