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Title: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Gruber on January 11, 2011, 01:49:21 AM
 ::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Baker on January 11, 2011, 09:16:22 PM
You did of course search the forums before asking that question I hope.

Sorry couldn't resist.....  ;)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Adam Kane on January 11, 2011, 10:00:54 PM
The best kick mic?

The one you happen to be using at the moment.

By the way...I'm wondering, under what circumstances, would I ever use the "kiss" smiley...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: William R. Conturo on January 12, 2011, 05:51:53 PM
Ok, for sake of content because maybe some real newbie like myself is going to come on here looking for this.. I am going to for example, start a constructive argument and say...

I use a lot of different kick drum mics, a lot of the pro mics out there sound.. not bad.... My go to mic for a 1 mic application is an Audix D6, I like it's response for a carved out mid range kick drum sound. Lost of sub, punch and click. Good for a modern kick sound. Another good mic is the AKG D112. A different response characteristic but still a good sounding mic to me, it's got fuller lower mid range. I use that for Jazz type acts. A kick mic I stay away from is the Shure Beta52, I never liked it. It's dynamics seem too flabby or something.  All three of those mics I have had for 5 plus years and they haven't missed a beat. So as for durability, there ain't much to break, and the Shure is probably best used as a hammer.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: William R. Conturo on January 12, 2011, 05:55:13 PM
Oh ya, one more thing..  :-* my  ;) y maybe??
Joke, by the way.
The above post proves I am credible and not some hack..
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ned Ward on January 12, 2011, 10:04:33 PM
rubbish. Everyone knows the best kick drum is a 1989 Radio Shack PZM mic, non-modified with the funky batteries in it, gaff-taped to the resonant head on the outside, with cable hanging down at a 167º angle. Others may claim this or that, or say "it depends," but that's a copout for the true BEST KICK DRUM MIC.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chase Tower on January 13, 2011, 12:22:40 PM
Currently my kick drum staple would be the Shure Beta 52 in the hole and the SM91 inside the drum.
I've recently started trying out the Audix D6 - Beta 91 combo, and have been getting pleasing results. I'm just so used to the 52 though, quick to get up and go, depending what type sound i'm looking for I guess.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Hunt on January 13, 2011, 12:38:05 PM
My mics of choice right now are D6 outside and e901 inside.  Tons of punch, low end, and click.  Lots of guys in town use to Beta 52 but I really don't care for it.  I think that it takes less work to make sound OK, but does not sound 1/2 as good as the D6 or e901 when properly setup. 
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Doug Fowler on January 13, 2011, 12:39:34 PM
My mics of choice right now are D6 outside and e901 inside.  Tons of punch, low end, and click.  Lots of guys in town use to Beta 52 but I really don't care for it.  I think that it takes less work to make sound OK, but does not sound 1/2 as good as the D6 of e901 when properly setup.

Chris -

Go to your profile and put your full name in the Name field.

Thanks

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Matt Martin on January 14, 2011, 01:52:12 AM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

the best microphone is the one that cost double of the one you just bought...lol
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: JamesButera on January 14, 2011, 08:53:06 PM
It all starts with the drum and the player. I'm a Sennheiser E902 with a E901 on the inside junkie. Although I've watched FOH guys get amazing sounds with the Beta 52/91 combo. Check out the Heil PR48 if you get a chance, probably the only other mic that I'd use besides the Sennheiser E902.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mac Kerr on January 14, 2011, 09:06:58 PM
It all starts with the drum and the player.

"JButera", please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real full name as required by the posting rules clearly displayed in the forum header.

Do not reply to this message.

Mac
moderator
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Doug Johnson on January 14, 2011, 11:34:59 PM
As always there is only one correct answer to this question.... Beyer M88.
Doug Johnson
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on January 15, 2011, 09:58:20 AM
As always there is only one correct answer to this question.... Beyer M88.
Doug Johnson

There is never only one answer
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Cameron on January 15, 2011, 11:29:09 PM
I really like the sound of the E902, I do most of my shows with it. If I have a metal band I'll pull out the E901 8) For recording I put both to have more options.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Hindle on January 16, 2011, 03:36:10 AM
There is never only one answer
In a lot of situations, I like the RE-20.
With some bands, even the lowly D-112 is "right"
Used a '58 on a fly date where my mic box arrived the day after the show.....
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jason Tubbs on January 16, 2011, 05:05:13 AM
IT DEPENDS.

On a normal day, I have a wide variety of mics available.  I try to choose the one that compliments the instrument, drummer's style, genre, etc.  One night might require a 91 in/D6 out, while the next might require an M88 on an intact resonant head.  Or a CAD E100.  Or a D112.  Or a transformerless SM58.  Or a pair of DPA 4061's with no kick or any other close mic.  Don't limit your options!

JT
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jack Arnott on January 22, 2011, 12:04:57 AM
1) I seriously hope this was the first thread in the Lounge.
2) I only with I could have authored it.

3) Any mic will work, the important part is a good sounding drum, played correctly
3)B) As previously proven, sometimes the best mic is no mic.

4) Please, Please, Please make this a sticky. One and done, for eternity, or the end of this forum whichever comes first.

Regards, Jack
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tom Reid on January 22, 2011, 05:06:00 AM
It's funny, the thing up on stage that has the narrowest range gets a whole lot of attention.
When I was hauling gear and asking sage sound people I was always told ...
"If you can't get a decent kick drum sound with an SM57 or 58 then your rig/gig ratio is probably off."

If you've worn the silkscreen off your 57 then you should know no one goes home singing the kick drum.
Well, except maybe the crowd I had tonight.

Gate it, flip polarity, tune the drum, mic the beater side, use 2 mics, change the pillow, aux feed the kick channel, cut a hole in the head, use it to key the bass compressor, PZM omni hypercardiod phantom that sucker. 
Just don't settle for inferior kick, there's always an excuse to buy a microphone.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on January 22, 2011, 10:21:52 AM
1) I seriously hope this was the first thread in the Lounge.
2) I only with I could have authored it.

3) Any mic will work, the important part is a good sounding drum, played correctly
3)B) As previously proven, sometimes the best mic is no mic.

4) Please, Please, Please make this a sticky. One and done, for eternity, or the end of this forum whichever comes first.

Regards, Jack

I was going to ask if this should be made sticky.

I have made it so.

Since we are all about The Community here, I can be talked out of it.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Wes Collingsworth on January 26, 2011, 04:49:11 PM
I'm all about the D6. I don't find that I need anything inside the kick alongside it, I get a great sound with the D6 alone.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Aaron Lee on January 27, 2011, 11:10:09 AM
I'm a newbie to the forum but have been doing work since 2002.  After all that time I would say my favorite combination is a Audix D6 and a Beta91
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Josh Bennett on February 02, 2011, 02:10:07 AM
Now we're really beating this to death, but since you asked. I like the D6 for all around gut punch and top end, D112 if you can get it within a few inches of the batter head, B52/B91 combo I'm amazed what I can get when I use the 91 to drive the subs and the mid/top off the B52, for a more accurate "drum" sound I like the AT AE2500 dual element, I've also used a beyer M88 which was surprising. Have fun
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: BrianAbington on February 02, 2011, 04:15:39 AM
Not owning any mics all my freelance work has depended on what is provided by who set up the show.

I once worked a show at a church youth event were the lady handed me a box of 12 SM57's and a weird looking silver mic that said radioshack on it and told me they needed 2 of them to be vocal mics.  ::)

These Audix mic's really interest me and I am strongly considering them as I piece together my own setup over time.

I am really interested in building a DIY sub kick for super low booms.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on February 02, 2011, 08:18:51 AM
I am really interested in building a DIY sub kick for super low booms.

Sure, a DIY sub kick is a relatively inexpensive and worthwhile project, but keep in mind that you need a PA that is capable of delivering those "super low booms" for it to be effective.

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Paul Walters on February 04, 2011, 12:23:31 PM
D6 D6 D6 D6.

Ya know, for when you have 4 kicks.

But seriously. D6. I get as much click as I want flat, and I can dial in 4kHz if I need more.

901s and 91s are cool, I don't own one yet, but soon I will.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mario Roman on February 04, 2011, 09:24:57 PM
As much as I like the D6, my current setup is the Heil PR40 just inside the Reso and a Beta 91 on the inside velcro'd to the pillow against the batter head. Great balance of boom and click with no eq. My D6 now resides in my floor tom with great results too  :)

Mario
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tucker Dragoo on February 07, 2011, 10:43:43 AM
The one that I reach for more than any other is the Electrovoice 868. It is nice and consistent and still gives me good tone even when the drummer has no hole in his kick head...

If I don't have my 868 I will take anything that sells for more than $150.

Tucker Dragoo
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Onsrud on February 09, 2011, 08:35:19 PM
For LDDs, I carry two M88s, two D6s, two D112s, two 421s, and one B52, because the correct answer, as always, is...

"It depends".

Well.  I had to post something on the new board.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Richard McLawhorn on February 09, 2011, 09:06:09 PM
I ALWAYS use a D6!!!

When i want that extra thump i throw in a homemade SubKick.  The difference that it makes is phenomenal...people often tell me that they think that the subkick is unnecessary...then then i A-B it with just the D6 and they change their mind...

On one show the drummer told me that it was the first time that he has ever been able to feel his kick drum without having a separate sub on drum monitor duty.  That same show, the band's manager told me that he felt like the kick drum was punching him in the chest...
I often use the subkick to key the gate for any other mics that i may have aimed on the kick drum...results in a very clean sounding kick...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: [email protected] on February 18, 2011, 02:31:40 AM
D6 D6 D6 D6.

Ya know, for when you have 4 kicks.

But seriously. D6. I get as much click as I want flat, and I can dial in 4kHz if I need more.

901s and 91s are cool, I don't own one yet, but soon I will.

I like the e901 + D6 combo myself also a lot, and I've tried a lot of combos and singles...

How I use it is that I get enough click on the D6, but I need that e901 for the situations where a drummer starts to used his/her double pedals really fast.
Sometimes D6 just turns into mud in these situations, because of the low end and the main purpose for a fast kick is to get the click (hmm... rhyme, by accident  ;D) and this is where e901 comes in picture.

So I typically keep only 1 mic open at one time, depending on situation.

The other mic that I've really liked (although it is a bit more expensive) is AE2500 from Audio Technica. This one is by far the best "combo" I've used myself, but as mentioned, I typically don't need that combo running at the same time and therefore I use D6 + e901, because as individuals I like them more...

The only real bad thing on D6 is the robustness, or actually the lack of it... I've lost multiple capsules on my D6 mics and what I've heard from Audix is that when you live the D6 outside of the kick drum at distance of some 3-5cm (1-2" I think) it gets too much "in it's face" and fades / dies away...

D6 is the only kick mic that has done that for me... Financially it is worth of replacing the capsule 2 times, and then you should buy a new one   :-\
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: BobWitte on February 18, 2011, 12:47:22 PM
Best ALL AROUND kick drum mic: Another vote for the Beyerdynamic M88  Don't have to fight it to work with Jazz, Christian Pop or Rock. Correct placement of course is essential (for any mic).

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Michael Webb on February 20, 2011, 01:25:04 AM
  ;) audix d6 using it in a 28 inch dw KICK NICE!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Diack on February 20, 2011, 02:22:12 PM
AKG D12 - exactly twice as good as a D6  ;D
M
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Smith on February 21, 2011, 10:26:24 AM
Simple, practical, & reliable... Beta 52   8)

COOL... my 1st post is on a "best kick drum mic" sticky!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on February 21, 2011, 06:26:05 PM
Simple, practical, & reliable... Beta 52   8)

COOL... my 1st post is on a "best kick drum mic" sticky!

Yeah.

Good for all those times when the kick drum sound does not matter all that much.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Bamber on February 23, 2011, 02:25:07 AM
Yeah.

Good for all those times when the kick drum sound does not matter all that much.
Rubbish IMHO,

Quite easy to get a great sound using at 52 on its own. Placement is king really.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on February 23, 2011, 03:31:50 PM
Rubbish IMHO,

Quite easy to get a great sound using at 52 on its own. Placement is king really.

I suppose your definition of "great sound" is different than mine.

IMNSHFO, the B52 sucks ass.

Here's another thought.

I agree that placement can be important.

Since this is the case, maybe a mic that's unreasonably huge and hideously heavy with marginal audio characteristics  is not the ideal first choice.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jordan Wolf on February 23, 2011, 07:49:06 PM
Dave,

On the "old" forum, I know you used some drum mics from Equation Audio...did you get a chance to listen to their kick mic and, if so, what did you think?  I know there's a pretty bug hump in the LF response, but that can be desirable sometimes.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Gary Weller on February 23, 2011, 09:46:34 PM
I have a 91, a beta 52, and a D6 and wish I still had my old AKG D12E and Beyerdynamic M88.

Sometimes you need just the right one or two. I've also used a 421 with great results. It depends.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on February 23, 2011, 10:01:25 PM
Dave,

On the "old" forum, I know you used some drum mics from Equation Audio...did you get a chance to listen to their kick mic and, if so, what did you think?  I know there's a pretty bug hump in the LF response, but that can be desirable sometimes.

Jordan,

I own a set of four equations. If you compare the response graphs of the Equation  and the Audix D6, you will notice that both have a similar scooped out midrange.

They have a very similar sound. In fact, sonically, the Equation is every bit what the Audix is, for about 1/3 the price.

The Audix, however, is miles ahead in fit and finish.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Flaws on February 25, 2011, 10:00:36 AM
I use a 57 on the beater side, then a beta 91, e901, and sm 91 in a l,c,r combo in the dead center on a pillow, then i have a re27, b52 and a d6 pinned at the hole at a narrow angle so it spreads the air movement over all 3 mics equally. Oh i also have an ae2500de on the inside of the beater head. Then i must have delay and phase on every channel so then it becomes making sure i have the proper console.... just saying.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: George Dougherty on February 28, 2011, 12:17:00 PM
I really like the sound of the E902, I do most of my shows with it. If I have a metal band I'll pull out the E901 8) For recording I put both to have more options.
Same here.  I had and gave away my D6 to somebody else that needed a good kick drum mic in exchange for a Soundcraft Spirit 328 console they didn't need.  Sold the console for $2K, best trade I've ever made.  Like the D6 it works well on every kick I've encountered, hole or not.  It just has a less hyped sound with better clarity and definition for my taste.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on February 28, 2011, 01:07:47 PM
I am really interested in building a DIY sub kick for super low booms.

Since you don't carry mics now, how will you take a sub-kick?

Seriously, I've seen these on tours (when I'm not be a system engineer, I play IATSE stage hand), set up a few and, frankly, don't consider them to be a must-have tool based on what I've heard come out of the PA.

A much better choice (that will fit in your briefcase) would be a Beyer M-380.  The diaphragm is roughly 40mm and delivers sub-sonics like you've probably never heard them.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Bolt on February 28, 2011, 06:58:08 PM
I prefer the Audix D6, but I think that what is more important is that you process the kick correctly.

properly gated and equalized, you can really get some great kick sounds.  I do like to deaden up the chamber to get rid of the ring and put the mic about 4-6" away from the beater head about 4" off center from the beater.

