My band is playing more and more, and some of these shows are out doors or bigger venues, which really require micing the drums. For now, with the minimal
frequency of these occasions, we're renting drum mics and a heftier PA. My connundrum (no pun intended) is my bass drum. I really prefer a solid resonant
head, mainly for the sound of it, but also for visual aesthetics. That means the rental mic either has to sit at the front, and get lots of boom but lose some
attack, or I mic it from my side, and try to keep teh thing out of my way, or put a mic at each end of the drum and have to worry about phase problems. What
would be the best bet here?
The second phase of my problem is that I think I want to invest in a bass drum mic of my own. I'm thinking that I'd mount it internally on either a MAY
mount or a kelly shu (or something home-made), and run the cable out through the vent in the shell. But what mic to get?
Admittedly, I'm not totally familiar with everythign that's out there, and their respective sounds/characteristics. I'm pretty sure that I
don't want that hyped-up sound of a D112. The rental shop in town swears by the Sennheiser E602, but I've never really cared for the sound. I surely
can't say that money is no object, but I'm willing to invest in a quality instrument. Conversly, I'd happily buy a cheapo Nady or Samson or
whatever, if it would sound good and stand the test of time.
I've been watching a few Blue KickBall mics on eBay...but I think I'm only drawn to that because it's non-conventional and it looks cool. But
nobody's gonna see it when it's mounted in my drum with a coated head on each side!
Thanks for any advice!
bass drum mic recommendations
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 aaroncushing |
bass drum mic recommendations |
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Posts: 866 (05/08/09 04:50:07) |
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JeepnDrummer |
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Posts: 318 (05/08/09 12:44:32) Senior Member |
I used an AKG D112 at the venue where I run sound. It's a nice sounding mic. When it died, we used our back-up: a cheap CAD. Don't waste your money
or time with the cheap junk. I wanted the Shure Beta 52 based on e-opinions, but my local independent drum store was out of stock. The employees are all
drummers who record in studios. Their opinion is that with the $200 mics (B52, D112, D6, etc.) it comes down to personal preference. They're about the
same quality, but each has a "voice" (frequency curve) that you really should demo and listen to first before deciding which to buy. I ended up with
the Audix D6 and have been very happy with it.
I wouldn't mic from the batter side only. If you mic from both sides of the bass drum, you'll need to reverse the polarity of one of the mics (some consoles have a switch for this or you can switch the pins on the XLR cable). Another option is to get a reso head with a port and use it only when playing outdoors with the PA. The few times I mic'd unported bass drums I didn't have any serious problems getting a decent sound. A ported head does make it esaier, though. I understand you like the sound of a non-ported reso head, but there are compromises when mic'ing for live sound. Proximity effect will greatly affect "your sound." Even when using gates the bass drum mic will still pick up sounds from other sources, including its own reinforced sound. The overtones created by a non-ported reso head can cause early feedback as well, reducing both your gain before feedback and the ability to properly get the bass drum in the mix. Due to frequency curve differences, some mics may feedback earlier than others on a non-ported reso head. Knowing this can save you a lot of trouble in the futre and is another good reason to demo mics before buying. Hopefully Jglas will weigh in with his experience. I know he's demo'd a lot of kick mics before going with the D6 and a May mic system. |
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psyched |
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Posts: 98 (05/08/09 13:34:58) |
I do what Jeepn notes as an option--I have a ported head specifically for times when I know I'll have to throw a mic in the bass drum. Granted, you have to
anticipate ahead of time what type of venue it is and change reso heads accordingly. I'm also a big fan of unported reso heads, but if you're only
needing to mic periodically for outdoor/large gigs, $45 or whatever for another reso head with a port is certainly an easier set-up/tear-down solution and
better for your sound if you can't invest in a May or Shu mount right away...
