Radio Shack "Drum Mic"...

[Tim Brown]

Has anybody seen The Radio Shack Drum Mic?
It looks EXACTLY like The Sennheiser Drum mic that comes with The Drum Mount.
AND it comes with the exact same drum mount.

I'm thinking about buying one of them just to see if it's worth a damn. It probably isn't-but you never know.
I've been happy with the PZM's...

Tim

[jitteringjim]

Ummm. yeah, I've seen it - it does appear to be a rip-off of the Sennheiser, but the catalog blurb sez "perfect for instruments like kick drums" Hmmmm.... I sort of doubt it. I held one in my grubby little hands at the Shack and wasn't very impressed - also, It was the only mic in the store or catalog that didn't list the frequency response... It MAY be ok for drums - I dunno... @ only $50 a pop it may be something to check in to.

[Tim Brown]

Originally posted by jitteringjim
Ummm. yeah, I've seen it - it does appear to be a rip-off of the Sennheiser, but the catalog blurb sez "perfect for instruments like kick drums" Hmmmm.... I sort of doubt it. I held one in my grubby little hands at the Shack and wasn't very impressed - also, It was the only mic in the store or catalog that didn't list the frequency response... It MAY be ok for drums - I dunno... @ only $50 a pop it may be something to check in to.

Yeah, I wasn't thinking Kicks-I was thinking strictly for Toms.

Odds are it will be a waste of $50.00, but you never know...I bought the PZM on a whim, and knew nothing about it-and it's turned out to be one of my favorite mic's for overheads on the Drumkit-Just mount them on the ceiling, and double the Powersource(Either by Battery or by adding a 9-volt adapter), and they kick!

Tim

[Proveras]

hey Tim, it looks PRETTY good, nice mic in the photo.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...5Fid=33%2D3032


I think it can do the job for toms,
the clients will like it when they SEE the nice mic in the toms.

do you think they can do a better job then
the Samson R11 mics???

low budget!

[Tim Brown]

Originally posted by Proveras
hey Tim, it looks PRETTY good, nice mic in the photo.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...5Fid=33%2D3032


I think it can do the job for toms,
the clients will like it when they SEE the nice mic in the toms.

do you think they can do a better job then
the Samson R11 mics???

low budget!

Hi Proveras!

I don't know how it will work-and you're right about the "looks". It looks ALOT like the 604, and I know that other Mic companies make micrphones for RS, so I'm seriously thinking about buying 1.

Tim

[GT]

Going to Radio Shack for mics, is like going to Mrs. Pauls for sea food. Forget about it!!

[Tim Brown]

Yeah, but what if Your Prefer Ms. Pauls Fishsticks?
HAhahahaha

To me, Seafood was cooked four hours ago by a high school dropout, and has sat under a heatlamp at Long John Silver's.

So, do you think the PZM's were garbage, because they happen to be my Favorite overheads (And I've used tons of the "Classic mics"-there's a studio right down the street that has Mic's going back to the late 40's)?



Tim

[markert]

Good for you, Tim. I use some RadioShack mics in my home studio regularly with decent results. I bought several of these RS condensor mics on closeout for about $14 apiece last year. They work pretty well for micing acoustic guitar. I also use two of them for drum overheads. I even have an old RS vocal mic from the KISS cover band I played in in the early 80's. BTW, one of the SM57s on one of my toms was buzzing last week. I was bummed out but was delighted to see your post. Went straight out and bought one of RS drum mics. No time to try it out yet, but I think it will be fine.

[jet-rocker]

Hey make sure you let us know how that mic works out.
If it is indeed the Sennsenheiser, well damn. That fits into my sunny delight and pasta budget.

[GT]

Don't get me wrong, I've got so much Radio Shack equiptment in my studio, that I'm going to be featured on the next catalog cover.

I also bought a closout condenser mic for a great price, brought it home, it was a peice of crap, compared to my AKG dynamics, I gave it away.

I just think you can do much better than Radio Shack mics!

[kristian]

i took a look over yonder to radioshack to check if this is indeed atlast a cloned nody. but man that looks nothing like my e604s. Dont even waste your $50 or whatever bucks.

[MISTERQCUE]

A mic that "looks good" is way different than a mic that
"sounds good"

Skip Radio-Wack mics. They suck! (I know,I own 1 myself )

[Wallycleaver]

Radio shack mics suck! That's all I have to say about that.

[BennyBob]

Okay fellas...i am gonna step out on a limb here and say something that some of you guys might not like. Radio shack mics do not suck, they just don't appeal to your situation, and they don't nessacarily appeal to mine either. All I am saying, is trust your ears. It reminds me of when I used to work in a large guitar/music store. I would have these older guys come in looking for a Martin guitar. They had to have a martin, they wouldn't even consider looking at anything else, and I had some very fine Taylor's on the wall. I am partial to Taylors, just as some of you are partial to some of the mics you use, but I would always suggest that the buyer bring in a friend who was a good player, blindfold themselves(the buyer, not the player) and have their friend, or myself, play a variety of different guitars in their price range. Anything from fender acoustic, which I hate, Yamaha, Taylor, Martin, Guild (which I also dislike), Seagull, and Breedlove. You would be suprised at all the different responses I would get from buyers. Do the same with mics, don't just buy because somebody says they are great, and don't just not buy because somebody says they suck. Listen to them. Use your ears, so many guys today are going by numbers and specs without listening to the mic. True, I have tried some Radio Shack mics, and not found them very appealing, but I have a few in my arsenal that are, to me, priceless in there uses, and that don't compare to some other mics I've listened to that cost 100 dollars more. SO, before you just forget about RS mics, go out and really investigate. That is all I have to say in my humble opinion.
Ben

[MISTERQCUE]

I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY DISAGREE WITH YOU! Radio Whack mics
cannot be compared to anything! You claim to listen and use your ears, these mics are made to "look or resemble" other mics. I have been in music for 29 years, and I have dealt with a wide range of equipment and musicians and have not even heard not 1 positive review of this piece of crap.
I, hate to say this, even own a Radio Wack mic! the 29.99 special and it does no justice to ANY acoustic instrument,vocals,amps etc. RADIO WHACK "MICS" suck BIG TIME! If you wanna' waste your money,send it to me!