Make sure that you don't have the gates set too fast or many will "click".  Make sure you have enough highs to get the beater slap in the mix.  Make sure you don't go crazy on the really low frequencies since it can cover up the sweet punch if you do.  Make sure that your low mid range is well equalized for punch (80-120).

I hear lots of bands that don't know how to get good kick in the mix.  It is a sad thing since if you do it right, it really makes your band sound fantastic and gets the toes tapping and the feet dancing :)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: g'bye, Dick Rees on February 28, 2011, 07:25:45 PM
....... I think that what is more important is that you process the kick correctly.

properly gated and equalized, you can really get some great kick sounds.  I do like to deaden up the chamber to get rid of the ring and put the mic about 4-6" away from the beater head about 4" off center from the beater.

Agreed.  Although I have better gates available, I prefer my Drawmer "Punch Gate" in line with one channel of a BSS 904.  The "peak punch" feature lets me regulate the attack to taste.  Sometimes it is engaged, sometimes not.  I'm using an EV 868 and prefer it roughly where you do, but I adjust the lateral placement according to the drummer and the style.  Sometimes I'll have it straight on.......
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tomm Williams on February 28, 2011, 08:20:49 PM
Yeah.

Good for all those times when the kick drum sound does not matter all that much.

Interesting how varied points of view can be. I've seen several riders that list the 52 as acceptable and yet some folks really dislike it.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Doug Fowler on March 01, 2011, 07:40:19 AM
Interesting how varied points of view can be. I've seen several riders that list the 52 as acceptable and yet some folks really dislike it.

Beta 52 and SM91 combo is still somewhat ubiquitous on concert stages in the U.S. AFAIK.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Bamber on March 01, 2011, 07:48:27 AM
I think it's a common trait in the industry, people love to do down the best seller / most popular choice. It the same with the Beta 58!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Doug Fowler on March 01, 2011, 07:58:04 AM
I think it's a common trait in the industry, people love to do down the best seller / most popular choice. It the same with the Beta 58!

Beta 58 never really 'caught on' that much here in the Colonies for concert work.  Most would take a regular 58 if offered the choice.

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on March 01, 2011, 01:03:01 PM
I think it's a common trait in the industry, people love to do down the best seller / most popular choice. It the same with the Beta 58!

The Beta 58 sounds terrible.  In fact, I don't care much for most of the Beta vocal mics, they have this "ice pick in the forehead" tonality that can't be EQed out.

Funny thing, too, is that we get riders that spec the Beta 58, and in our advances we mention that we don't have 9 of them (or whatever).  The typical reply is "that's okay, the Betas were put in by the old sound guy; regular 58's will be fine."

YMMV and all that...

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: [email protected] on March 02, 2011, 06:02:56 AM
Funny thing, too, is that we get riders that spec the Beta 58, and in our advances we mention that we don't have 9 of them (or whatever).  The typical reply is "that's okay, the Betas were put in by the old sound guy; regular 58's will be fine."

That's one of the things that I've became an ass on... If the BE don't bother to update their rider according to what they really want, I just give them what I want, and happen to have with me...

The band that I'm touring myself is on a break at the moment, but when we were touring I kept our rider up to date all the time, with information on review date and revision, and also kept it well known where it can be found... ...also the agency that sold the gigs got the newest one all the time and I never had any issues...

And typically if you have generally accepted mics (drums: B52, SM57, e904, some small condenser (oktava, Sennheiser...)... gtr: SM57, e906... vocs: SM58, e935...) they'll do just fine. And if they are not good enough I tend to end up saying "You use what's given, or you bring your own".

fwiw,
-Minka-
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on March 17, 2011, 05:12:19 AM
the AKG D12E (not the D112) is the bestess bass drum mike ever ! they aint ben made since about 1990 but you can find them used. i got 3. i am a drummer. and i use both heads ! on the drum that is !(http://)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Doug Fowler on March 17, 2011, 02:06:31 PM
the AKG D12E (not the D112) is the bestess bass drum mike ever ! they aint ben made since about 1990 but you can find them used. i got 3. i am a drummer. and i use both heads ! on the drum that is !

Please go to your profile and put your full name in the Name field.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Nick Jones on March 18, 2011, 09:53:53 AM
As with any mic, it's application specific.  However, if I had to pick only one it would be the Audix D6.  In my experience, a well tuned kick and a well placed D6 need much less EQ than any other mic I've used.  For Jazz an RE20 or PZM on the floor is good.

That said, a well tuned system, mic placement, a good ear and knowing how to EQ are more important than mic choice.  The mics are tools, they are only as powerful as the user behind them.
Title: Posting rules
Post by: Mac Kerr on March 18, 2011, 10:24:42 AM
As with any mic,

Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real full name as required by the posting rules clearly displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section.

Mac
Title: Re: Posting rules
Post by: Franz Francis on March 28, 2011, 05:26:04 PM
My take on a killer kick drum sound is to always carry more than enough rig for the gig and properly phase aligned the subs with the mid hi tops to the area of coverage. The Drum tuning, mic type or types and placement come after.

Franz
Title: Re: Posting rules
Post by: Jeff Bankston on March 28, 2011, 06:04:55 PM
The Drum tuning, mic type or types and placement come after.

Franz
having played drums for over 40 years tuning the drum is the first step. its easy to mic a tuned drum. its the drummers responsibility to see that his drums are tuned just as a guitar player sees to it his geetar is tuned. out of tune instruments are worse then a vocalist who cant sing ! i am jeff the shrubber i mean the drummer !!!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ned Ward on April 15, 2011, 12:44:49 AM
I use a 57 on the beater side, then a beta 91, e901, and sm 91 in a l,c,r combo in the dead center on a pillow, then i have a re27, b52 and a d6 pinned at the hole at a narrow angle so it spreads the air movement over all 3 mics equally. Oh i also have an ae2500de on the inside of the beater head. Then i must have delay and phase on every channel so then it becomes making sure i have the proper console.... just saying.
given the nature of this thread and not knowing Scott,  not sure whether to laugh or not...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on April 15, 2011, 01:05:03 AM
I use a 57 on the beater side, then a beta 91, e901, and sm 91 in a l,c,r combo in the dead center on a pillow, then i have a re27, b52 and a d6 pinned at the hole at a narrow angle so it spreads the air movement over all 3 mics equally. Oh i also have an ae2500de on the inside of the beater head. Then i must have delay and phase on every channel so then it becomes making sure i have the proper console.... just saying.
given the nature of this thread and not knowing Scott,  not sure whether to laugh or not...

if a single shure Unidyne was good enough for Bonzo...
yeah too many mikes on the bass drum fur shure !!!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jonathan Johnson on April 16, 2011, 09:36:02 PM
I hear anything made by Peavy works pretty good....
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on April 16, 2011, 11:51:51 PM
I hear anything made by Peavy works pretty good....
well i'll be dipped !!!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jonathan Johnson on April 17, 2011, 11:34:30 AM
I hear anything made by Peavy works pretty good....
well i'll be dipped !!!
Just so you know, that was quite tongue-in-cheek.

I always thought the best microphone was the one you didn't have.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Hoover on April 21, 2011, 09:13:58 AM
I've only used a few, but here it is:

Beta 52 - I think you could put it in a cardboard box and it will sound the same as when it's in the kick drum.  Very scooped and easy to get a good sound.  It's okay...it will even give you crazy 30Hz and under which is cool I guess.  Pumping through a bunch of 18's, it really drops low.

The AT dual element - The condenser is low and boomy, the dynamic is high and punchy.  Together, they sound pretty good, but are completely flat.  Placement and EQing are a must with this mic.  With a bit of work it will sound great.

Cheapo CAD - Terrible.  I never use it anymore.  No Low end.

CAD M179 LDC - I used it because I hated the cheapo cad.  It's really good.  Throw that baby with the shock mount just outside the hole with the PAD on.  EQ for taste.  Nice punch with just enough rumble afterwords (if your kick produces that).  The M179 has a hyped low end and high end sound that helps the kick.  I want to experiment with it more.  Also great as an overhead mic.

SM27 - Sounds just like the kick drum.  I think I prefer it only for recording if at all.  There's better stuff for cheaper.

U87 - Only use in studio.  Place far enough away not to damage it.  Good with resonant head removed for far miking.  The low end and clarity is fantastic.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on April 22, 2011, 06:25:03 PM
I hear anything made by Peavy works pretty good....
well i'll be dipped !!!
Just so you know, that was quite tongue-in-cheek.

I always thought the best microphone was the one you didn't have.

Actually, the Peavey 520 was a pretty good kick drum mic, but I liked it better as a "utility" dynamic. It worked well on low brass and upright string basses too.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Lawrence Sokol on May 01, 2011, 12:20:36 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

AKG D-12E although very hard to find now.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Frederik Rosenkjær on May 06, 2011, 05:56:26 PM
Simple, practical, & reliable... Beta 52   8)

COOL... my 1st post is on a "best kick drum mic" sticky!

Erh.."practical!?!?"

I would have thought that would be an easy one we could all agree on - that the b52 is big and clumsy, heavy so it can't be placed far from the base of a small base stand, has an annoying swivel joint that never locks in place but always creep.

Pain in the ass IMO. I have no big problem with the sound, though - not my first choice but it can work fine.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Kenny Deal on May 07, 2011, 04:59:36 PM
FWIW I have always used a D112 and been very happy with it. I'm by no means a tech expert and could not go into the reasons why, Just like it...:D
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Frank Guerrero on May 11, 2011, 12:28:12 PM
well first off there are options galore, so you need to ask your self how do you want the kick to sound, what style of music?  starting there you can then really get into the niddy gritty of best mic/mics, to get the best sound you might need to use 1 or more mics as well.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ian Appleby on June 19, 2011, 01:55:31 PM
well first off there are options galore, so you need to ask your self how do you want the kick to sound, what style of music?  starting there you can then really get into the niddy gritty of best mic/mics, to get the best sound you might need to use 1 or more mics as well.

I own D6 / beta 52 / pl33 but I have to say the new EV RE320 IS My knew favorite.

Ian
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on June 22, 2011, 07:06:37 PM
and finally > the one that produces the bass drum sound you like !!!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Louie Warren on August 05, 2011, 01:43:20 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

My favorite is the EV N/D 868 (http://www.electrovoice.com/product.php?id=86)...  it has been shown up by another mic, but I've loved it as a cheap alternative.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Lackner on September 14, 2011, 07:04:22 PM
What's more important than the drum mic is the drum itself, which can range much more widely in quality than any mic. I use a Sennheiser E901 and like it. An outstanding VALUE in a drum mic is a CAD KBM412. Other mics seem to sound  a little bit better and cost a lot more. It also sounds surprisingly good on acoustic bass.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Marc Platt on October 05, 2011, 03:29:00 PM
this is a touchy subject.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Gordon Ryan on October 18, 2011, 06:18:25 PM
the best microphone is the one that cost double of the one you just bought...lol


Put an SM57 in the hole and turn it up REALLY LOUD!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jamin Lynch on October 27, 2011, 01:43:07 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

Alesis DM5. Makes even a cardboard box sound good. ;)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Frederik Rosenkjær on November 16, 2011, 06:46:48 AM
I have a new favorite combo in the studio (don't use it live for portability reasons that will be obvious in a moment):

Yamaha Subkick for the sweet lows
B-Band UKKO Kick pickup for the highs and also the "high lows" (100Hz-ish).

I just recently purchased the Kick and Snare UKKO-transducers and I must say they work very well.

The Kick transducer gives me a really broad click sound that is very controlled yet dynamic and not too unnatural. By "broad" I mean in frequency - it really has it all and can be shaped into all kinds of click; if I want the 3kHz thing - just dial it it, maybe the more common metal-type 5kHz? No problem, but also the more hifi-ish 10kHz click is there in spades and all the mentioned can be combined. It really flexible and a huge bonus is the bleed which is far far lower than any mic - especially nice when you want to make the really clicky metal thing happen. No snare bleed to speak of!

The reviews I found mentioned that it was too thin to be used alone - I don't know...? I find there's actually a good amount of very usable low end in there. I even have a hole in the front head which B-Band recommends to not have to get the most low end out of the thing.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Seth Swegheimer on November 28, 2011, 11:56:09 PM
I am not by any stretch of the imagination a sound guy or live sound technician, but I am a drummer, and I play lots and lots of shows at different venues with different mic's at each one. When I play multi band shows I get to hear the sound out front and I alway pay attention to what mic's they are using. Also, I don't know if either mic is more difficult then the other to eq or what not, as I never do that....

I have found that by far the most common mics that have been put in my hole (that sounds dirty) were the D6 and the Beta 52a.

I personally prefer the Beta 52a because its warmer and more "natural" sounding. I play in a multi genre Jam band, so it fits my music best.
The D6 seems to be much more precise and "clicky". Way more attack. Better for hard rock and metal acts I would say.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Shane Smith on January 05, 2012, 07:45:05 AM
Beta 52A is my weapon of choice these days also. I didn't love the E901 but would be interested in hearing the new Beta 91A variant, I always liked it's predecessor but the mini-XLR contraption was a terrible design.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: George Dougherty on January 05, 2012, 04:02:56 PM
Beta 52A is my weapon of choice these days also. I didn't love the E901 but would be interested in hearing the new Beta 91A variant, I always liked it's predecessor but the mini-XLR contraption was a terrible design.
The 901 and Beta91 seem to be better as augmentation mic's for most styles. Takes a lot more work to get them sounding right on rock kick if that's all you've got.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Scarlett on January 15, 2012, 03:00:56 PM
Does anyone know of a single channel kick drum "brain" that can be triggered for live use?

Thanks
Title: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ned Ward on January 15, 2012, 04:42:44 PM
Used Alesis d4. Rack mountable, 12 triggers, internal sounds and MIDI out. Should be under $150.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Bud Bolf on February 08, 2012, 12:28:20 AM
I'll throw my 2c in for the Audix D6
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Scarlett on February 09, 2012, 02:28:39 PM
Used Alesis d4. Rack mountable, 12 triggers, internal sounds and MIDI out. Should be under $150.

Thanks Ned. I picked one up as you suggested for under $100 just what I needed.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Hayes on February 19, 2012, 08:11:21 AM
I recently got a great deal on Ebay on a couple of EV PL33s.  They have not arrived yet so I can't give my opinion of them yet though
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jaime Fernandez on February 21, 2012, 10:06:20 PM
I dont know what the best kick mic would be but I use a cheap Shure PG52. I have had 3 kick mics and I like this one the most. The Beta52 is more expensive but somehow I would not get the same punch from it plus I used a CAD kick mic and nope...didnt beat the nice punch and clarity of the hit I got from the PG52.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jason Baillif on February 26, 2012, 11:42:13 AM
I don't have a ton of experience with all the mentioned mics in this thread, but this weekend I used an EV PL33.  I really liked it. A touch of compression, had it about 4" inside the kick.  Nice full sound, just a hint of click and plenty of punch.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim Padrick on February 26, 2012, 11:12:58 PM
Heil PR40.  Goes deeper, lets me decide what needs to be scooped out (if anything).

