Good low priced kick mics?
- Thread starter Orpheus
- Start date
Rimshot
New member
I own two kick mics. An ATM25 which you can snag for $139.99 at 8th Street or zZounds and a CAD KBM412 which you can get in a number of places for $49.99. The CAD is a good mic, but it has a very distinct personality. It will pick up that very raw "click-boom" sound that works well with heavy rock and heavy metal, but I wouldn't choose it for mellower music. The output is okay and it really does tolerate very heavy SPL, but if I recall correctly the frequency range is down around 25hz.
That's the only kick mic I know of that's even worth buying in your price range. Stay away from the REALY cheap drum mic kits that are packaged by Nady or Stageworks, you'll do better with a jury rigged telephone.
That's the only kick mic I know of that's even worth buying in your price range. Stay away from the REALY cheap drum mic kits that are packaged by Nady or Stageworks, you'll do better with a jury rigged telephone.
DigitalDon
New member
What about the Superlux DRK-A3C2 drum mic kit? I got one about a year or so ago and have had reasonable success with it. Paid less than $200 for it. I don't have anything else to compare it with but I've been satisfied.
theletterq
New member
Rimshot
New member
Yeah the AT Pro 25 is a good mic. I've been thinking about picking a couple up for live stage mics to use on my floor toms. I don't like the Beta 52 on kick for my style of playing, I find it's more suited to Heavy Rock and I've got the CAD for that at less than 1/3 the price.
I'm not familier with the Superlux mics at all, I'll have to check them out at that price to suggest to friends if they're any good.
One other mic that I forgot to mention tho I don't have personal experience with it, but Dennis over at the Long Island Drum Center raves about it as a high quality entry level kick mic and that is the "F" series from Audix. I believe it can be had for about the price range you are talking about. Dennis sells them for aroud $70 and LIDC doesn't have that much of a turn over on mics and electronics so I'm thinking that it may be cheaper at one of the bigger Pro-Audio sites (or not). I believe it is the F 12 but I'm not sure about that.
If you can score an AT Pro 25 used for around $50, that's also a good way to go. New they are in the $80-$90 range.
Another possibilty, and this is a stretch; an Oktava MK319 (large diaphram condenser) can often be picked up on sale at Guitar Center for under $100 and a jazz drummer that I know uses one backed off from his kick and gets incredible sound. The reason that I mention it is that it is a multi-purpose mic that you can use well in other applications.It tolerates low frequencies well and for some people it is an excellent vocal mic. I use its simpler brother the MK219 as my floor tom mics for recording at home. I use only dynamic mics live.
I'm not familier with the Superlux mics at all, I'll have to check them out at that price to suggest to friends if they're any good.
One other mic that I forgot to mention tho I don't have personal experience with it, but Dennis over at the Long Island Drum Center raves about it as a high quality entry level kick mic and that is the "F" series from Audix. I believe it can be had for about the price range you are talking about. Dennis sells them for aroud $70 and LIDC doesn't have that much of a turn over on mics and electronics so I'm thinking that it may be cheaper at one of the bigger Pro-Audio sites (or not). I believe it is the F 12 but I'm not sure about that.
If you can score an AT Pro 25 used for around $50, that's also a good way to go. New they are in the $80-$90 range.
Another possibilty, and this is a stretch; an Oktava MK319 (large diaphram condenser) can often be picked up on sale at Guitar Center for under $100 and a jazz drummer that I know uses one backed off from his kick and gets incredible sound. The reason that I mention it is that it is a multi-purpose mic that you can use well in other applications.It tolerates low frequencies well and for some people it is an excellent vocal mic. I use its simpler brother the MK219 as my floor tom mics for recording at home. I use only dynamic mics live.
The Byetone mics someone recommended on another thread from The Sound Room seem pretty reasonably priced.
This may be a REAL stretch, and I've yet to try it out myself (just need a freakin' drum kit... 
), but I heared some people were getting good results with throwing an electret condenser inside the kick drum. Hey, It goes down to 20hz!
You can get a Behringer ECM-8000 for 30-40$ in the US, or you can build one yourself using a Panasonic capsule. Plenty of schematics on the net and it will only cost you around 15-20$.
You'd probobly need to play with EQ, but it's not much of a risk, in anycase.
Oren
), but I heared some people were getting good results with throwing an electret condenser inside the kick drum. Hey, It goes down to 20hz!You can get a Behringer ECM-8000 for 30-40$ in the US, or you can build one yourself using a Panasonic capsule. Plenty of schematics on the net and it will only cost you around 15-20$.