I know diddly squat about the relative merits/demerits of a B52 compared to a D112 and so on, though, so I'm worthless for part 2 of the question... |
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PShorey |
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Posts: 103 (05/08/09 14:16:31) |
I used a MAY bass drum mic mount for a while, but I have to say I was not completely satisfied with it. Mine anyway, tended to droop and require adjustment frequently. So, I don't think you could get away with using it if the goal is to keep your front head intact. I haven't tried the shu, but it looks like it may be the better rig as far as staying put. One thing I would be interested in learning is if the cords used to suspend the shu could vibrate like a bass guitar string under the right conditions. I can see that being a potential problem. Anybody here use one? If you do port your drum, a small (5" or so) port that is 2" or 3'' from the shell will minimize the impact on the sound, though it will inevitably dry it out. Evans makes a foam thing-a-ma-doozie that fits into the port and really brings down the overtones created by the hole. (Check out the end of Bob Gatzen's Bass Drum Video for a demo.) I like the sound of an unported reso head and minimal damping for acoustic gigs too. But, in my opinion, a mic'ed bass drum is a totally different animal. Significant damping is usually needed. Again, you may want to go with a port so you can at least adjust/add/remove the damping as the gig dictates. Microphone choice it is such a personal thing. I like the D112 myself, but that's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice-cream. An RE20 tends to have a softer sound that you might like. There are lots of mic shootout sound clips to be found on gearslutz.com. They can give you a basic idea of the differences, but like gas milage, "actual results may vary".
Pete
Last Edited By: PShorey
05/09/09 06:13:58.
Edited 4 times.
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johncurry |
Audix D6 and an inverted thingamabob | ||
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Posts: 407 (05/09/09 12:26:08) |
I've been doing this for the last several years and I'm still digging it.
My kick has a tom mount on it I don't use. So i cut a piece of old boom stand so I had about a 12-16" length of pipe. I mount that down into the drum, so none sticks up. I have an 18" kick so it didn't need to be that long, just long enough to get down to the middle of the drum or thereabouts. On the end of the tube in the drum I put one of these: Mic EZE. There are better drum mike clamps on the market but the Mic Eze works well for this. I use that to attach my Audix D6. I really like my D6. I A-B tested it against the Shure Beta 52 and the AKG D112 and it won for me. It's also large but very light weight. I attached it very securely to the end of the rod. then I take a short XLR cable (3' i think) and run it up through the tube out the top of my drum. So I'm not plugging my air vent and I then loop the plug around by one of my tension rods, and keep a little tiny piece of foam around the plug so it doesn't mar my finish. After some expreimenting I found the best place for the mic inside. For me it's just a bit off center and a little bit closer to the batter head, aimed at the beater. I get to keep a full resonent head which I use with no muffeling and Aquarian Super kick1 on the batter side. I get a great impact and a nice resonant sound from the front head. When I mix, I can use the kick straight up for jazzy stuff, or gate it a bit for a tighter rock sound, but without losing the resonance in the initial transient attack. if that makes sense 
I've never had the mic fall off in the drum (i worried about that a lot at first), and there's no stand or anything to mess with. I just plug in my kick drum. I've been consideing the Kelly Shu thingy for my vintage Slingerland kick that doesn't have mounting holes, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I hope this give you another option! |
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curiousgeorge |
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Posts: 95 (05/27/09 12:02:11) |
Thats clever, JC. I've never used an internal mounting system, but I'd recommend the Audix D6. Made in the USA, small, and they're coming out with
(already have out) a virtually indestructible version - sturdier than an SM57. Another nice thing about the d6 is when Audix designed it they surveyed a grip
of big studio types to see what EQ they put on the bass drums when they record, and they averaged it out and built it into the D6. Most of the time you just
want to leave it flat. You can get one new on eBay for $140.
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johncurry |
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Posts: 432 (05/27/09 12:31:37) |
Thanks George!
I've been using my D6 with various 18" kicks and I love it. It's tight, and with the 18's it leaves some room bass guitar to sit under it in the mix rather than on top. |
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howejw |
bass drum mic | ||
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Posts: 68 (05/27/09 18:13:36) Regular Member |
I have been using a Beta 52 mounted on a Kelly Shu for a couple of years and have gotten great feedback(no pun intended) from sound guys. My bass drum; 26
inches of love with NO pillow on the inside and no hole in the front head, felt strips only. Now I will admit that most sound dudes roll their eyes and smirk
upon first look, but love the sound once they emerge from their box of pre-conceived ideas about what a bass drum "should look and sound like". Good
luck in your quest.
Jeff |
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johncurry |
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Posts: 436 (05/28/09 07:27:50) |
Hey howejw,
have you got a kind of Bonham thing going on? What heads are you using btw? I've got a slingerland 24x14 that I'm restoring. I've been into the smaller kicks mostly in the last few years but am starting to consider what I could do with a larger kick. thanks! |
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Blue Groove |
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Posts: 156 (06/03/09 06:29:02) Senior Member |
john, Look at the D4 if you haven't for a small kick. You'll be pleasantly surprised... as for the main question. The D6 would be good because it's
hard to screw up the placement with it. The internal setup would be great with it.