Sennheiser E901.  Used it only once, but liked it a lot.  Need to try it again.
Title: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ned Ward on February 27, 2012, 09:52:13 AM
Thanks Ned. I picked one up as you suggested for under $100 just what I needed.
no problem Dave - glad I could help. I now have mine up FS in the Marketplace.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Hayes on March 11, 2012, 11:12:58 AM
PL33s sound real good placed about 4" inside the shells.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: g'bye, Dick Rees on March 11, 2012, 11:36:09 AM
PL33s sound real good placed about 4" inside the shells.

If that's the sound you're going for.  Placement really is up to the needs of the situation.  One size does not fit all, even if the mic is good.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Hayes on March 11, 2012, 01:33:45 PM
It is the sound I was going for.  I experimented with it until I liked it.  4" inside, pointed not directly at the beater, maybe 6" to the side of it.  Nice low thump, no click.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Jordan on March 28, 2012, 03:11:23 PM
I am still baffled that these discussions occur, the whole "what is best", since there are so many variables that have an effect on things: the sound of the drum, whether it is tuned properly, how the person plays, the PA that is being used, the placement of the mic...on an on you are going to find all these variables that makes this question impossible to answer. Add to that personal opinion...

I own an SM91, love the mic, works great. I have used it standalone with great results, as well as with an SM57. I own a set of CAD drum mics, which the kick mic is the same mic that is branded an Equation mic, the one with the fairly big LF EQ on it. Great for flat PA's, but if you got a PA with a lot of low end already, it can be a bit overwhelming, where you find yourself dialing out LF from the channel to make it work with the PA. Picked up a pair Crown PCC-170's on EBAY for $30, came out of an install, and they work surprisingly well for kick mics, in some case prefer them to my SM91 as the mic preamp is built into the mic, not separate like the SM91. Shure Beta52, not a big fan of it. RE20, have had good luck with. Beyer M88, another personal fav. Audio Technica AE2500 dual element mic, really like this one. AT's ATM25 is also a solid mic I have had good luck with. Did a festival last year, where my kick drum mic for the whole weekend was an old EV 666, sounded phenomenal.

So I say, the "best" mic is the one you have that works with the PA you have to run, with the player you have to mic up. There are a lot of choices to fit any budget, so try a bunch out and gravitate to what works for you. And don't be afraid to try something that people might raise an eyebrow to, like when I chose the EV 666 for a kick mic, over the available Beta52, D12 and D112. The one thing that the drummers came up to me to ask about was the kick sound I was able to get for them. Then I showed them the beat up, rusty worn mic with the taped up XLR adaptor.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: g'bye, Dick Rees on March 28, 2012, 03:29:13 PM
I am still baffled that these discussions occur, the whole "what is best", since there are so many variables that have an effect on things: the sound of the drum, whether it is tuned properly, how the person plays, the PA that is being used, the placement of the mic...on an on you are going to find all these variables that makes this question impossible to answer. Add to that personal opinion...

I own an SM91, love the mic, works great. I have used it standalone with great results, as well as with an SM57. I own a set of CAD drum mics, which the kick mic is the same mic that is branded an Equation mic, the one with the fairly big LF EQ on it. Great for flat PA's, but if you got a PA with a lot of low end already, it can be a bit overwhelming, where you find yourself dialing out LF from the channel to make it work with the PA. Picked up a pair Crown PCC-170's on EBAY for $30, came out of an install, and they work surprisingly well for kick mics, in some case prefer them to my SM91 as the mic preamp is built into the mic, not separate like the SM91. Shure Beta52, not a big fan of it. RE20, have had good luck with. Beyer M88, another personal fav. Audio Technica AE2500 dual element mic, really like this one. AT's ATM25 is also a solid mic I have had good luck with. Did a festival last year, where my kick drum mic for the whole weekend was an old EV 666, sounded phenomenal.

So I say, the "best" mic is the one you have that works with the PA you have to run, with the player you have to mic up. There are a lot of choices to fit any budget, so try a bunch out and gravitate to what works for you. And don't be afraid to try something that people might raise an eyebrow to, like when I chose the EV 666 for a kick mic, over the available Beta52, D12 and D112. The one thing that the drummers came up to me to ask about was the kick sound I was able to get for them. Then I showed them the beat up, rusty worn mic with the taped up XLR adaptor.

Dear Scott.....

This is not really meant to be a serious thread.  Think of it more as a permanent alternative to endless new threads on the same topic, sort of a dead horse for all to beat on without cluttering up the Forums with the same old, same old.......

You may now resume your regularly scheduled web-surfing. 
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on April 01, 2012, 01:42:50 PM

I am still baffled that these discussions occur, the whole "what is best", since there are so many variables that have an effect on things: the sound of the drum, whether it is tuned properly, how the person plays, the PA that is being used, the placement of the mic...on an on you are going to find all these variables that makes this question impossible to answer. Add to that personal opinion...

I own an SM91, love the mic, works great. I have used it standalone with great results, as well as with an SM57. I own a set of CAD drum mics, which the kick mic is the same mic that is branded an Equation mic, the one with the fairly big LF EQ on it. Great for flat PA's, but if you got a PA with a lot of low end already, it can be a bit overwhelming, where you find yourself dialing out LF from the channel to make it work with the PA. Picked up a pair Crown PCC-170's on EBAY for $30, came out of an install, and they work surprisingly well for kick mics, in some case prefer them to my SM91 as the mic preamp is built into the mic, not separate like the SM91. Shure Beta52, not a big fan of it. RE20, have had good luck with. Beyer M88, another personal fav. Audio Technica AE2500 dual element mic, really like this one. AT's ATM25 is also a solid mic I have had good luck with. Did a festival last year, where my kick drum mic for the whole weekend was an old EV 666, sounded phenomenal.

So I say, the "best" mic is the one you have that works with the PA you have to run, with the player you have to mic up. There are a lot of choices to fit any budget, so try a bunch out and gravitate to what works for you. And don't be afraid to try something that people might raise an eyebrow to, like when I chose the EV 666 for a kick mic, over the available Beta52, D12 and D112. The one thing that the drummers came up to me to ask about was the kick sound I was able to get for them. Then I showed them the beat up, rusty worn mic with the taped up XLR adaptor.


Dear Scott.....

This is not really meant to be a serious thread.  Think of it more as a permanent alternative to endless new threads on the same topic, sort of a dead horse for all to beat on without cluttering up the Forums with the same old, same old.......

You may now resume your regularly scheduled web-surfing.

Stop! You're Both Right!

This thread  is both an inside joke to forum old-timers, and a way to help newbies who want to know where to spend their limited cash on just the right magical microphone for that awesome kick drum sound they are looking for.

What baffles me is that this kind of attention is rarely given to the lead vocal.

Scott Jordan's thoughtful reply is one of the best ever given on this subject. Maybe I should stick it to the top of the forum and lock it.

What I'd really like to see is more posts like "I just used a Brand X Model Y on input Z, and it was awesome!

Don't be scared. If your weird mic choice works out, you will be looked on as a genius. If it doesn't work out, you can change the mic and just be viewed as a guy who cares.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ivan Beaver on April 01, 2012, 02:30:14 PM

What I'd really like to see is more posts like "I just used a Brand X Model Y on input Z, and it was awesome!

Don't be scared. If your weird mic choice works out, you will be looked on as a genius. If it doesn't work out, you can change the mic and just be viewed as a guy who cares.
Everybody is looking for the "magic bullet" that will make the kick sound great in any situation.  It doesn't happen.

Yesterday I did a local Beer fest with several bands.  The kick sounded GREAT.  Absolutly nothing wrong with it.  Plenty of punch-impact-fullness-attack etc.  What everybody is looking for.

So what was the mic?  More on that later-lets look at some of the variables first.

1: The "room".  We were outside-with nothing to get in the way (except a very large thick rock wall behind the band)-so no room modes-reflections etc to screw with the response.

2: The speaker system.  We supplied it.  Plenty of depth and plenty of headroom.  So no running out of gas on that end.

3: System alignment.  I did it-so everything was coming from a single source-signal aligned so everybody got the same arrivals-so that was all good.

4: Kick drum.  The first band did not have a hole in the head-but still sounded OK.  The other bands had drums that were well tuned and played.  So no problem there.

5: The Console.  Yamaha M7-so we had plenty of eq control there.

6: Mic placement.  I put it where I felt it would work fine.  No fine tuning-just "stuck it" well inside the drum-pointed towards the beater and off center.

7: The MIC.  Yes the thing everyone is wanting to know.  It was your garden variety Sm57-properly placed and eq'd.

This was a case in which all of the factors "came together" for a great sound.  Any one-in and of itself-would not give the great sound-it takes all of them.

I was very pleased with the sound and can't imagine anybody saying there was something wrong with it.

Just like a great sports team-it takes ALL of them to make it.  One "superstar" and other average players don't make a winning team.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: PhilKwon on May 05, 2012, 08:32:26 PM
I have used whatever was supplied and learned to make the kick sound as good as possible.
In a pinch, I've had to use a Shure SM58 or 57....if that's all you have, you make do.

I have used the AKG D112 a lot.
Also the Audix D6.

Lately, I have been using a combination of the D112 and a Shure Beta91...I blend the two for a very powerful result.
The D112 provides the Ooomph and the 91 gives good punch.

Kind of like top and bottom mic'ing a snare drum.

I've heard the RE20 and AT2500 are both excellent kick drum mics and look forward to trying them.

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Hayes on May 06, 2012, 09:11:33 AM
PL33 is supposedly a budget knock off of the RE20.  Or so I've heard.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Sam Zuckerman on May 06, 2012, 03:57:09 PM
Has anyone tried a Crown PCC-160 inside the kick drum. I've heard people talking about this before but have never heard the results myself. Any comments?
I would probably pair this with a B52 or D112 on the outside. Thoughts?

I will try this next chance I get but I just wanted to hear some opinions.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mark Rice on June 13, 2012, 05:52:14 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

We use the Sennheiser e602-II... We love it.. boost ~5-6k then 53Hz it sounds incredible especially for the price.

Title: Posting rules
Post by: Mac Kerr on June 13, 2012, 06:10:30 PM
We use the Sennheiser e602-II... We love it.. boost ~5-6k then 53Hz it sounds incredible especially for the price.

See your PM.

Mac
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Paul Walters on June 15, 2012, 11:29:04 AM
I thought this video would be appropriate: http://youtu.be/qOu1duZ35Nw
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: BrettKeller on June 21, 2012, 12:48:43 PM
I thought this video would be appropriate: http://youtu.be/qOu1duZ35Nw

Very cool and well done video, but after listening to it on a couple different speakers and ear buds, I found that I liked different mics depending on what I was listening on so...

I've used most of the usual suspects extensively, and used random vocal mics and 57's in those rough situations. One thing I've found is that a lot of mics will get you there with varying degrees of EQ and gating, etc. and I think that video demonstrates that.

At this point, I put more emphasis on ease of placement, and versatility when looking to buy a kick mic, particularly for live use. The beta91a and e901 are great because you can just sit them down right inside the drum with no stand or clamp, and that's where they want to be. I'm actually debating between buying one or the other right now. I was leaning towards the beta91a because I haven't had a chance to try e901, and I've heard it's really big and doesn't fit through some smaller kick holes. The downside to both mics is that when there's no hole, you probably want to have something else on hand. The good news is that the other mic could be an SM7, or a PR30, or an MD421 or an RE20, you get the idea. All of these full range dynamics will come in handy and sound great on a wide variety of sources while you're using your PZM style kick mic 85% of the time. Or, use your secondary kick mic even when there is a hole just because it seems more appropriate to the genre/drum.

That is in my opinion the best approach for the small to medium sized shows I do right now. I guess the real question is, how many kick mics do you need to have something appropriate for every occasion? If you anticipate double bass, I guess you need two of something...

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tommy Peel on June 21, 2012, 01:40:40 PM
I've made a homemade subkick, although the speaker I used was fairly small(about 6 inches) and it produces great sound. I like it better than the CAD kick mic we'd been using. The CAD works better on a drum with a hole in the head(which our current kick drum setup doesn't have). Mine is a very simple subkick, I wired the + on the speaker to the top on a 1/4 inch plug and the - to the sleeve, I then plug that into a DI. It sounds good even with out a sub.

Sent from my Milestone X using Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Sander Rooijens on June 25, 2012, 08:15:47 AM
Mine is a very simple subkick, I wired the + on the speaker to the top on a 1/4 inch plug and the - to the sleeve, I then plug that into a DI.

Seems to me that you've actually got a somewhat complicated subkick then.
Wire the + on the speaker to pin 2 of a male XLR and - to pin 3.
No DI required anymore, plugs straight into a mic input.

S.R.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tommy Peel on June 25, 2012, 08:20:08 AM
Interesting, I wasn't sure if that would provide enough or a clean signal. I'll give it a try, i'd be nice not to have that di tied up with the kick. Thanks for the advice.

Sent from my Milestone X using Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Terence Gray on July 11, 2012, 03:11:48 AM
My first experience with an Audix D6 was a jazz festival with no sound checks, 15-minute turnaround times and everything from trios to big bands, traditional to contemporary. There were as many different combinations of make model and resonant head setup as there were bands and about the only thing I did not try was mic-ing the beater head. What I found was that the D6 sounded great right out of the box, and that I was doing very little with EQ and dynamics. I was so impressed that I bought the mic (it was a demo that the festival audio vendor supplied). That was 10 years ago and I haven't voluntarily used anything else on a kick since. From time to time I have added a Beta91 or other boundary mic inside the drum, but more often than not, the D6 is all I need.

The D6 might not be the "best" kick drum mic, but is most assuredly my favorite.

Terry
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on September 14, 2012, 08:30:26 PM
AKG announces the new D12VR bass drum mic.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: g'bye, Dick Rees on September 17, 2012, 04:44:00 PM
It's not so much the mic you put on/in the kick drum, but where you put it.

There......I said it.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Wagner on September 18, 2012, 02:12:54 PM
It's not so much the mic you put on/in the kick drum, but where you put it.

There......I said it.
+1000
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Gary Weller on December 12, 2012, 05:32:16 PM
It's not so much the mic you put on/in the kick drum, but where you put it.

There......I said it.

+1 and also, I'll add how the kick is tuned.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Joe Gislason on December 22, 2012, 02:36:08 AM
It's not so much the mic you put on/in the kick drum, but where you put it.

There......I said it.

+3?  anyway, Crap in, Crap out...  End of story.  It's kinda like getting William Hung to sound good...

AKG D112 for this guy, and a well tuned kick.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tomm Williams on December 22, 2012, 09:29:27 PM
It's not so much the mic you put on/in the kick drum, but where you put it.

There......I said it.

As usual----------to the point and correct
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Luke Geis on February 16, 2013, 05:27:43 AM
I didn't bother reading through the 12 pages of stuff, so my opinion is probably already stated. I have a couple of favorites. I like the D6 and the shure sm91. The sm91 has something that can create any style of kick I desire. Country, metal, rock and blues can all be created with it all by itself. Is it the best sounding version of each, no but it will do it. The D6 has a really great modern kick sound. I can never have enough attack and click. I would rather have too much than not enough. It has a great low end punch with a great click. I don't need to have my ribs cracked every time the kick hits, but I at least want to know when it has been hit. The click is where it's at. Even with very little punch and low end material, you can make a kick apparent with it's near snare like click/attack.

