Best mic for kick?

**Fishmed** · 07-12-2001

The EV RE-27... But if you can't get one, the AKG D112 is not a bad choice.

**Ulf Scheel** · 07-21-2001

I usually use the D-112 because the BD will be triggered in the end-mix, but the sound of the e602 is in fact better for kickdrums.

The D-112 has a high Filter implanted in the mic and the e602 has not, so the kick has a higher sound.

But the best kick could be received, by using 2 mics. One for bass just in the middle of the BD (D112/e602 or other deep mics) and one for the highs just inside the bassdrum at the pad. and then you must change the phase of one of these mics to get the real loudness effect. more bass more highs.
It really works

**KSound** · 07-27-2001

Depends on the drum .. 18" .. 20" ... 22", etc. The type of head(s), and duh .. the drummer and duh music .. I can say this being a drummer .. man it's all so different.

I've recorded tons of different drummers, and keep comming back to the D-112. The 421 is also a good choice depending on the drum again .. the nice thing on the 421 is the ability to taylor the curve on the mic. If you want that deep chest thump the D-112 survives a bit better. Micing a double head kick for jazz that has no hole and is wide open .. I think is the hardest .. what's the take here on mics for the jazz kick? Rock is pretty much a cinch.

**jitteringjim** · 07-29-2001

Roel,
I use the EV N/D 868 - Recording Magazine reviewed the mic a few months ago & characterized the sound as a "vintage" kick sound - I kind of agree - I've had to play with the mids and high EQs to get the "up front" punch that I want. It sounds great live, but without eq when recording it sounds thick and muddy to me... right out of the box I was a bit disappointed. I guess there's a learning curve when it comes to kick drum micing or something.

**LongWaveStudio** · 08-03-2001

D112 with a U87 just a little bit further away, beautifull.

**jvasey** · 08-04-2001

I just got a Apex 125, and while I'm sure there are better mics out there, I don't think there's a better value. It sounds alot like the D112, with a bit more of a boost in the 8-12K which makes it punchier and easy to use. Also, it only cost me $170 Cdn. Well worth it, and good sound when your on a budget.
Jeff

**bluelonestar** · 08-20-2001

i talked to a professional who mics drums on tour and he told me that everyone he knew that uses D112s were switching over to Beta52's cause they just totally blow them away. i have a beta52 myself and think its a great mic.

**Kermit** · 08-20-2001

I'd love to try a Beta 52, Sennheiser 421, a U87, or an e602, but in the meantime...

Like Gidge said, a D112 in the drum, and a 57 on the outside head. I've been using a Carvin CM68 instead of the 57 at times though.

I've also hooked up a headphone driver I got from mouser electronics (www.mouser.com) to do 808 type drops with pretty good results. It's taken some EQ though. But for $6 what do you expect?!?

**SpamBurglar** · 08-24-2001

After much deliberation, I bought an EV868 about 1 year ago and love it! I have used it on my kit, along with some other people's stuff with much success - live and recorded.

I play rock and have a 16"x22" kick that I play with two heads- small hole in front. I bought an internal mount (like $19.99) that's quite adjustable and it works really great. Great live sound and no fuss - no mic stands for the guitar player to kick over.

BTW, I position the mount so that the mic is about 3"-4" from the bottom of the shell, equidistant to both heads, and aimed up somewhat toward the beater contact point.

When recording, I pull off the front head, use a bit more muffling, and put an SM57 in there too, closer to the batter head, off-axis but aimed right at the beater contact point. I roll most of the lows off of the 57 and blend the two mics to get a nice "thump with bite" kick sound. If you want a more aggressive sound, you could mix the 57 in a bit hotter and get the rock/metal 'Thclick' that cuts.

One thing to consider is:

Will you be using this mic for anything else?

Some of the models mentioned - the Audix D4, ATM25 and Pro25, RE20 and RE27, along with the aforementioned high-end condenser mics - are more natural sounding and are less 'tailored' (or not at all) for a specific kick drum sound. They may be more versatile and able to be used on other sources. This might mean a more expensive mic is a better value for you if you can use it on other instruments when not mic'ing your kick.

The D112, Beta52, EV868, and e602 are pretty much designed for kick drums only (or maybe a bass cabinet?) and have a 'shaped' frequency response that accentuates the kick drums desirable frequencies, while attenuating the undesirables.

I ended up getting a "kick mic" because that's what I really needed and have been happy I did. No regrets with the 868. Sorry for the long post.

**Freudian Slip** · 08-26-2001

I Have the SHURE kit with the beta 52 and 3 SM-57's
I really like it. The clamps art a lot better than most out there too.
the only way you are going to get the clamps to fall of is if you break the rim of the drum. The clamps can also be reversed and clamped to cymbal stands. As for the mics, the Beta 52 gets a great sound but it is more picky than the akg as far as tuning, placement and EQing. I think the beta 52 has more potential and is a better mic for that but it is harder to work with. As far as the SM-57's, you really can't go wrong there. They are very versital and you need directional mics for doing drums to avoid too much bleed between tracks.
I do not know about the other brands. It is hard to go wrong with EV mics but I have never used their kick mic.

Bang for buck I'd go with the shure.