Budget Kick Mics that "Kick"?

K

Kapo_Polenton

New member
I have heard a few hands up for the superflux but it is apparently getting harder to find and a few places online I noticed only shipped within USA. ( I am in Canada). Ultimately I like the tone of the Shure beta-52 over the AKG so I guess I am looking more along those lines in terms of voicing. What else is out there that does the trick for less $$ but still leaves that thump or tight click in your chest?
 
For the most part, that thump and click...it comes from the drum, drum head and the beater with a close follow up by mic placement. Move the mic back and you start to get more shell sound.

I have the Beta 52 which I like a lot. I'll put it inside of the drum about 3" back from the batter head and about half the distance away between the center of the head and the drum shell with the mic pointed at the beater. If I want even more click, I put up an audix I5 on the outside of the drum up close to the beater. When you do this, you've gotta watch out for that swimmy phasey sound.

BTW, EQ goes a long way here too. I favor a parametric so I can cut some of the other sound going on from the rest of the kit.

I've gotten neg rep points for this before but it works for me if you're looking for a boxy metal kick drum sound. The music shops sell these stick on landing pads for the kick beater. You stick them on the batter head. They're like a sticker with a hard center. I've heard of guys sticking a large metal washer onto the drum head where the beater makes contact with the head as well. A hard felt, plastic or even wooden beater helps drive the "bapp" sound as well.

Experiment until you've exhausted the micing possibilities with the gear you have. By the way, whatcha workin' with eh?

Let the neg reps fly :rolleyes:
 
Well, I just picked up a firepod today so I could get up to 8 mics in so safe to say I am not going to have any funds till next pay cheque in a week or so when I probably shell out some cash for three of those GLS sm 57 clones. Right now I have one sm57 and two behringer condensers.. going to play around with this this weekend but I really was hoping someone could recommend a mic cheaper than the beta 52 but the other suggestion of a crappy mic + drumagog is also interesting. However, drumagog costs enough on its own but there are freeware programs that you can use to do the same thing. At that point it probably doesn't matter how shitty your mics are I guess..
 
try one of your behringer condensers. with some EQ, you should be able to come up with something useable. no worries there! :)
 
For $99 the Blue Kickball is a great deal. t has a really heavy rock sound with a threeway adjustable high and low boost that can give that click with a lot of thump. Just like any mic though placement can give horrible results and the drum sound itself is always the most important link in your chain.
 
the Audix D6 would suit your desires well. It's only $200. I've had the Beta 52 for years and I've hated it the entire time. A kid brought in the D6 one day and I fell in love with it. Just my opinion.

Ben
 
Most drummers don't know how to tune their kicks for the sound they/you/the world wants. That being said, you are best off getting a really voiced kick mic. The D6 is just that; no mids, all scooped so it thumps and clicks without remorse. You can get them for 130 bucks used if you're lucky.

More commonly found mics for just over 100 bucks (used)that will do the job are Steve Albini's 'workhorse', the Beyerdynamic M380, the Audio-Technica ATM25 (not the new ATM250 or 250DE, those are nice but you won't find them used quite as easily) which is hardly colored at all but will be great for male vocals and floor toms as well IF you can learn how to tune a kick drum if it doesn't SOUND clicky to begin with, the Electrovoice EVN/D868 which is kinda like a D112 but smoother and muddier.

As for mics to stay away from...Don't think about the D112, please. I've never liked how it sounds. It's made every kick I've ever miced with one no matter what my technique sound like a basketall getting dribbled.
 
mrhotapples said:
It's made every kick I've ever miced with one no matter what my technique sound like a basketall getting dribbled.
Click to expand...

I thought i was the only one who heard that. In a class in college, we recorded a metal group with the D112 and we fought for hours trying to get the kick to lose the dribble sound. That was my only instance using that mic and we all thought the drum kit played a major role in the kick's sound.

Go figure you had a similar turnout with the exact same mic...

- Mat
 
Ive heard some really great recordings with the D6...i was thinking about cheaper mics like the PG52 and stuff, but i'd play it safe, save up, and go with the d6...thats what im saving for.
 
JPXTom said:
Ive heard some really great recordings with the D6...i was thinking about cheaper mics like the PG52 and stuff, but i'd play it safe, save up, and go with the d6...thats what im saving for.
Click to expand...

I use one almost daily and love it. It's also kick ass on low growl/scream vocals.
 
punkin said:
For the most part, that thump and click...it comes from the drum, drum head and the beater with a close follow up by mic placement. Move the mic back and you start to get more shell sound.

I have the Beta 52 which I like a lot. I'll put it inside of the drum about 3" back from the batter head and about half the distance away between the center of the head and the drum shell with the mic pointed at the beater. If I want even more click, I put up an audix I5 on the outside of the drum up close to the beater. When you do this, you've gotta watch out for that swimmy phasey sound.

BTW, EQ goes a long way here too. I favor a parametric so I can cut some of the other sound going on from the rest of the kit.

I've gotten neg rep points for this before but it works for me if you're looking for a boxy metal kick drum sound. The music shops sell these stick on landing pads for the kick beater. You stick them on the batter head. They're like a sticker with a hard center. I've heard of guys sticking a large metal washer onto the drum head where the beater makes contact with the head as well. A hard felt, plastic or even wooden beater helps drive the "bapp" sound as well.

Experiment until you've exhausted the micing possibilities with the gear you have. By the way, whatcha workin' with eh?

Let the neg reps fly :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Why would those fucktards give you neg reps for that. I do that all the time..it works...WELL. Just gives it more snap...
 
_mat_ said:
I thought i was the only one who heard that. In a class in college, we recorded a metal group with the D112 and we fought for hours trying to get the kick to lose the dribble sound. That was my only instance using that mic and we all thought the drum kit played a major role in the kick's sound.

Go figure you had a similar turnout with the exact same mic...

- Mat
Click to expand...

I hate the d112...the seinheiser one is good. I can't remember the model number but it's their kick mic... yum
 
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