The tuning of the kick is up for debate. There are two types of tuning. One for playing and one for being mic'd. One rule I learned was to lossen the head so it was just tight enough to get rid of the wrinkles. This will produce a nice attack with a nice pillowie low end punch. This is great, but try getting every drummer to do that for you.......... A good drummer will tune his heads like that any way as the best tone from a drum comes when the heads are just tight enough to rid the skin of wrinkles. But the whole package is the big question? The best tuned drums will still not sound as good when a lack luster player whacks away on them. The attack and touch from a good drummer is key. They really, truly pull the sound out of the drum. A bad drummer will just  not play in a way that works with the band. It's about touch and feel. It starts with a good drummer and ends with a good mic'ing technique that will get the sound from the drums that is needed. Some mics do a really good job at certain sounds. I prefer a mic that gives me a solid basis to work with. I own three kick mics and two of them always deliver. The third one works well where the other two don't.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Guy Luckert on March 03, 2013, 07:35:33 AM
57
















(http://s3.vidimg.popscreen.com/original/13/eDlieHJkMTI=_o_iggy-pop-the-passenger.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Anthony Mirador on March 19, 2013, 02:17:11 PM


After years of using everything called a kick drum mic, I decided my first choice is for kick drum is the Heil Sound PR40 a large diaphragm dynamic mic.

 To this day, I can not believe or understand why the Shure Beta 52 is the most rider listed mic....... a good paper weight
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Guy Luckert on March 24, 2013, 03:31:21 PM
57
















(http://s3.vidimg.popscreen.com/original/13/eDlieHJkMTI=_o_iggy-pop-the-passenger.jpg)


(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa272/sirfun/zander-571_zps516d3ffa.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Whelan on March 25, 2013, 11:07:39 PM
I'm looking for an inexpensive kick mic that sounds decent with minimal work. We usually don't have an hour (or even 10 min) to spend getting any single mic "perfect"

We are a cover band an right now the majority of the places we play, the kick doesn't even have to be miced. But every so often we do need it miced. Right now we have a wharfedale drum mic kit that does ok. But is there something I can plug in put just inside the hole, and get a decent sound out of without having to find a "sweet spot"
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mark Carver on March 26, 2013, 08:39:17 AM
I'm looking for an inexpensive kick mic that sounds decent with minimal work. We usually don't have an hour (or even 10 min) to spend getting any single mic "perfect"

We are a cover band an right now the majority of the places we play, the kick doesn't even have to be miced. But every so often we do need it miced. Right now we have a wharfedale drum mic kit that does ok. But is there something I can plug in put just inside the hole, and get a decent sound out of without having to find a "sweet spot"

What kind of covers?
Rock or metal kick sound with minimum fuss you probably want to be looking at an Audix D6. It is pretty insensitive to placement and scenario.. it just churns out a very recognizable rock or metal kick sound with a just a dash of EQ.
It can do a turn on other genres also. But perhaps not as well.

Not my absolute favorite but in a quick and dirty scenario its hard to go wrong.

For a more organic sound, I dug out an ATM 25 the other day.. forgot how much I loved these things on kick. Needs more work on placement and EQ though. My current favorite. (But that could change from week to week)

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Whelan on March 26, 2013, 09:09:12 AM
Mostly rock. Classic through to now, some pop songs rocked up. We'll do pat benetar and volbeat, then Katy perry. Again just a decent sound with minimal fuss is more important then trying to nail a particular sound.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: George Dougherty on March 28, 2013, 01:06:33 PM
Mostly rock. Classic through to now, some pop songs rocked up. We'll do pat benetar and volbeat, then Katy perry. Again just a decent sound with minimal fuss is more important then trying to nail a particular sound.

Seconded then on the D6 with alternatives being the e602/e902 from Sennheiser.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Penkala on April 10, 2013, 10:13:44 PM
IT DEPENDS.

On a normal day, I have a wide variety of mics available.  I try to choose the one that compliments the instrument, drummer's style, genre, etc.  One night might require a 91 in/D6 out, while the next might require an M88 on an intact resonant head.  Or a CAD E100.  Or a D112.  Or a transformerless SM58.  Or a pair of DPA 4061's with no kick or any other close mic.  Don't limit your options!

JT

DPA 4061's are fantastic. I use them on piano, violin, acoustic guitar and as a 3rd hidden lecturn mic on corporate shows. However, distance micing with them in a live setting could be challenging but it's definitely worth a try.

JP
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jared Koopman on April 25, 2013, 01:48:45 PM
I realize none of these are "kick" mics but this is what I have available. So ff these 4 mics, which would you use for Kick?

Sm57
Audix i5 http://www.audixusa.com/docs_12/units/i5.shtml
MXL2003A http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/studio/2003/
Sennheiser E609

Thanks!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: George Dougherty on April 25, 2013, 10:04:28 PM
I realize none of these are "kick" mics but this is what I have available. So ff these 4 mics, which would you use for Kick?

Sm57
Audix i5 http://www.audixusa.com/docs_12/units/i5.shtml
MXL2003A http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/studio/2003/
Sennheiser E609

Thanks!

If the MXL will actually take 152 db, that's your best bet.  Otherwise probably the i5 or 57.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jared Koopman on April 26, 2013, 02:23:35 PM
If the MXL will actually take 152 db, that's your best bet.  Otherwise probably the i5 or 57.

I currently have the MXL as my OH but I picked up a couple A-T Pro37's so I think I will try the MXL on kick and see how it works. Heck the Pro37 might even work better than what I have been using.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Frank Guerrero on May 01, 2013, 04:13:10 PM
I have even used a combination of mics some say over kill but well worth the time and effort if you got the mics and the time.

An RE20 on the front my the beater then a Sure beta 92 aimed through the hole at the sweet spot and a DPA 4060 in the center of the kick laying on the bottom ;)

Eq and mix em all together and you can get a great sound  :o :o :o
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tommy TK Kennedy on May 24, 2013, 03:45:43 AM
AKG D12 - exactly twice as good as a D6  ;D
M

+1 on AKG D12

plus since the bass guitar is bleeding thru it anyway it has twice as much low end  :-)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on May 24, 2013, 04:03:46 AM
+1 on AKG D12

plus since the bass guitar is bleeding thru it anyway it has twice as much low end  :-)
i got 3 but one is hanging tight and couldnt appear in the foto. this is a long darn thread from Screwy Squirrell.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tommy TK Kennedy on May 24, 2013, 07:17:52 AM
It's not so much the mic you put on/in the kick drum, but where you put it.

There......I said it.

For small stages w/o a drum riser I put my D12 in the Bass Drum if possible, mainly because the guy upfront bump into the stand changing placement and ripping the front head.
But with a mic stand I use a shock mount. really helps on 'hollow' stages that seem to become part of a large passive speaker cabinet at higher db's and tanks the low end.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Richard Penrose on June 10, 2013, 03:03:01 PM
I'm looking for a kick drum mic at around the £100  mark. I've been borrowing an Audix D6 and have been quite pleased with this mic but unfortunately it costs nearly £170 in the UK.

I had a listen to the the shootout at recording hacks and liked the sound of the MXL A55 and Avantone Mondo :-

http://recordinghacks.com/2012/06/08/kick-drum-mic-shootout/

Does anyone on here have any experience with either of these mics? Also the EV PL33 and AKG Perception 2 are within my budget.

Any thoughts on these mics?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Krzysztof Podsiadło on July 26, 2013, 05:07:05 PM
For me the D6 is too heavily pre-eq'd.

My favourite is royer 121 on full front membrane... punch and low end for years (well, if needed, maybe Beta91 inside for some snap) but for metal it might not make it.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jason Lucas on July 26, 2013, 05:19:05 PM
I only have actual experience with one mic, the Superlux FK-2, from the Superlux drum mic bundle, which I really don't care for.

From clips I've listened to online, I like the AKGD112 and EV RE20.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Randy Pence on July 27, 2013, 10:58:37 PM
I realize none of these are "kick" mics but this is what I have available. So ff these 4 mics, which would you use for Kick?

Sm57
Audix i5 http://www.audixusa.com/docs_12/units/i5.shtml
MXL2003A http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/studio/2003/
Sennheiser E609

Thanks!

havent had the chance to try the others, but I was in a situation where I had to mic kits for live music videos and I managed to get acceptable results from a 57 sitting in the hole and a couple overheads.  The lx7 mixers eq was pretty hacked, however.


Otherwise, ive enjoyed a d112 or 602.  I'm always afraid a beta 52 is going to drop like an anchor.

DIY mic is an interesting project idea
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Bill Schnake on August 09, 2013, 06:43:00 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

I prefer the Shure Beta 91.  :) I do a lot of New Country and 80's Rock.  The mic sounds fantastic as long as you have a half way decent sounding kick to start with.  My back up is the RE20.

Bill  8)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Alex Hills on September 02, 2013, 02:42:57 AM
Sm58 any day of the week. For a recent wedding, I put one on the kick and one under the snare. Sounded sweet. Guess I am a newbie though. Also tried a pg52 and I didn't like the sound. I guess that could have something to do with the speakers though. We had 2 ten inch tops acting as sub's and 2 1980s ramsa tops. Mind you the acting sub's in question were used solo for a dance show we did the week after.

Alex Hills
adhsound.com
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Matz on September 08, 2013, 09:49:59 PM
I have used a few, the d112, the beta 52 and to be truthful I use a pair of EV pl33s any time i have 2 kick drums cause that's all i have a pair of. The D112 and Beta52 are both easy to get boom out of, but harder to get tone. the PL33 is cheap and works has ok tone but lacks the punch of the others.
   After dealing with a ton of different local bands with drummers who have no clue what tune is I started to split the kick drum to two channels, running one in the "normal" way, on the other I insert an Alessis DM-5. that thing can make any mic in any old cardboard box sounding POS kick drum sound pretty darn good. with the Dm-5 I can change voices and sounds to match music type and even the room. It may be "outside the box" but I have had great luck with it. I balance between the two to keep the sound natural. Really adds options for the guys who end up with different lower level bands all the time
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: JOSEPH DIXON on September 12, 2013, 01:20:58 PM
My first drum mic kit was the Shure PG series. For where I was in sound at the time, they were great (except for the PG 52 - booo!).

It took a lot of reading posts like this to help me decide what kick drum mic to get.I had used the Beta 52 MANY times. I absolutely hate the way it looks, I hate the weight, I hate the swivel, but it has always worked in any musical situation. I never had to buy one because I never needed to.

So I really needed to upgrade from the PG 52. I finally gave in and bought a D6. I was doing a lot of watered down, fake, wannabe punk rawk bands and the D6 was perfect! Then one day I used it at a jazz festival. I immediately felt it was a one trick pony and switched it out for the Audio-Technica ATM 250 that I bought without ever hearing.

I bought the Audio-Technica ATM 250 out of being frustrated with not reading any real world reviews or posts about it. It was only $180.00 and I thought, Oh well, why not? So, I hurried up and threaded the ATM 250's mic clip on, ran back to the console, and there it was! What a very natural kick drum sound! I've been very pleased with it. We had a local speaker / kick drum mic shootout about a year ago in Indianapolis and the ATM 250 raised a lot of eyebrows. You do have to work a little more with it depending on the genre / musical style but I can do whatever I need to do with it.

So, my thoughts on kick drum mics are (in order):

Shure Beta 52
Ugly, heavy, I hate the swivel, and the connection point has gotten in the way. However, I know I could use this mic on a kick drum for ANY genre / musical style and it would do the job.

Audio-Technica AT 25 (is that what it's called?):
DANG! Love it! It seemed sensitive to placement though. Other than that, you just put it in, turn up the gain, and go "yeeeaaah"!

Audio-Technica ATM 250
Very natural sounding. Very versatile. Not overly colored. Can be a little low mid heavy. Well built.

Audix D6
KILLER on watered down, fake, wannabe punk rawk and "modern" kick drum sounds. I feel it's not very versatile (just my opinion) though.

Sennheiser e602
I felt it was just OK. Not a lot to comment on. Oh, and I hated the mounting design.

AKG D112
I don't own one. I've used it MANY times. I do not care for it but it has always sounded very good in heavier musical styles where that clicky sound is desired - as long as you get close to the beater. It's just too "woofy" sounding to me. The mounting design has given me many a headache.

Audix Fusion kick drum mic (I don't remember what it's called):
Good entry level kick drum mic. I wouldn't roll my eyes at all if this was the only mic in the venue.

Shure PG 52
I feel it's muddy and hard to get a good click happening. I do like where the connection point is as apposed to the Beta 52 though.

These are the only kick drum mics I have used. I've been very interested in hearing/using a Sennheiser e902 but I haven't come across anyone locally that has one.

I love a thread like this because not everyone can try out many or any of these mics for whatever reason. Their situation might not be ideal and they have to rely on replies from a forum like this. even thought this thread was kind of an inside joke (I laughed!), I really appreciate it. I appreciate the helpful replies throughout.

Thanks.

Title: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Matt Edmonds on September 12, 2013, 09:17:02 PM
First choice heil pr48. Can't imagine it not working in any situation. Second audix d6. First choice for heavier styles. Not a fan of the d112. The drummer in my band had one we used for years. So I can make it work no problem. It just takes more work IMO. The others take very little tweaking.

Always wanted to try a ribbon. Crowley and tripp had some videos of their roswellite models on kick and sounded fantastic. Shure owns them now and I've never been able to justify the cost. Maybe someday.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mark Cadwallader on January 25, 2014, 01:43:46 PM
A-T ATM 25, the single diaphram model. I have the "limited edition" (a/k/a re-issue), not an original.  Mark C.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve M Smith on January 25, 2014, 04:14:07 PM
Quote
If you can't get a decent kick drum sound with an SM57 or 58 then your rig/gig ratio is probably off

In Ye Olden Days a 57 or 58 was used for everything.  We usually balanced a 57 between the snare and hi hat and used a 58 on the kick.


Steve.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim Padrick on January 26, 2014, 02:15:38 PM
PR40.  If there's any deep in the drum, you can get it out with a bit of EQ (unlike the D6 that I had been happy with until one day...).

The drum on the video had a ringy resonant head - yuk.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: roblavender on January 27, 2014, 05:43:50 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

Yep BEST is a relative term. But if you mean a commonly used microphone that sounds good when used on kick drum. I'd have to say the EV RE-20 probably leads the pack.  Does a great job and is flexible enough to be able to create a variety of nice kick drums sounds. The Mics position and proximity to the drum head can make a big difference in the sound you get. Too many so called kick drum mics really only sound good when used one way, which means they make one sound well. There are a few others that are very good also, but the RE-20 is probably teh most flexible and can be also be used on other instruments. It is also the industry standard fro voice-over work and radio broadcasting.

Of course the wise use of EQ, compression, and reverb can make a huge difference too.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Tinsley on January 30, 2014, 12:25:57 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

AKG D112 w nose in the sound hole. Audix D6 as soon
as I can get around to a backup. Shure Beta52 works
well to hold doors open. Too heavy to use as hammer. ::)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Rob Spence on January 30, 2014, 05:04:09 PM
The RE320 does pretty good too if you can't afford the RE20.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Robert Lofgren on March 18, 2014, 03:06:40 PM
I don't see any takers on the akg d12vr... It has been out for a while now.

