Good Kick Mic

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Rhamett

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Hello.my name is Rhmett.I operate one of the largest studios in my area.
i'm searching for a nice bass drum microphone to pick up some nice low frequency yet tightness. :D
i have many different preamps ( sytek,great river,sebatron ) that react well with sound but i'm still searching for that right tone.in attack and decay for the kick.
any suggestions for a good dynamic bass drum microphone?
 
I really like my ATM25, usually even over the AKGD112 and an EVRE20, which we have at the studio I work at.
 
Open holed kick:

AKG D12 (the square one, not the oval D112) I used a "D10" (I think) once that was the Daddy of the D12...it was twice the size and AWESOME

Fet 47

Some like to use an Shure SM7, Senheisser 421, Shure 57 or RE20 (be prepared to suck out a lot of lower mids with the RE20).

Closed kick head:

ATM25 (one on the front, one with flipped phase on the back)

Fet 47

* Of course there are people that add more mics and even will build a longer shell for the kick with a mic in it. The greater distance from the kick means you can use a tube mic with less worry about overloading.

* Remember that much of the bottom from your kick can come from your Overhead mics (see the postings in the thread about "Matching Overhead Mics".

-Bruce Miller
( more tips and "Starving Artist Mix Special" at http://BruceAMiller.us )
 
ATM25 is a very good kick mic, neutral but delivers the punch. I also like E/V's ND868. Hell I've had luck with a '57 before...

War
 
I used to love the AKGD112, but now I am using a Shure Beta52 most of the time inside the kick. I usually have a mic out in front of the kit that is a big part of the kick sound. Love the U47 for that but that aint cheap.
 
i also used to use a Shure Beta 52 for my kick mic. it seems to be a VERY quiet mic and i need to duplicate the kick drum track (and any noise/bleed through on that track with it) to make it thick enough.

if i ever record live drums again, i will probably try out another kind of mic. i was surprised to find i didnt like the 52, shure has awesome mics otherwise.
 
I go along with the D12; the older vintage one.
It'll run you close to a grand, but its a tough mic to beat for kick drum.
 
"I go along with the D12; the older vintage one.
It'll run you close to a grand, but its a tough mic to beat for kick drum."

I think you're getting the D12 mixed up with something else...
You can pick up a D12 for 250-300 bucks the last time I looked?...

But here's the mic I'd get for just about any kick application--the EV RE38. It's a sleeper, but well worth seeking out....
 
Rhamett said:
Hello.my name is Rhmett.I operate one of the largest studios in my area.
i'm searching for a nice bass drum microphone to pick up some nice low frequency yet tightness. :D
i have many different preamps ( sytek,great river,sebatron ) that react well with sound but i'm still searching for that right tone.in attack and decay for the kick.
any suggestions for a good dynamic bass drum microphone?
Click to expand...
My favorite mic for kick is the Sennheiser MD421... and I also like the Audio-technical ATM25... and both mics can work well together too (MD421 near the beater for click/punch, and the ATM25 just inside the front of the kick for bass).
 
last year another guy told me the AKG D12 can go up to $1000 too !
weird since i found mine for alot cheaper.... 1/10th of the price...

or the prices have dropped incredibly, or people are talking about another mic;...or maybe its an expensive one in some parts of the world ...

i've also had nice results with a Shure sm57 close to the batter,
and the AKG on the other side, in front of the hole....

but sometimes i just have an AWESOME sound if i only use my AKG c414 as a room mic, and then i only play on my kick and snare.... but i have terrible accoustics, so i have to take real care with that....
 
People seem to vary a whole lot on this issue. Personally, I hate the sound of a 57, a 421, a PL20, a D4 and an ATM25 on kick. As far as dynamics go, I love the AKG d12, and have always had good luck with the D112, beta 52 (which if it is that quiet that you need to double it, then you actually need to get it repaired or check gain structure), D6, 602. I almost always place the dynamic right in the port angled towards the beater. However, I also add either a beta or sm91, or an AKG 451 to the inside of the kick as well. However, most of the stuff I do is aggressive rock and wants that huge thump with an aggresive clicky top to cut through the layers of big guitars. For doing certain other types of music, some of the mics I mentioned above that I didn't like work really well for me. So first it comes down to taste, then the style of music, then the room, then the drums etc....
 
I was very surprised

I listened to a band and the kick sound was powerful--and tight!! he was using the CAD kick drum mic. It sounded nice!

I have never used it and I didn't check out the signal chain so I have no idea how it was processed, if any.
 
We're using a Shure Beta 52 inside the kick drum with very good results. Some songs need little processing to get a good sound, just a little scooping at around 300 Hz. Preferred the Beta 52 over an AKG D112 we were using before.

Say, is dual miking--inside and front of kick--the way to go? Would you use a dynamic inside the drum, and a condenser for the front of kick? We're using seven mikes on the kit now, but I have one channel left...
 
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