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jazzfanjeff |
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Posts: 8 (10/14/09 18:24:30) |
I used to keep a mic mounted on the inside of my bass drum, but after a while I noticed that sound engineers always used their own mic's anyway, so I took
it out. If your band is doing it's own sound, you won't have this problem.
I use a non-ported front head whenever possible, but if I can tell that the engineer doesn't know how to deal with it I will switch to one with a small hole--no time to teach the engineer what to do. That being said, I have gotten very good results miking from the batter side only, contrary to JeepnDrummer's advice. Granted, this won't work too well if they're running gates, but in small- to medium-sized rooms, or wherever the acoustic sound of the kit is a factor, miking from the batter side diminishes the low-end boom, which usually gets to be too much in these venues. Miking from the front-only of an unported kick can still work well with some EQ at the board, but I try always to give an acoustic signal that works with no EQ. If my sound is happening and the engineer is hip, then any microphone will sound fine. If the engineer doesn't know what to do, then I'm stuck anyway so I just grin and bear it. |
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TTNW |
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Posts: 15 (10/27/09 06:45:29) |
I have an old D112 and I recently acquired an Audix D6 (fantastic mic). Unfortunately some of the places I play are crummy and last year my D112 got a cup of
beer kicked into it and has never worked well since. Leery of subjecting my D6 to the same fate, I picked up a inexpensive CAD kick mic and couple it with an
Earthworks Kickpad.
It is definitely been my secret weapon for guerilla style BD sound set up on the fly. It gives you a great thumpy rock BD sound without having to fiddle. I have had a few sound guys comment that they want to get one to make their life easier with back to back bands in festival type shows. Has anyone else tried this nifty little gizmo? 
Philippe Jenney - TTNW
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hasher98 |
This is the best place for ideas! | ||
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Posts: 113 (11/15/09 22:14:58) Regular Member |
I have been using a Beta 52 for a while now and I think it works great. I think it gives a bit warmer sound than the D6 with everything set flat, though the
D6 is an outstanding mic also. I actually opted for the Beta because it was a bit cheaper at the time I got it and I have always had good luck with Shure
mics.
I actually used to use an Audix D2 when they first came out and it worked pretty well, too, though I don't think I would want to try it now. As I recall I had to boost the lows quite a bit to get it to sound like I like. I do use a ported head all the time, mic'ed or not, probably 'cause I'm too lazy to change it, but I don't have anything inside the drum so it is pretty fat anyway. I do use an EMAD batter head, however, with the biggest dampener ring and it is pretty punchy. I am very interested, though, John Curry, to try your idea of mounting the mic inside the drum via the tom mount. That is a very clever idea, and the sharing of clever ideas is one of the best things about this forum! A while back we had a sub bass player in my band and the dude is also a drummer and he mentioned that I might get a better kick drum sound if I got the mic closer to the batter head (especially since I don't use any internal muffling. I thought I would give it a try just to see the difference but I just figured I would have to stick the mic inside the port with my short boom stand that I normally use. I may end up doing that anyway if I can't figure a way to use the tom mount as you suggested, but I wonder, do you think there might be some issues with the fact that I use my tom mount to mount my rack tom? Is the kick drum mic going to pick up nasty vibrations everytime I hit the rack tom? Still anxious to try it. Dandy getting ideas from all you guys. 
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TTNW |
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Posts: 35 (11/24/09 08:08:31) |
If you end up getting vibrations from the tom mount that are picked by the mic you can try the Kelly Shu Kick Mic mount.
It's like $60 and you can leave it all set up when you stow your BD and you won't have any vibration issues. 
It also bring the mic closer to the beater for more attack to the sound.
Philippe Jenney - TTNW
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aaroncushing |
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Posts: 976 (11/24/09 09:07:52) |
I did eventually purchase a Blue Kickball. It's a pretty groovy little thing. I currently use it on a short desktop mic stand, which sits just on my side
of the bass drum. I have it set about 4" from the head, and it's about 10" off the floor, aimed more or less at the impact point. I've also
got a cheapo pulpit-style condenser mic that I park right behind me, about 5' off the floor, aiming roughly at my rack tom. These two mics go into a small
mixer I keep on my left side, which also gets fed a monitor mix form the main board (the drums are not otherwise mic'ed in the club) . I combine all three
sources and send that through my in-ears. That bass drum mic smokes! I was getting such a fat sound on Saturday night, with all kinds of low end, just enough
attack, and no wierd ovetones. Awesome sound!
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