Lovely mic that has nothing to do with the original d12. The four sounding modes are really usefull!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: jasonfinnigan on April 17, 2014, 02:00:29 PM
I tend to like the Audix D6
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Eric Frazier on May 22, 2014, 10:13:48 PM
Currently my kick drum staple would be the Shure Beta 52 in the hole and the SM91 inside the drum.
I've recently started trying out the Audix D6 - Beta 91 combo, and have been getting pleasing results. I'm just so used to the 52 though, quick to get up and go, depending what type sound i'm looking for I guess.

+1 on the Beta 52 Outside and Beta 91 inside
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Hague on August 13, 2014, 12:56:33 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

I "grew up" on an SM58 back in the day when my entire stash was 57s and 58s. Then I got a D12 and loved it. I got a D112 when they came out and that was my go-to for many years even though it can be a real bear to fit through a hole to get closer to the batter. I have used D6s quite a few times - usually when the BE or Drummer brings their own set - and I really like that too. I have also used the beta52 and like most others here, I would never buy one. A few years ago I leant my D112 to a friend and wound up at a gig without it so I put a vintage MD421 on the kick and have been using that ever since. While it doesnt have the classic "scoop" I find that I can apply that with EQ when needed. On some kicks I can also change the boom / click balance easily by moving it in or out of the hole without having to actually stick it inside the drum. I found the same to be true of the RE20 - maybe even more so? - and (I assume) of the RE320 although I haven't come across one of those in the wild yet.
As I am in the process of re-tooling though I am thinking about the new D12 vr but haven't seen many reviews...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Wagner on August 15, 2014, 09:56:00 AM
As I am in the process of re-tooling though I am thinking about the new D12 vr but haven't seen many reviews...
The new D12-VR is a very good sounding mic (although, honestly, I prefer the original).  I despise the D112.  These days I'm liking the Heil PR-48 or the Telefunken M82 (or the D6 from time to time).
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Sullivan on August 23, 2014, 01:11:42 AM
I've finally entered the realm of trying different kick mics. I've been growing very close to the Beta 91, either with a Beta 52 or D6, for hard rock. Even been known to pull the external mic out and just use the 91... Also liking the e602 as a standalone mic.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jay Robertson on October 24, 2014, 10:22:13 AM
I've been doing sound for my bands for years - but I'm a lead player, so compared to you guys, yes, I'm a 'newb.'

Thanks for the fun/pun in cheek thread - there's enough here, and I'm newb enough, that you've still kinda sorta mostly pointed me in the right direction.

You answered my question a few pages back - big shows, we have sound companies and I don't have to think.  Small bars, quick setup, I want something I don't have to mess with - I'd rather have 80% in 5 minutes than 95% in 30.

Several of you said D6.  Worth a shot - I'm old enough that in MY day, the D12 was the ONLY thing used.  Hard to find and expensive now, so for quick and dirty thump, I'll replace my 57 with a D6.

A couple of you mentioned the Sennheiser 421a.  I have several laying around.  Would be willing to try one, but don't want to pop it - will they handle the SPL?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Hague on October 24, 2014, 11:21:42 AM

Several of you said D6.  Worth a shot - I'm old enough that in MY day, the D12 was the ONLY thing used.  Hard to find and expensive now, so for quick and dirty thump, I'll replace my 57 with a D6.

A couple of you mentioned the Sennheiser 421a.  I have several laying around.  Would be willing to try one, but don't want to pop it - will they handle the SPL?


The Audix D6 is a solid choice for kick as is the AKG D12 and the AKG D112. There is also a new one - the AKG D12VR (http://www.akg.com/D12+VR-831.html?pid=939) which is designed specifically for kick drum recording. I have never used one and dont know how it would work live but Id like to try it out.

The MD421 is also a great kick mic and is currently my go-to kick mic. Mine is an original, purchased in the early 80s but the re=release, the MD421 II is nearly identical with a few minor changes. Here is article from Mix about the MD421:

http://mixonline.com/mixline/sennheiser_md421_turns50_2610/

The article states that it can handle 175dB - no worries there handling SPL!

There are a couple things I like about the 421 over the D6, D112, etc.
First, its not designed to be a kick drum mic so it has no builtin "scoop and click". Modern kick drum mics have a frequency response that scoops out some low mid and adds a little high mid to give that "sound". That is nice but Id rather do it myself on the channel strip since no 2 kicks sound the same.
Second is its shape. Being fairly long but not all that big around I find it easy to get it inside the hole and it gives some front to back wiggle room without having to climb inside the drum. I can get more click by moving it closer to the batter head or more boom by moving it back.

Keep in mind that the 421 has a 5 position bass rolloff switch - its a circular deal that "spins" around the XLR barrel connector. On the original, the positions are marked from M (music) to S (speech). In the M position there is very little rolloff and this is best for kick or other low freq sources. As you select positions toward S the mic rolls the bass off at slightly higher frequencies and at S it rolls off the bass pretty heavily. This is good for speech (duh).

If you have a 421 laying around Id start there - you may be very happy with it.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jay Robertson on October 24, 2014, 12:42:26 PM


The MD421 is also a great kick mic and is currently my go-to kick mic. Mine is an original, purchased in the early 80s but the re=release, the MD421 II is nearly identical with a few minor changes. Here is article from Mix about the MD421:

http://mixonline.com/mixline/sennheiser_md421_turns50_2610/

The article states that it can handle 175dB - no worries there handling SPL!

<snip>

If you have a 421 laying around Id start there - you may be very happy with it.

Thanks - will take one to tonite's show.  I have both an original and the II.  Thru our pa, our SPLs, I can't tell enough difference to spit on.   :-[
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: MikeyGeorges on March 17, 2015, 07:44:19 AM
for live heavy metal/hard rock, it's hard to beat a d112 or a B52. For the majority of everything I mix day in and out, I trust nothing like my RE20(which I know how to use in most situations) and for dance/electronic I prefer an ev868 or audio d6.
 For bluegrass or jazz, the MD421
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Aubuchon on March 18, 2015, 10:36:51 PM
I've been doing sound for my bands for years - but I'm a lead player, so compared to you guys, yes, I'm a 'newb.'

Thanks for the fun/pun in cheek thread - there's enough here, and I'm newb enough, that you've still kinda sorta mostly pointed me in the right direction.

You answered my question a few pages back - big shows, we have sound companies and I don't have to think.  Small bars, quick setup, I want something I don't have to mess with - I'd rather have 80% in 5 minutes than 95% in 30.

Several of you said D6.  Worth a shot - I'm old enough that in MY day, the D12 was the ONLY thing used.  Hard to find and expensive now, so for quick and dirty thump, I'll replace my 57 with a D6.

A couple of you mentioned the Sennheiser 421a.  I have several laying around.  Would be willing to try one, but don't want to pop it - will they handle the SPL?

I use a SM91 with a D6. I'm old enough to have tried every kick mic under the sun. But you pretty well answered your own question. For ease of use throw it up and go. You can't beat a D6!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John L Nobile on March 18, 2015, 10:39:43 PM
I use a SM91 with a D6. I'm old enough to have tried every kick mic under the sun. But you pretty well answered your own question. For ease of use throw it up and go. You can't beat a D6!

That's been my favorite combo for kick as well. However, I am thinking of getting an RE20. I've only used it once years ago and I still remember how good it sounded on a crappy kick.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Olewiler on June 03, 2015, 05:57:17 AM
Just been reading thru this thread. Am I the only guy on the planet that doesn't think a kick drum needs a hole in the reso head?  I actually prefer it not to have a hole, although I rarely see it.  Just place the mic about an inch in from the rim pointing straight at the head about an inch away and you're gold.  Most recently with a Senn e602II
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on June 03, 2015, 06:14:52 AM
Just been reading thru this thread. Am I the only guy on the planet that doesn't think a kick drum needs a hole in the reso head?  I actually prefer it not to have a hole, although I rarely see it.  Just place the mic about an inch in from the rim pointing straight at the head about an inch away and you're gold.  Most recently with a Senn e602II
i havent had a hole in my head since 1985.....I dont muffle either. heres a foto.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve M Smith on June 03, 2015, 06:22:29 AM
Aside from the problem of the mic getting in the way, is there a downside to putting the mic on the side which is actually being hit?


Steve.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on June 03, 2015, 06:28:31 AM
Aside from the problem of the mic getting in the way, is there a downside to putting the mic on the side which is actually being hit?


Steve.
i have seen the mic on the backside. as long as the pedal doesnt squeeek and make other noises it works good. my pedals make all kinds of mechanical noise.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tom Burgess on June 03, 2015, 02:27:50 PM
Aside from the problem of the mic getting in the way, is there a downside to putting the mic on the side which is actually being hit?

Steve.
It depends on how much snare you want in your kick channel.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve M Smith on June 03, 2015, 04:16:01 PM
It depends on how much snare you want in your kick channel.


Hadn't thought of that!





Steve.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on June 03, 2015, 10:27:48 PM
It depends on how much snare you want in your kick channel.
you gotta put it on the opposide of the snare toward the bottom with the front pointed at the head.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Debbie Dunkley on June 03, 2015, 10:54:20 PM
As this thread got resurrected, I'll just say I picked up a Beta 52 recently having used only a D6 for quite some time.
I had read a lot of good things about it and quite frankly was intrigued to hear the difference between the 2. It seems it is one of those mics everyone should have in their inventory.
When it arrived, I used it on a few different shows but I have just started using the D6 again.
I realize it depends on a lot of different things like how the kick is tuned, room acoustics, EQ, etc…..but I get so much more thump and definition to the sound with the D6 and it is instant - makes my life easier. The Beta 52 does have a nice low oomph to it but even with some careful EQing,  I still missed the thump - what can I say????
BTW….I based my opinion on having used the Beta 52 on 4 different kick drums….
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: g'bye, Dick Rees on June 03, 2015, 11:22:18 PM
As this thread got resurrected, I'll just say I picked up a Beta 52 recently having used only a D6 for quite some time.
I had read a lot of good things about it and quite frankly was intrigued to hear the difference between the 2. It seems it is one of those mics everyone should have in their inventory.
When it arrived, I used it on a few different shows but I have just started using the D6 again.
I realize it depends on a lot of different things like how the kick is tuned, room acoustics, EQ, etc…..but I get so much more thump and definition to the sound with the D6 and it is instant - makes my life easier. The Beta 52 does have a nice low oomph to it but even with some careful EQing,  I still missed the thump - what can I say????
BTW….I based my opinion on having used the Beta 52 on 4 different kick drums….


The Beta 52 is perfect if you want the kick drum to sound like a screen door slamming...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve M Smith on June 04, 2015, 03:11:05 AM

The Beta 52 is perfect if you want the kick drum to sound like a screen door slamming...

What do you use if you want to make a kick drum which sounds like a screen door sound like a kick drum?

Many years ago, I was at a soundcheck where the kick drum sounded like a spoon hitting a wet paper bag.  I don't know what mic was used but the engineer managed to turn it into a great drum sound.


Steve.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jay Barracato on June 04, 2015, 06:00:33 AM

What do you use if you want to make a kick drum which sounds like a screen door sound like a kick drum?

Many years ago, I was at a soundcheck where the kick drum sounded like a spoon hitting a wet paper bag.  I don't know what mic was used but the engineer managed to turn it into a great drum sound.


Steve.

Triggers and samples Steve triggers and samples.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve M Smith on June 04, 2015, 06:12:29 AM
Triggers and samples Steve triggers and samples.

That's cheating!

And it definitely wasn't that.


Steve.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Olewiler on June 04, 2015, 06:33:43 AM
Aside from the problem of the mic getting in the way, is there a downside to putting the mic on the side which is actually being hit?


Steve.

Well, there is the fact that drummers, who apparently know everything there is to know about micing drums, will tell you doesn't go there.

A drummer friend and I once spent an entire afternoon experimenting with different mic positions with a completely unprocessed mic channel. For the mic we were using that day (can't remember what it was) the best sounding position (to my ears) turned out to be on the beater side, and the second best was on the reso side but out near the rim.

Knowing a lot of drummers would give me grief for putting a mic on the beater side I started using the position near the rim, (inch in, inch away from head) and was getting good sounds at sound check. Problem was that at more than one gig someone would eventully move the mic "back" into the port hole and we'd start a show or set with a crappy kick.

IMHO we could live without specialized kick mics (put a 57 on everything) if drummers would actually tune their drums properly. How often do you actually come across a kick drum that sounds good on it's own? Especially standing on the reso side?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on June 04, 2015, 06:49:12 AM
IMHO we could live without specialized kick mics (put a 57 on everything) if drummers would actually tune their drums properly. How often do you actually come across a kick drum that sounds good on it's own? Especially standing on the reso side?
in 1970 i started playing drums. in 1970 Ray Hair(AFM president) moved in next door. Ray heard me and brought George Lawrence(drummer for POCO) over and they taught me how to tune. over the years i have had many tell me how awsome my unmic'd drums sound. it takes time, experamenting with heads, and tuning to get a great sound. most drummer i have known dont want to spend the time or money trying different heads. i know drummers that buy the latest greatest top of the line kit expectiong it to sound great but doesnt. i y first set of drums was a MIJ set called Stewart brand. i made them sound awsome. if you take the time to learn to tune you can make cardboard drums sound great.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve M Smith on June 04, 2015, 07:19:05 AM
My father was a drummer in his younger days.  He was always telling me about the importance of tuning drums.

Sadly, I never got to hear him play.

I do know one drummer who puts the mic on the beater side of the kick.  He brings his own mics and sets them up himself.

One advantage of that is that he can see where it is.  If it moves and it's on the other side, he won't notice.


Steve.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tom Burgess on June 04, 2015, 08:27:30 AM
The only success I've ever had putting a mic on the batter side of a kick was with a very talented swing player on a ting ting ta ting gig.  His concept of playing with balance was superb and made my job a luxury. 

Jeff Bankston - Amen, Brother!  Every drum has its own voice and tuning range which can all change with head selection.  It's always easy to tell who's taken the time to learn the tuning tendencies of their kit and who hasn't.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John L Nobile on June 04, 2015, 08:53:04 AM
I just started using an RE320 on kick. We haven't had time to do a sound check with it. Just place and did a few shows. Seems to need more eq than a D6 or d112 but I like it so far.  Hope to get a sound check in next week so that I can hear it, and the other mics, solo.
One of the best drum sounds I've ever heard was a night I worked with a sound guy who was also a drummer. Young kid on drums with a nice kit. Started sound check and they sounded horrible. Guy asked me for a roll of gaff, spent 20 minutes with the drummer and got a great sound when he was done. I was very impressed.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim Weaver on June 04, 2015, 02:22:02 PM
One of the funniest things I remember from my days working at a blues club.

Old-timer walks in with his drum "kit". Which consists of a very mismatched set of drums covered in tape and all kinds of broken or missing hardware and begins to set up. This kit looked like it should be on the mad max films, but when he starts playing it is the absolute best drum tones I have ever heard!

Just put mics on it and push up the faders!
Title: RE-320 Audition (Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?)
Post by: Russ Davis on July 12, 2015, 01:13:17 AM
I just started using an RE320 on kick. We haven't had time to do a sound check with it. Just place and did a few shows.