You'd probobly need to play with EQ, but it's not much of a risk, in anycase.
Oren
chessparov
New member
Peavey PVM 520i, which is a major sleeper mic.
Good not just on kick, also for many other instruments, including vocals.
Under $100 used.
Chris
Good not just on kick, also for many other instruments, including vocals.
Under $100 used.
Chris
Rimshot
New member
Aren,
I'm the fellow that is on this site that has been mentioned using the ECM8000 as a kick mic. It was a temporary measure because I didn't have a kick mic and couldn't afford one. I had been borrowing a recording friend's kick mic, but had to return it.
The ECM8000 will work BUT don't put it in the kick drum, you'll hurt the poor little bugger, back it off a bit and don't aim it at the sound hole, just off to the rim a bit.The sound is not great, but acceptable if you're really stuck without a kick mic. BTW I thought it was an electrolet too but I've since been corrected.
Others might reccommend the Sennheisser e604 (great mic) or the Radio Shack 330-3032 (also good) but niether of these is any good for kick. They don't deal with those low frequencies at all.
I now have two good kick mics and I'm in the market for an Audix D6 also (or maybe I'll just be sensible and live with what I have and save for a Yamaha Custom Recording Kit).
I'm the fellow that is on this site that has been mentioned using the ECM8000 as a kick mic. It was a temporary measure because I didn't have a kick mic and couldn't afford one. I had been borrowing a recording friend's kick mic, but had to return it.
The ECM8000 will work BUT don't put it in the kick drum, you'll hurt the poor little bugger, back it off a bit and don't aim it at the sound hole, just off to the rim a bit.The sound is not great, but acceptable if you're really stuck without a kick mic. BTW I thought it was an electrolet too but I've since been corrected.
Others might reccommend the Sennheisser e604 (great mic) or the Radio Shack 330-3032 (also good) but niether of these is any good for kick. They don't deal with those low frequencies at all.
I now have two good kick mics and I'm in the market for an Audix D6 also (or maybe I'll just be sensible and live with what I have and save for a Yamaha Custom Recording Kit).
Rimshot - ECM stands for Electret Condenser Microphone.
Actually, I didn't get this idea from site. I think I read it in the Tape Op tutorial in how to build these microphone.
I think one can get a decent kick sound by placing a 58' right outside the kick and an ECM a few feet in front of it. Maybe in a "tunnel". Dunno... I should try it one day.
Oren
Actually, I didn't get this idea from site. I think I read it in the Tape Op tutorial in how to build these microphone.
I think one can get a decent kick sound by placing a 58' right outside the kick and an ECM a few feet in front of it. Maybe in a "tunnel". Dunno... I should try it one day.
Oren
donkeystyle
New member
if you have enough tracks, you can use whatever you've been using and then also use a speaker as a mic...........that'll give you all kinds of low end......but in order for it to sound good, you have to have a mic and the speaker.....as the speaker alone will be muddy and unclear.
Rimshot
New member
Thanks Aren for clearing that up.
Here's the thread where I thought I was corrected, now maybe I"m remembering wrong:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84658&perpage=20&h...
I still use these as my primary overheads and the sound level is fine once I treated my room. I definitely WOULDN'T use these for a live gig. Even on the kick.
Here's the thread where I thought I was corrected, now maybe I"m remembering wrong:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84658&perpage=20&h...
I still use these as my primary overheads and the sound level is fine once I treated my room. I definitely WOULDN'T use these for a live gig. Even on the kick.
hmm..... thanks for the great responses guys.
i was actually recording a djembe, but the client wanted it to sound more like a bass drum. ....i was using an audio technica at4033 cause that was all i had. i placed it near the middle, about 1 ft away, and angled it towards the hole on the bottom. anyway, it sounded okay, and she liked the sound.... but i thought a real kick drum inside the djembe, through the hole, would be better.
but though this mic was for a djembe, i also want to be able to use it with a real kick drum. you know... versatility saves money. heh he...
anyway... i'll look into all those mics mentioned... thanks a bunch!
orpheus
i was actually recording a djembe, but the client wanted it to sound more like a bass drum. ....i was using an audio technica at4033 cause that was all i had. i placed it near the middle, about 1 ft away, and angled it towards the hole on the bottom. anyway, it sounded okay, and she liked the sound.... but i thought a real kick drum inside the djembe, through the hole, would be better.
but though this mic was for a djembe, i also want to be able to use it with a real kick drum. you know... versatility saves money. heh he...
anyway... i'll look into all those mics mentioned... thanks a bunch!
orpheus