[BennyBob]

First of all, I don't really care how long you've been in music, or who you've worked with, all I am saying is that Radio Shack mics might very well work for some people's applications. You can't stereotype all radio shack mics saying they suck unless you have heard EVERY single one of them compared with EVERY single other mic in the world, and I doubt that is the case.
Ben

[MISTERQCUE]

So I assume you have HEARD every Radio Whack mic yourself?
My man,BennyBob,my brother used to work at Radio Whack for 6 years (and shhh,don't tell n-e-body)I used to, ahem, "borrow" them for various live gigs. I must've borrowed approx 14 different kinds and they all had that same tinny-ass-hollow,sounds like talkin' thru a empty toilet-roll sound! So yes,I hve "auditioned" most of their brands of mics and like I said,Radio Whack "mics"suck!
And don't take it so personal!
peace
MrQ

[enemyofthesun]

BennyBob.. I applaud your comments on the guitars etc. I wouldnt consider the Radio shack mic personally cause their reputation is not that great and I can afford more, but I really think you make a very valid point. Equipment should be judged by the way it really 'sounds' and not only by brand.

[BigKahuna]

Well ... that's a given, isn't it? Is there anybody here who would put their hard earned cash down based solely on a BBS opinion? If so, you deserve to get burned. That's just dumb and it hardly needs to be argued.
I, for one, don't need to A/B Radio Shack mics against "EVERY single other mic in the world" to know that they're substandard. My experience has shown me that they are ... without question. If I needed to record something in a hurry and I only had a choice between any Radio Shack mic and a good ol' SM57 ... I'd pick the SM57 any day of the week. But that's only because I've been in that situation and have made the wrong choice before. It's my opinion only, of course. But, it's my opinion based on more than a few years of recording.
It certainly should never stop someone from hopping down to the shack and drawing their own conclusions. How else would you really know for sure? How else would they gain their own experiences?
Most people don't want to waste their time, though ... so I think it's good advice to tell people to avoid them. They can always ignore that advice!

[BigKahuna]

$50 is still too much money to throw away ... maybe in 10 years it won't be ... but today, no way. If you're really curious, save your receipt ... because I bet you'll need it.
Yeah, the PZMs were pretty good ... but that's history. Weren't they made by Crown?
I seriously doubt this kick mic is a Sennheiser mic ...

[MISTERQCUE]

Yo BennyBob,don't mean to sound so harsh! I'm no mic expert,
but when it comes to Radio Whack mics,I'm only talkin' from experience. Like BigKahuna stated earlier,50.00 is a waste of money on 1 of those damn things! Of course my statements
mean crap to any-1 concerned but HONESTLY,if you use the "Closed Eye" test and compare a R.Wk. mic to another
I'll be damned if you can't tell the difference!
Peace
Mr.Q

[asi9]

Hey, don't say Radio Shack mics don't have any use whatsoever... I have a couple we use in practice; so our singer doesn't have to feel guilty if he throws it around/uses it on crash cymbals. Also, the wonderful low-gain keeps it from feeding back at high volumes (since he's singing through a guitar amp until we get our PA). Can you say.... expendibility?

[kristian]

except for using at band practice. but even then they suck because your vocalist ruins their voice trying to get heard, not hearing how they actaully sound etc etc. i have a radio shack mic that i inherited from a friend because his old bandmate left it at his house. my $17 fontopia earphones pic up more detailed, larger response range, louder, fuller sounds then that piece of shit. i dont know who you are kidding. radio shack doesnt work. cept the OLD realistic PZMs that i once used at watershed studios in portsmouth england.

[bvaleria]

The only experience I have (in case anyone cares!) with Radio Shack mics is a PZM from back in my 4-tracker days. Bought one out of the box and set it up using the 2 AAA batteries they recommend -- of course, the thing sounded like crap (no highs, muddy bottom). Did some digging around and found that there was a mod - using 18v camera batteries instead to power it -- the highs were MUCH better, bass less muddy - it was more usable.

BUT, after reading this thread, I dug it up out of the old "throw-away" bin and compared it to an SM58, and also a Rode NT2. Well... the SM58 outperformed it, and the NT2, of course, kicked it's ass - no comparison...

Bottom line - back then, for my level of experience, it sounded good at the time. Then as I got into recording at a more serious level, my ears were developing more critical listening skills allowing me to differentiate sound quality to a greater degree... to the point that I can take it as a given that RS mics are gonna sound like garbage...

But the real point of all this though, is that for the $50+ dollars you spend on what essentially is a throw-away piece of gear, you're already at the halfway point to buying an SM57 or SM58 that will never be a throw-away (until it gets damaged!) and will sound infinitely better.

Just my 2 cents....

Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound

[markert]

OK, I think this dead horse has one more post in her.

I have been using this RS drum mic for the last few days to replace a broken sm57 on a 12" tom. I think it sounds just as good as the 57, plus the drum clip works well.

Application is for recording CD demos for local bands in my basement/project studio utilizing a Korg D16. I'm sure many of you are thinking that maybe my ears aren't critical (ie "professional") enough. I would probably agree with you. But, hey, it works for me.

BTW, I recorded some vocals yesterday singing through the pickups of a 1960's Harmony Rocket guitar. Lets have fun today.