I've got two.  They're not for sale, but I'll loan one (if not in use, of course) to any LAB-sters in the Pittsburgh-Youngstown area if they want to "try-before-they-buy".  Hit me with a PM.
Title: Re: RE-320 Audition (Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?)
Post by: John L Nobile on July 12, 2015, 10:13:14 AM
I've got two.  They're not for sale, but I'll loan one (if not in use, of course) to any LAB-sters in the Pittsburgh-Youngstown area if they want to "try-before-they-buy".  Hit me with a PM.

I'm not that happy with the kick sound but I'm pretty sure it's the drum. Smallest kick I've ever miced. We're getting a new drummer next month so I'll start over.
Shame cause he's a great drummer and a really nice guy. How often do you hear those things in the same sentence as "drummer"?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jason Gonzalez on September 09, 2015, 12:32:12 AM
In efforts to gain some insight on why some people are attracted to certain mic's, I'll pose this question regarding kick drum microphones (I suppose mic's in general): when considering a mic, is it best to buy a mic that has a frequency response that is in the ballpark of what your taste is?  Is it easier if the mic is flat to begin with?  Is it easier to add what you want to a particular mic with processing rather than taking out certain frequencies?  Aside from EQ bands, do some mic's "color" those frequencies in a way that you can't mix that color out?  Or is every mic able to be tailored?

In the ridiculously short amount of time I've been working with sound, I chose to start with the Beta 52A.  Out of the few I got to play with before I made my first kick mic purchase (and I wish there was a way I could test more mic's at a store), it sounded the roundest and most natural to me.  I'm a drummer that is very much into the acoustic sound of the drum, so I guess you can say I come from that place of wanting to capture a more acoustically-accurate mix.  As a rock/pop drummer that dabbles in brass funk, 70's cover music, and a healthy share of swing, I like the sound I get from the my drums.  They sound the way I want them to, so I want to capture that.
Having said all that, is it easier to achieve that result with a mic that is flat or EQ'ed with a frequency response that's in the ballpark?  And I realize that there is more to mixing that EQ.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John L Nobile on September 09, 2015, 09:05:17 AM
I've totally convinced now that the kick itself is far more important than the mic being used.
Bought an RE320 this year and was thinking of sending it back. Tried a D112 and a D6 and didn't like the sound either. I settled on the D6 cause it was the easiest to setup.
Got a new drummer a few weeks ago. Used the RE320 and I was happy from the first beat. This guys kick sounds like a cannon going off.  I can hear bottom end from it with the PA off.
I may try the D6 later but I think that any decent mic will sound good with that kick.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Debbie Dunkley on September 09, 2015, 10:01:51 AM
I've totally convinced now that the kick itself is far more important than the mic being used.
Bought an RE320 this year and was thinking of sending it back. Tried a D112 and a D6 and didn't like the sound either. I settled on the D6 cause it was the easiest to setup.
Got a new drummer a few weeks ago. Used the RE320 and I was happy from the first beat. This guys kick sounds like a cannon going off.  I can hear bottom end from it with the PA off.
I may try the D6 later but I think that any decent mic will sound good with that kick.

I agree. I work regularly with a seasoned drummer who has one of the best tuned drum kits I have heard. The kick is especially good. He uses no dampening whatsoever which is surprising - yet  I always get great results.  I can use any kick mic on his kick and it sounds excellent.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Chiara on September 09, 2015, 10:25:16 AM
I've totally convinced now that the kick itself is far more important than the mic being used.
Bought an RE320 this year and was thinking of sending it back. Tried a D112 and a D6 and didn't like the sound either. I settled on the D6 cause it was the easiest to setup.
Got a new drummer a few weeks ago. Used the RE320 and I was happy from the first beat. This guys kick sounds like a cannon going off.  I can hear bottom end from it with the PA off.
I may try the D6 later but I think that any decent mic will sound good with that kick.

I sometimes put plexiglas in front of the 'cannon' kicks. In a small venue there is sometimes too much slap and punch off stage to balance with other instruments.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve Garris on September 09, 2015, 12:39:22 PM
I've totally convinced now that the kick itself is far more important than the mic being used.
Bought an RE320 this year and was thinking of sending it back. Tried a D112 and a D6 and didn't like the sound either. I settled on the D6 cause it was the easiest to setup.
Got a new drummer a few weeks ago. Used the RE320 and I was happy from the first beat. This guys kick sounds like a cannon going off.  I can hear bottom end from it with the PA off.
I may try the D6 later but I think that any decent mic will sound good with that kick.

Yep. I was in a bar last year and the band had a single speaker for vocals, and the drum kit was completely acoustic, and yet I could hardly believe that the bass drum was not plugged into something. It's natural thump was amazing, especially at the back of the room. Nice, warm, well-rounded sound with the perfect amount of slap.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Matt Edmonds on September 27, 2015, 07:29:33 AM

In efforts to gain some insight on why some people are attracted to certain mic's, I'll pose this question regarding kick drum microphones (I suppose mic's in general): when considering a mic, is it best to buy a mic that has a frequency response that is in the ballpark of what your taste is?  Is it easier if the mic is flat to begin with?  Is it easier to add what you want to a particular mic with processing rather than taking out certain frequencies?  Aside from EQ bands, do some mic's "color" those frequencies in a way that you can't mix that color out?  Or is every mic able to be tailored?

In the ridiculously short amount of time I've been working with sound, I chose to start with the Beta 52A.  Out of the few I got to play with before I made my first kick mic purchase (and I wish there was a way I could test more mic's at a store), it sounded the roundest and most natural to me.  I'm a drummer that is very much into the acoustic sound of the drum, so I guess you can say I come from that place of wanting to capture a more acoustically-accurate mix.  As a rock/pop drummer that dabbles in brass funk, 70's cover music, and a healthy share of swing, I like the sound I get from the my drums.  They sound the way I want them to, so I want to capture that.
Having said all that, is it easier to achieve that result with a mic that is flat or EQ'ed with a frequency response that's in the ballpark?  And I realize that there is more to mixing that EQ.

If you have a nice sounding kit. Then a flatter "all-purpose" mic will probably pick up a more natural tone. Most kick mics are scooped in the mids. Which is where some good stuff happens on a well tuned kick. But where all the bad is on a badly tuned kick. In the studio, on a well tuned kit, it's not uncommon to see a high dollar LDC mic outside the kick. Imo the most important part of this thread is that the most important part of the chain is the drummer. Next is that he's playing a properly tuned set. After that is mic choice and mic placement. But if you have the first two points covered, the mic choice isn't about what mic you have to use to get a decent result, but what mic you want to use to enhance an already good sounding kick/kit.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim Padrick on September 27, 2015, 11:57:27 AM
Heil PR40.  Sennheiser E901.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: RyanWilliams on October 03, 2015, 01:35:48 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.


AKG D112 or a BeyerM88.  The D112 never dies, the M88 sounds awesome too.  I have had to have my Shure Beta52 rebuilt multiple times, the ByerM88 Rebuilt once, and the D112's never.  Plus I like the sound of the D112 and the M88 best, and the Beta52 doesn't sound bad either.  I don't like the sound of the Audix D6 at all.  It seems hollow to me.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: g'bye, Dick Rees on October 03, 2015, 01:41:53 PM

AKG D112 or a BeyerM88.  The D112 never dies, the M88 sounds awesome too.  I have had to have my Shure Beta52 rebuilt multiple times, the ByerM88 Rebuilt once, and the D112's never.  Plus I like the sound of the D112 and the M88 best, and the Beta52 doesn't sound bad either.  I don't like the sound of the Audix D6 at all.  It seems hollow to me.

How can you tell if a Beta 52 is broken?

You can't unless it quits altogether.  Then it sounds better...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Wagner on October 03, 2015, 02:10:33 PM
How can you tell if a Beta 52 is broken?

You can't unless it quits altogether.  Then it sounds better...
I feel the same way about the D112. Interestingly enough, I LOVE the original D12.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim Weaver on October 03, 2015, 03:52:38 PM
I like a mic somewhere near the kick. Thats my favorite kick mic.







Can we put this thread to bed now?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on October 03, 2015, 04:01:21 PM
I like a mic somewhere near the kick. Thats my favorite kick mic.







Can we put this thread to bed now?

Nope, because I used the most amazing kick drum mic the other night:  SM-58.

We may now put this thread to bed. ;)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve M Smith on October 04, 2015, 03:07:32 AM
Nope, because I used the most amazing kick drum mic the other night:  SM-58.

As did I last weekend.  Works fine with a properly set up drum.

Back in the eighties we never had special mics for drums.  We used SM58 and SM57 (and Peavey PVM38 and PVM45) mics for everything.


Steve.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Tinsley on October 28, 2015, 04:31:11 PM
How can you tell if a Beta 52 is broken?

You can't unless it quits altogether.  Then it sounds better...

Used two 112's Sat. night with wonderful results- one on stand halfway
into the sound hole and other cradled in pillow inside the other kick.
Gave appropriate hi-lo response w great tone and same eq settings.
Love me some D112's. Can't bring myself to use the 52 but did use it
to break the bead on a flat awhile back...  putting it to bed here.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Alex Magor on December 10, 2015, 01:15:20 PM
I like shure beta 91a and akg d112.  Beyer m88s are great but cannot take the beating the other mics can.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: tommypenngotti on April 28, 2016, 06:39:00 PM
Hands Down AKG D112 for all situations ...Ive been using it for years exclusively ...check out the results :

https://youtu.be/DxC6Jr7AYmw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEX6fnrL5Js

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnVJtndi3E



::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on April 30, 2016, 12:30:35 PM
Beyer M380. The rest of your mics are toys.

Note the lack of a smiley.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tom Burgess on April 30, 2016, 12:55:38 PM
Beyer M380. The rest of your mics are toys.

Note the lack of a smiley.
You're such a buzz kill.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on May 01, 2016, 02:04:41 PM
You're such a buzz kill.

I do my best!  /satire
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Caleb Dueck on July 09, 2016, 01:55:14 PM
I do my best!  /satire
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160709/c451f84a9dddcbbb7ff54ea55604a9c3.jpg)

What mic? 
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Andrew Watts on July 13, 2016, 06:26:46 PM
Love the Audix D6
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John L Nobile on July 13, 2016, 10:47:49 PM
I've got at my disposal, a D112,  D6, SM 91, RE20, RE320. I can't decide whether one is better than the other. For me the kick itself is what makes the mic sound good.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Aisle 6 on August 13, 2016, 07:12:53 PM
I've got at my disposal, a D112,  D6, SM 91, RE20, RE320. I can't decide whether one is better than the other. For me the kick itself is what makes the mic sound good.

I am in the same boat. I own Shure Beta52, Sennheiser E902, Audix D6, AKG D112, Beyer M88 (vintage) Shure Beta91, Audio Technica ATM250 and Audio Technica ATM250DE.

They all have their uses and it really depends on the player, the kit and the genre.

For rock on the larger tours I am currently liking the Shure Beta91 paired with the Sennheiser E902. For some folk acts I am using the Shure Beta52.
You get the idea.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Chiara on September 08, 2016, 08:40:10 PM
Hands Down AKG D112 for all situations ...Ive been using it for years exclusively ...check out the results :

https://youtu.be/DxC6Jr7AYmw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEX6fnrL5Js

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnVJtndi3E

Wow...different strokes I guess. I would rather have a 57 than a D112!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Branimir Bozak on November 24, 2016, 02:43:12 PM
There's no "best drum mic", since most of them perform their tasks quite good, and mostly it depends on the kick drum.

Here's my take:

Personally, I'm not really fond of Audix D6, first of all - it's voiced too much and makes a lot of bass drums sound the same, and it's biggest flaw is - it will break down and die. Although it does sound quite good and gets the job done :)
Beta 52 IMHO sound much more detailed than D6, while being in the same ball park.

Sennheiser E602 - I worked with that one a lot, and I don't really like it, boomy low end, with mushy lowmids, can't really say it would be my go to mike.
AKG D112 - has strong midrange (1 to 3khz) which might not sound right with some kick drums, you can eq it out, though, I like the D112, it's not too modern and works well outside of the bass drum for more acoustic sound, and if you put in the kick drum, you can tailor it to have more highs and more modern sounding.
AKD D12VR - that one has switches and stuff, but it sounds great, quite punchy!
Shure Beta 91 - I like the limited dynamics of this microphone - makes crappy drummers sound less crappy. The microphone is prone to failure in the end, a big minus, I would never buy it.
Sennheiser E901 - similar microphone to Beta 91, but with softer high end, will not die on you like the Beta 91, useful outside of metal genre too.
EV RE20 - this one belongs in the 70s, no real use today, unless you like boxy sounding lowmids and you're doing jazz... Too much eq needed to get rid of the lowmids, if you want acoustic stuff, try D112 :)

The Audix F6 is not bad, if you want something on the budget, quite similar to D6, but cheaper - much better mic than PG52 or similar low grade kick microphones.

I currently use D112 for touring, but if somebody gave me Beta 52, I would probably use it better than the D112. Wish Beta 91 was more reliable... Maybe the newer Beta 91A is sturdier?

I have limited experiences with E902, so I cannot comment on that one, also there's that Audio Technica kick mic that is both dynamic and condenser, I think it's AT2500, that is a really good kick mic, but I think it costs 2x the usual mic (D112, Beta52).

Can anybody comment on Heil kick mics? Are they reliable? Are they similar to Beta 52? Some other?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Grimshaw on December 21, 2016, 02:30:44 PM
Hmmm...
I picked up an sE X1D recently. I wasn't keen on the kick-drum-mic sound, so chose this one because its pretty neutral - if I want a 4kHz peak, I'll put it there. Its not like GBF is much of an issue. Pretty useful that its side-address, too.

Chris
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Steve Crump on March 13, 2017, 03:47:57 PM
We are using the Heil PR48 at our venue. Mostly Blues Rock bands. In our live music setting it seems to translate the sound tighter and fuller than the Beta 52 we were using. Of course this is all subjective based on the listener. We have had it in use for about 2 years. No issues.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: RYAN LOUDMUSIC JENKINS on November 29, 2017, 06:54:02 PM
Haven't looked at this thread in years.  21 pages and not a single mention of what I find to be my very favorite Kick Drum microphone, the Beyer TGX-50 MKII.

Everyone who has mixed with this mic on my recommendation has been thrilled with it.

Only problem with the mic is that if you have a bad sounding kick, you'll know it with this mic.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on November 30, 2017, 02:50:47 PM
Haven't looked at this thread in years.  21 pages and not a single mention of what I find to be my very favorite Kick Drum microphone, the Beyer TGX-50 MKII.

Everyone who has mixed with this mic on my recommendation has been thrilled with it.

Only problem with the mic is that if you have a bad sounding kick, you'll know it with this mic.

Did I fail to mention the TGX-50?  I own one and it's older, figure-of-eight sibling the M-380.  The TGX is a very nice mic but the M-380 is big step up.  I think it's the extra large diaphragm...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: RYAN LOUDMUSIC JENKINS on November 30, 2017, 08:47:34 PM
Did I fail to mention the TGX-50?  I own one and it's older, figure-of-eight sibling the M-380.  The TGX is a very nice mic but the M-380 is big step up.  I think it's the extra large diaphragm...

It's the difference between the original TGX-50 and the MKII.  The MKII had an EQ circuit that made it excel over the original.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mal Brown on August 18, 2018, 12:00:57 PM
Just landed an Audio Technica AE2500. First gig on it. Last night and I was able to dial in some really cool stuff.  Band was a 4 pc, 2 Guitars band doing classic rock adaptations.  Everything from Beastie Boys ( of, not so classic) to LED Zep...   kick had a hole,  mic front face maybe 5” into the drum.  mapex 22”. Reasonably well tuned.  No flab to start.

I got a nice round sound out of the Dynamic side, and dialed in some serious click from the condenser.  Started playing around after letting the band settle in for a few tunes.  I low passed the condenser side fairly high by the end of the first set. Maybe 200 and cranked a fair amount of gain in the 3 to 4 k range.

Song to song I was able to go from round and defined to almost metal.  Nice out of 1 mic body.   Could probably do as well with an inside/outside setup with two good mics.  Maybe beta 52/91 combo.  But for 1 mic body this is a pretty cool mic.  I’ll be using it quite a lot I expect.

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mike Butler (media) on August 28, 2018, 02:06:38 PM
By the way...I'm wondering, under what circumstances, would I ever use the "kiss" smiley...
IDK, to represent "Keep It Simple, Stupid" maybe?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on August 29, 2018, 12:35:23 AM
Just landed an Audio Technica AE2500. First gig on it. Last night and I was able to dial in some really cool stuff.  Band was a 4 pc, 2 Guitars band doing classic rock adaptations.  Everything from Beastie Boys ( of, not so classic) to LED Zep...   kick had a hole,  mic front face maybe 5” into the drum.  mapex 22”. Reasonably well tuned.  No flab to start.

I got a nice round sound out of the Dynamic side, and dialed in some serious click from the condenser.  Started playing around after letting the band settle in for a few tunes.  I low passed the condenser side fairly high by the end of the first set. Maybe 200 and cranked a fair amount of gain in the 3 to 4 k range.

Song to song I was able to go from round and defined to almost metal.  Nice out of 1 mic body.   Could probably do as well with an inside/outside setup with two good mics.  Maybe beta 52/91 combo.  But for 1 mic body this is a pretty cool mic.  I’ll be using it quite a lot I expect.

I got an AE2500 thinking I'd use it often.  Color that "almost never".  Guest BEs would rather have the 52/91 combo and I can usually get what I want out of a single mic (keep it simple).

Getting to the point where I think I'll start listing mics over in the classifieds forum...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Mal Brown on August 29, 2018, 10:11:09 AM
I ‘found’ the ae2500 after hosting a guest engineer when doing the Polyrhithmics a couple of months back.  Guy had a really nice sounding kit.  We had a long chat about drum and percussion mics and techniques.  Young guy but an old soul sound wise.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim Sheumack on September 28, 2018, 02:36:20 PM
I ‘found’ the ae2500 after hosting a guest engineer when doing the Polyrhithmics a couple of months back.  Guy had a really nice sounding kit.  We had a long chat about drum and percussion mics and techniques.  Young guy but an old soul sound wise.

Based on liking the AE2500 I went out and bought the AT250DE which I think was sold as the dual element version/incarnation (which had a condenser/dynamic capsule housed inside). Maybe mine had issues but couldn’t find a use for it and struggled using it and got rid of it.

Like everyone else has said the mic depends on genre and either a beta52, e902 or Beyer M88 seems to cover my bases for recording and live kick.

My fave to use is probably the M88 (I’ve got 2 mint earlier silver grill versions with old tuchel connectors - M88n that sound amazing but I’m very weary of blowing them on kick these days and 3x TG versions that rule on kick and many other things...toms, guitar cab, sax etc). There’s nothing like a great jazz kit with an M88 on kick.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Morison on September 30, 2018, 01:35:59 PM
Based on liking the AE2500 I went out and bought the AT250DE which I think was sold as the dual element version/incarnation (which had a condenser/dynamic capsule housed inside).

To clarify, both the 2500 and 250DE are dual element - the 250 being in the more "regular" series and the 2500 being in the "elite" or premium series.
FWIW,
David
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tiago Gomes on November 20, 2018, 11:45:30 PM
I really love the SHURE 91A but I absolutelly don't relly on it alone, so I use a Beta 52 most of the times or both. I found out the way to reduce the distortion problem with the 91A was to use a proper cable directly to the Stagebox. If I use a sub-box I am pretty sure I will get distortion in the first kick right away... perhaps a 48v issue or something...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Scott Holtzman on November 20, 2018, 11:50:20 PM
I found out the way to reduce the distortion problem with the 91A was to use a proper cable directly to the Stagebox. If I use a sub-box I am pretty sure I will get distortion in the first kick right away... perhaps a 48v issue or something...

Come again?  That doesn't add up.  Why would a section of cable, on a balanced line, make a bit of difference? 
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tiago Gomes on November 20, 2018, 11:55:26 PM
Come again?  That doesn't add up.  Why would a section of cable, on a balanced line, make a bit of difference?
It seems stupid, I know, but I get the distortion/clipping issue if using a sub box and using a 'full size' mic cable I don't. Sub box works with all other microphones... with or without 48v, go figure.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Eric Snodgrass on November 21, 2018, 07:42:02 AM
It seems stupid, I know, but I get the distortion/clipping issue if using a sub box and using a 'full size' mic cable I don't. Sub box works with all other microphones... with or without 48v, go figure.
Time to replace that sub box.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Geert Friedhof on January 16, 2019, 11:14:01 PM
My new favourite kick mic: Beyerdynamic TG D71.

After a few months of use i yet have to find any fault. This thing is the bee's knees. Build like a tank, fairly cost effective, sounds very very nice. No need for a LDD. Very easy to eq. Almost never the need for a gate, even with a side fill.

I suspect it will also perform very well with double bass drums, and/or use as a trigger. Will find out in a couple of weeks.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Luke Geis on January 17, 2019, 02:08:10 AM
My favorite mic has always been the Shure Beta 91. I have recently picked up a Miktek PM5D 5 piece mic drum kit and must say I am rather pleased. The kick drum mic ( the PM11 ) I find to be much like what they say, a neutral and full sounding kick mic. It has plenty of attack and LOTS of low-end thump with a smooth blend of mids. I have done a few shows with it and recorded a couple a couple of them and both times I was happy with the results. It has the modern kick drum sound without being too hyped or fake sounding. It sort of has the blend of the D6 mixed with the Beta 91.

What I always loved about the Beta 91 is the ability to get a punchy, clear, neutral, real and powerful kick drum sound. It is not naturally that way, and you have to mold the sound, but it is so neutral it can be made to sound just about however you need it to. The Miketek PM11 kind of gets you most of the way to where you want to get to without much if any real work.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Rob Spence on January 17, 2019, 07:00:43 PM
For the past few years my favorite has been a Heil PR48 on the beater side.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John P. Farrell on January 22, 2019, 07:51:11 AM
I have recently picked up a Miktek PM5D 5 piece mic drum kit and must say I am rather pleased.

Little bit of a swerve....I've heard the miktek stuff and liked how it performed, but how are you finding the PM10 mics with regards to placement?  They are ENORMOUS!  Especially on 12" or smaller drums.  And the 904 style clip is so long that I feel like it wobbles a bit too much.  After using it for a bit do you have any issues with the physical size/placement? 

I do like the PM11 but not enough to go out and change all my B52/SM91 combos. 

Cheers!

JF
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Curtis H List (Too Tall) on June 01, 2019, 11:18:20 AM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.


First find kick drums that sound good...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Luke Geis on June 09, 2019, 04:51:33 AM
The MikTek mics are rather large, yes. The clamps are the hardest thing to deal with. Despite their mass, I have had no problem getting them to integrate with a drum system and get a good sound. The overall sound is great. I wouldn't say it's the best I have ever heard, but most certainly far from the worst and certainly easier to get to where I want. The stuff I really want isn't cheap and isn't practical for most of my clientele. The MikTek stuff is about as expensive as I can reasonably justify and honestly gives me an option that is better in overall quality than what most all in my area is offering. I am basically offering big house choices from a small house provider. I think I will eventually get a Beta52, but only because I do actually like it and it is pretty much a standard option now. I think I will also get an Audix D6 too for much of the same reason. Between the Beta 91, Beta 52, D6 and PM11 options, I would be covering just about every engineers " I will accept that " list. I am not a fan of utilizing two kick drum mics and prefer a single mic solution and each of these options seem to make a single mic approach work, having them all is sure to make any engineer be comfartable.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Gunther Mai on June 09, 2019, 11:36:12 AM
Wonder why beyerdynamic tgd71 (c) is never mentioned here:
Sounds great as 'stand alone' kick mic, not as 'typical boundary' as its competitors.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Geert Friedhof on December 08, 2019, 08:18:40 PM
Wonder why beyerdynamic tgd71 (c) is never mentioned here:
Sounds great as 'stand alone' kick mic, not as 'typical boundary' as its competitors.

Have you read this page of this topic? Hint: 7 posts above...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Morison on January 22, 2020, 09:10:53 AM
My new favourite kick mic: Beyerdynamic TG D71.

After a few months of use i yet have to find any fault. This thing is the bee's knees. Build like a tank, fairly cost effective, sounds very very nice. No need for a LDD. Very easy to eq. Almost never the need for a gate, even with a side fill.

I suspect it will also perform very well with double bass drums, and/or use as a trigger. Will find out in a couple of weeks.

Hi Geert,
Just exposing my ignorance here, as I've never used a boundary mic before.
How well do they work when on the floor outside of the kick, eg when there is no hole in the front head please?
I can imagine they may pick up more bleed than say a cardioid or super/hypercardioid kick mic when not inside the drum?
Thanks,
David.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on January 25, 2020, 10:43:35 PM
Hi Geert,
Just exposing my ignorance here, as I've never used a boundary mic before.
How well do they work when on the floor outside of the kick, eg when there is no hole in the front head please?
I can imagine they may pick up more bleed than say a cardioid or super/hypercardioid kick mic when not inside the drum?
Thanks,
David.
Outside the drum they pick up everything louder than the drum, which will be most everything.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Geert Friedhof on January 26, 2020, 04:33:57 AM
Hi Geert,
Just exposing my ignorance here, as I've never used a boundary mic before.
How well do they work when on the floor outside of the kick, eg when there is no hole in the front head please?
I can imagine they may pick up more bleed than say a cardioid or super/hypercardioid kick mic when not inside the drum?
Thanks,
David.

Never tried that. When no hole i default to an AKG d112 or Shure B52. My guess is it won't be pretty.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Morison on January 26, 2020, 09:43:29 AM
Outside the drum they pick up everything louder than the drum, which will be most everything.

Never tried that. When no hole i default to an AKG d112 or Shure B52. My guess is it won't be pretty.

Pretty much what I suspected, thanks for the confirmation gents.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on February 03, 2020, 07:28:35 AM
Pretty much what I suspected, thanks for the confirmation gents.

Inside the bass drum is a different matter... there's sufficient isolation (6-9dB, maybe) to use it for the "click" beater sound that is part of the "arena rock kick drum" sound if you also use another mic that doesn't fit in through the hole in the resonant drum head (like the Beta 52).  I'm not a fan of needing 2 mics to do the job of 1 mic and for the money this all ties up you can probably find a Beyer M-88TG.  For less money I like (and own) the Sennheiser e902 as it fits through most reso head holes IF you have the stand & boom to make it happen.

But I go back to when the Senny MD-421 was THE drum mic...
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: David Morison on February 03, 2020, 08:03:28 AM
I'm not a fan of needing 2 mics to do the job of 1 mic and for the money this all ties up you can probably find a Beyer M-88TG.  For less money I like (and own) the Sennheiser e902 as it fits through most reso head holes IF you have the stand & boom to make it happen.

Absolutely agree on 1 mic vs 2.
The reason I'd asked was because I'd seen the Beyer 7pc pack of drum mics at what might have been a stupidly good price, if they were versatile enough to do say 99% of the random drumkits that come my way without needing a supplemental kick mic too often.
Clearly that's not the case though, so I'm not going to throw money at that package.
Another case of "the wrong product at the right price...." etc.
Thanks again,
David.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Adam Tews on March 26, 2020, 05:36:50 PM
I signed up just so I could chime in on this one!  :-D

If your drummer is good -- which means he bought good drums, keeps the heads fresh, and knows how to tune them -- your job will be easy.  I've been fortunate to work often with just such a drummer.  I get brilliant sound quality from an RE20.  I typically scoop out 350 Hz, put a narrow boost (bell, not shelf) somewhere between 48-60 Hz depending on the tuning of the drum, and then a bit of a boost around 2-5k for attack (depending on the sound I'm going for).

Playing around with a Sennheiser e945, I found that bumping the front of it with my hand produced a thunderous output from the subs...  I'm really curious to try it on bass drum now! 

If you want that kick in the chest from your kick drum, you don't want subsonic lows.  Center your boost between 50-60 Hz and keep it narrow.  Frequencies below that muddy everything up.  Let the tonal bass instruments go that low.  Perhaps a floor tom for effect if you/the performer want that.  I think sub-kick type devices are silly.  I've never needed one to get a punchy bass drum.  If I'm doing a recording session where I want some subsonics, I'll put an AT4047 in front of the reso head and high-cut it wherever it sounds good and doesn't pick up too much bleed.

I know one live sound engineer who mics a kick with an SM57 and makes it sound good on the PA.  The RE20 is a heavy mic and can be kind of a PITA to work with...  But it sounds so darn good!  It's not plug-and-play, though, so if you're looking for that you'll need one of the aforementioned dedicated kick mics (D6, B52, D112, Senn 902/602).
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ed Taylor on June 08, 2020, 04:51:03 PM
same here...figured this is as good a thread as any to get started with...and mainly cause you were thoughtful in your freq range comments. There's a number of kick mics in my mic box..from Audix to the Senn e945 you mention. and honestly it can come down to whether the drummer on my stage is a soft foot patter or a serious kicker, what kind of tone he wants..rock, jazz padded, etc. Honestly when doing small gigs (most of my work is semi-pro stuff..so think hotel ball room, wedding band etc.)  I wish I had more cabs on stage that I consider "bass bins"  rather than subs...but you learn to work with what's at hand.  I guess I keep mic options in the box more because other people want them...a drummer might say he "needs" me to mic him with a shure beta52...ok..fine...one of my audio guys is all about that mic too...me...I might grab any number of possibilities and then position, eq it and roll.
Title: Postijng Rules
Post by: Mac Kerr on June 08, 2020, 07:54:46 PM
same here...figured this is as good a thread as any to get started with...k..fine...one of my audio guys is all about that mic too...me...I might grab any number of possibilities and then position, eq it and roll.

Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.

Mac
admin
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Buddy Logan on June 29, 2020, 01:49:19 AM
Ok, for sake of content because maybe some real newbie like myself is going to come on here looking for this.. I am going to for example, start a constructive argument and say...

I use a lot of different kick drum mics, a lot of the pro mics out there sound.. not bad.... My go to mic for a 1 mic application is an Audix D6, I like it's response for a carved out mid range kick drum sound. Lost of sub, punch and click. Good for a modern kick sound. Another good mic is the AKG D112. A different response characteristic but still a good sounding mic to me, it's got fuller lower mid range. I use that for Jazz type acts. A kick mic I stay away from is the Shure Beta52, I never liked it. It's dynamics seem too flabby or something.  All three of those mics I have had for 5 plus years and they haven't missed a beat. So as for durability, there ain't much to break, and the Shure is probably best used as a hammer.

An AKG D112 was the only live mic I used for a long time. Then I tried out a D6, inside the drum, mounted to the shell. To me, the D6 is a lot more full-bodied. I was always messing with the EQ on the AKG to get the sound I wanted, where the D6 made that easy, first time around. In the studio, I perefer the EV RE-20. But it's all subjective. There is no "best". Here is a good rundown of several mics, though, including sound bytes: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/kick-drum-mic-shootout-with-sound-samples/ 
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ed Taylor on July 20, 2020, 02:42:47 PM
An AKG D112 was the only live mic I used for a long time. Then I tried out a D6, inside the drum, mounted to the shell. To me, the D6 is a lot more full-bodied. I was always messing with the EQ on the AKG to get the sound I wanted, where the D6 made that easy, first time around. In the studio, I perefer the EV RE-20. But it's all subjective. There is no "best". Here is a good rundown of several mics, though, including sound bytes: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/kick-drum-mic-shootout-with-sound-samples/

my audio work is strictly semi-pro. But for over 15 years I also owned a pro level backline biz..so my drum kits would be on stages with top shelf pro level audio companies.  Many of those production guys saw me regularly on stages and they would have favorite drum kits that they were used to me showing up with  (be it DW, Yamaha, Tama, etc) and some of them even knew when I had a 20 vs a 22inch kick on a certain kit..they paid that close attention and they would just come up during line check and smile and say "I always love that kick drum"   now the same kit/brand/model but with a different kick drum size, or head , and i'd watch them struggle to get dialed in...so again, yeah, even at my semi-pro level, I keep a variety of mics cause I know I'm going to be faced with different drum kits, sizes, heads, and players, and of course venues.  and in fairness I can only do so much with a semi-pro PA rig..but when you put the rig in perspective, yeah, you can find a good combination and make things sound nice...200 guests in a motel ballroom, is not the same level as 10,000 at a street festival..and I don't want it to be.. That's an investment level I never intended to go to. I loved pro level backline, but would have never wanted the investment of national stage production audio..however I do thoroughly enjoy the private party market...and source is everything..so yeah good mics in the chain.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Ken Udell on March 30, 2021, 12:16:46 AM
I am surprised that people are listing such cheap mics as "The Best" kick drum mic. I mean, the D112 is quick and dirty and all but... the best?!


Personally, If I had to choose just one I'd have to go with the Lewitt DTP640-REX. It has two phase-aligned mic elements: a dynamic and a condenser.

"The dynamic side ensures accurate attack reproduction of the kick drum, while the condenser element captures the drum's low end. Each element has a dedicated output."

So it takes up two channels and also costs over $300, but then quality usually comes at a higher expense.

(Lewitt's cheaper mic, the DTP340-REX, is just a dynamic and not nearly as good but priced appropriately)

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Alex Cheng on March 30, 2021, 04:38:39 PM
I am surprised that people are listing such cheap mics as "The Best" kick drum mic. I mean, the D112 is quick and dirty and all but... the best?!


"Best" does not necessarily imply "best sound" - often, durability, reliability, practicality, and rider-friendliness are also at play. The universal "best" mic would fulfill all of them at once, but I'm not sure that mic exists...yet :)


Personally, if I've only got one mic to work with and no time to prepare, it's an Audix D6: rugged, consistent, predictable, and sounds good. I've heard drum/mic combos I've liked better, but the D6 is a safe bet in most situations. It'll make a good kick sound good and a crappy kick sound...workable, usually. Quick it may be, but dirty it is not.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Debbie Dunkley on March 30, 2021, 07:42:16 PM


Personally, if I've only got one mic to work with and no time to prepare, it's an Audix D6: rugged, consistent, predictable, and sounds good. I've heard drum/mic combos I've liked better, but the D6 is a safe bet in most situations. It'll make a good kick sound good and a crappy kick sound...workable, usually. Quick it may be, but dirty it is not.

I agree 100%. I too can probably get better results from other kk drum mics - the B52 for example - given time to tweak both EQ, drum tuning etc. But for fast and almost guaranteed good results - I choose the D6 too.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Grimshaw on April 01, 2021, 02:43:36 AM
I usually put a competent neutral LDC at the port and go to the desk to tweak the sound. The pre-EQ'd mics are often one-trick ponies in my experience - kinda like having a sampling machine with only one sample.

Since I work(ed) with a large range of musical styles, I need a mic that'll make sure a jazz kick sounds like jazz, and a metal kick sounds like metal. The pre-contoured mics rarely achieve that in my experience, so I prefer to roll my own EQ as/when I think it's needed.

Chris
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Debbie Dunkley on April 01, 2021, 08:58:40 PM
I usually put a competent neutral LDC at the port and go to the desk to tweak the sound. The pre-EQ'd mics are often one-trick ponies in my experience - kinda like having a sampling machine with only one sample.

Since I work(ed) with a large range of musical styles, I need a mic that'll make sure a jazz kick sounds like jazz, and a metal kick sounds like metal. The pre-contoured mics rarely achieve that in my experience, so I prefer to roll my own EQ as/when I think it's needed.

Chris

I should have added.....
Sadly in my experience, there are not enough drummers who can tune a kick drum on the 'weekend Warrior' circuit.  With a decent sounding drum to start with, it is pretty quick and straightforward to get any mic dialed in but when dealing with an inferior tone along with being given very little time to tweak to help matters, sometimes short cuts can be very handy and I'd suppose I'd call the D6 a short cut.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Nathan Vanderslice on April 06, 2021, 10:09:01 PM
I should have added.....
Sadly in my experience, there are not enough drummers who can tune a kick drum on the 'weekend Warrior' circuit.  With a decent sounding drum to start with, it is pretty quick and straightforward to get any mic dialed in but when dealing with an inferior tone along with being given very little time to tweak to help matters, sometimes short cuts can be very handy and I'd suppose I'd call the D6 a short cut.
Lack of ability, not knowing that they need to do it for good sound, or can't be bothered?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Alex Cheng on April 10, 2021, 02:21:05 PM
Lack of ability, not knowing that they need to do it for good sound, or can't be bothered?


d) All of the above.


...sometimes :)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Kemper Watson on May 14, 2023, 05:42:33 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

I used an M88 last night for the first time. I now know what the best kick mic is.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim Weaver on May 15, 2023, 12:50:05 PM
I used an M88 last night for the first time. I now know what the best kick mic is.

They are fantastic until they blow out. Then they are nothing.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Kemper Watson on May 15, 2023, 06:55:24 PM
They are fantastic until they blow out. Then they are nothing.

How often does that happen?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on May 22, 2023, 01:01:41 PM
How often does that happen?

The M-88"TG" was made in response to kick drum use.  Same polar response, different diaphragm and suspension, IIRC.

How often will either submodel fail?  Depends on the drummer/genre/placement.  That a model was built to accommodate drum use kind of tells me Beyer didn't want to do warranty replacements at the then rate of failure.  What is that rate?  Dunno.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Kemper Watson on May 23, 2023, 07:00:13 PM
The M-88"TG" was made in response to kick drum use.  Same polar response, different diaphragm and suspension, IIRC.

How often will either submodel fail?  Depends on the drummer/genre/placement.  That a model was built to accommodate drum use kind of tells me Beyer didn't want to do warranty replacements at the then rate of failure.  What is that rate?  Dunno.

Mine is a TG. I'll use the windscreen. It's an amazing kick mic. Thank you Tim
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Kemper Watson on June 25, 2023, 09:20:38 PM
Mine is a TG. I'll use the windscreen. It's an amazing kick mic. Thank you Tim

Has anyone here tried the Beyer Boundary mic? I'm wondering if they might have learned from the 88 and make something that sounds the same and is a bit more sturdy?
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Schalk on June 26, 2023, 11:09:27 AM
Has anyone here tried the Beyer Boundary mic? I'm wondering if they might have learned from the 88 and make something that sounds the same and is a bit more sturdy?
I use the Beyer TG-D71 boundary mic on kick drums and I like it.  It's slightly more compact than a Beta 91.  It sounds good and eliminates a mic stand and therefore the opportunity for a performer to knock the bass drum mic out of position.  I use an Audix D6 when I can't use the Beyer.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Rob Stevens on July 13, 2023, 05:14:47 PM
I use the Beyer TG-D71 boundary mic on kick drums and I like it.  It's slightly more compact than a Beta 91.  It sounds good and eliminates a mic stand and therefore the opportunity for a performer to knock the bass drum mic out of position.  I use an Audix D6 when I can't use the Beyer.

I use one for exactly the same reason, its nice to eliminate the stand on some of the narrow stages we end up on, my back up is a D112.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John Chiara on July 14, 2023, 01:17:01 AM
I use the Beyer TG-D71 boundary mic on kick drums and I like it.  It's slightly more compact than a Beta 91.  It sounds good and eliminates a mic stand and therefore the opportunity for a performer to knock the bass drum mic out of position.  I use an Audix D6 when I can't use the Beyer.

Behringer B19a. Did an outdoor show last night. Late 60’s Slingerland 22” kick. Friend asked me if the kick was a sample.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Debbie Dunkley on July 14, 2023, 01:29:47 AM
Behringer B19a. Did an outdoor show last night. Late 60’s Slingerland 22” kick. Friend asked me if the kick was a sample.

Yeah that mic is surprisingly good and so convenient for most situations. It has become my new favorite.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Alec Spence on August 03, 2023, 07:51:29 PM
Yeah that mic [Behringer B19A] is surprisingly good and so convenient for most situations. It has become my new favorite.
Same here.  Wouldn't even have given it a thought, but a band came in with one already mounted in the kick.  Reluctantly agreed to give it a go, and was surprised that it was instantly OK.  While I love my e901, I've always hated that it's *just* too girthy for some kick ports.  Couldn't face spending on a Beta 91a to replace it, but the price for the B19A was almost throw-away, and it's slightly slimmer still than even the Beta 91A.  One of the rare Behringer hits.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jim Thorn on August 08, 2023, 12:18:09 AM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

John, Debbie, and Alec --
THANK YOU.  I've come to trust your opinions, so based on them I ordered the Behringer B19A last week, as my very first dedicated kick drum mic.  Used it on the day it arrived, and my partner and I loved it.  Two more shows since then, and it was trouble free.  Can't beat the price, either!

Jim Thorn
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Debbie Dunkley on August 08, 2023, 10:50:59 AM
John, Debbie, and Alec --
THANK YOU.  I've come to trust your opinions, so based on them I ordered the Behringer B19A last week, as my very first dedicated kick drum mic.  Used it on the day it arrived, and my partner and I loved it.  Two more shows since then, and it was trouble free.  Can't beat the price, either!

Jim Thorn

Good to hear Jim ....(Phew)  ;)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: John L Nobile on August 08, 2023, 02:09:57 PM
Yeah that mic is surprisingly good and so convenient for most situations. It has become my new favorite.

That mic is very inexpensive. I was going to order a Shure SM91 that someone either walked away with or was left in a kick drum but I'm going to give this one a shot.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Gabriel Calva on November 29, 2023, 09:09:10 PM
::) Figured I'd get this one out of the way. I'll answer that it is situational, what sound I am looking for determines which mic I select. Therefor there are many, "BEST" kick drum mics.

I love Audix D6.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Phil Lewandowski on December 02, 2023, 11:49:26 AM
Shure SM91 is still my favorite 15 years later (if using a single mic). I have the original SM91, but I've heard the Beta91a is in the same ballpark of performance.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Brynolf Land on December 26, 2023, 02:54:52 PM
I love Audix D6.

Me too. D6 and sometimes D112 are the ones I usually use. Recently bought a beta91 that I'm gonna give a go as soon as I can. Never understood how to use it, but I guess I'll just shove it in and see what happens.
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on December 27, 2023, 04:10:52 PM
Me too. D6 and sometimes D112 are the ones I usually use. Recently bought a beta91 that I'm gonna give a go as soon as I can. Never understood how to use it, but I guess I'll just shove it in and see what happens.

Ah, pre-eq'd mics.  Great if you work with the same drummer all the time and have a common goal for the way the bass drum should sound.  In the 1980s, having every kick drum sound like Herman Rarebel wasn't so bad...

The 91... put it in the drum, as close to the batter head without touching.  Put another mic at the hole in the reso head, with the diaphragm a couple inches inside the hole; you'll be moving it in/out to get the desired LF content.  The 91 is for the "click", the distance between it and other mic will cause a comb filter at a desirable frequency, and the other mic is used for the LF/subwoofer content.  This kind of the 'classic' deployment.

Have fun!
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Chris Grimshaw on December 27, 2023, 05:29:47 PM
Pre-EQ'd mics aren't my favourite.

I found a way to remove the "scoop" from a Sennheiser e902, so mostly use one of those. Sometimes it'll be an AKG D12VR if I want something with a more "vintage" mid-high range.

Chris
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on December 30, 2023, 04:28:14 PM
Pre-EQ'd mics aren't my favourite.

I found a way to remove the "scoop" from a Sennheiser e902, so mostly use one of those. Sometimes it'll be an AKG D12VR if I want something with a more "vintage" mid-high range.

Chris
Of the "pre-q'd" mics, it is one of the most flexible. :)
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Jarrod Schroeder on February 22, 2024, 12:13:55 AM
Ah, pre-eq'd mics.  Great if you work with the same drummer all the time and have a common goal for the way the bass drum should sound.  In the 1980s, having every kick drum sound like Herman Rarebel wasn't so bad...

The 91... put it in the drum, as close to the batter head without touching.  Put another mic at the hole in the reso head, with the diaphragm a couple inches inside the hole; you'll be moving it in/out to get the desired LF content.  The 91 is for the "click", the distance between it and other mic will cause a comb filter at a desirable frequency, and the other mic is used for the LF/subwoofer content.  This kind of the 'classic' deployment.

Have fun!

ch_1 91 in
ch_2 52 out

That was written on the input list for a show I was at last spring

When we rolled the drum box up to the riser, the drummer had a huge smile on his face right away
Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Dave Dermont on March 17, 2024, 08:36:57 PM
That mic is very inexpensive. I was going to order a Shure SM91 that someone either walked away with or was left in a kick drum but I'm going to give this one a shot.

This is nice to see. It's been a while since anyone has uncovered a hidden gem. It's extra nice when it's something that everybody can use, and it only costs $79.00.

Title: Re: Best Kick Drum Mic?
Post by: Debbie Dunkley on March 17, 2024, 08:45:16 PM
This is nice to see. It's been a while since anyone has uncovered a hidden gem. It's extra nice when it's something that everybody can use, and it only costs $79.00.

I still use it almost every show and just love it - not just performance but fast and straightforward  deployment makes it a winner!