kick drum mic- what do you know about the AT PRO 25?

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shackrock

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does anyone know anything about the AT PRO 25? It's only 60 bucks, and I'm assuming its a ton better for kick drums then an SM57 is....and if so, is it worth the buy? (right now i'm using an sm57 on the kick).

I could either get this kick mic now...or wait a while longer till i get $150 and get a used BETA52 or D112 off ebay...what does anyone think? how much better are each of the mics then the other?
thanks
 
I used a atm25 yesterday on a kick from the beaterside, very close. Sounded cool, everybody including the drummer liked it...unfortenutaley isn't mine.
greetings
Harald
PS if i could buy it here for only 60$ i would have one already...
 
The Audio Technica AMT25 and the AT Pro 25 are NOT the same microphone. The Pro 25 is a cheaper version of the ATM25, with a little more top end and a little less bottom end. For 60 bucks, it's not a bad mic, but it's better for floor tom. I would use it on a kick before I would use a Beta 52.
 
We used it on our latest demo which we did at a local studio. Bass drum is clear and consistent, and he only used a little compression (cheap dbx, I didn't really see the settings). He miced it about halfway inside the drum, with the front head removed. I'm not sure about the EQ, but he said he hardly used much (I looked at his Mackie board: -3 @ 400, +2 @ 5K). It sounds deep and full, with a little click on the top end. He had a 15x 8 room, with about a 10 foot ceiling.

Anyways, it worked, and I can see where it could work in other places. And it's only 60 bucks.
 
Harvey - so, you would use the 60 dollar mic before you would use the Beta52? I will be needing a kick mic soon...and I was thinking that Beta52 would be the "solid" option. You don't like the mic? (personally I've never heard any kick mics really...still working on getting my drums to sound good for themselves)
 
and where, pray tell, do you purchase that mic at that price?
 
when our drummer finally decided to go buy a kick mic, I told him to get the atm25. He got the Pro 25 (because he'e cheap, not deaf), and I would say it's 'okay'. Definitely better than a 57. I'd prefer a D112 or E602, but for $60, the Pro 25 would be hard to pass on.
 
wes480 said:
Harvey - so, you would use the 60 dollar mic before you would use the Beta52? I will be needing a kick mic soon...and I was thinking that Beta52 would be the "solid" option. You don't like the mic? (personally I've never heard any kick mics really...still working on getting my drums to sound good for themselves)
Click to expand...
We had a group in last month that used double kick. The bass player/manager had a brand new pair of Beta 52s, so I thought I'd try them. They sound a little bit like a D112, but no real definition. I tried different positions, but nothing worked.

Finally, I just said screw it, stuck an ATM25 in one kick, a Pro 25 in the other (the kicks were tuned high and low), and it was perfect. The manager took the Beta 52s back to the store Monday morning.

The ATM25 is probably the most useful kick mic I have, followed closely by the AKG D112 and the AT Pro 25. The Sennheiser 421 is next, with the original AKG D12E in last place (unless I'm looking for a 60's rock sound).
 
At that price point, the Pro 25 is hard to beat, esp if you can snag one off of e-Bay. I use one to mic a bass amp, (thanks for the advice, Gidge) and if we ever get a drummer to replace our SR-16, I may try it for floor tom/kick.
 
for only 40 bucks more I will get the ATM25 and the case. Might as well. sounds like a solid choice to me if it is harvey reccomended. Now I just have to get this bass drum sounding good ;)
 
Harvey Gerst said:
The Audio Technica AMT25 and the AT Pro 25 are NOT the same microphone. The Pro 25 is a cheaper version of the ATM25, with a little more top end and a little less bottom end. For 60 bucks, it's not a bad mic, but it's better for floor tom. I would use it on a kick before I would use a Beta 52.
Click to expand...

I will check again, but i am pretty shure i used the atm 25. the bd wasn't tuned very low, it was salsa/latin stuff. We didn't use it much in the final mix, although. most comes from the stero pair above. I once had a beta 52 here and decided against it in favour of a sm58, but again this was a Latin jazz thing. but then, what do I know...
 
Sounds like you know a lot and you're letting your ears guide you rather than the nameplate on the equipment, which is a very good thing. Around here, the ATM25 is pretty much the first kick mic we reach for.

Latin/Salsa would be a welcome relief from all the metal bands we do. I need some variety to keep from getting into a rut.
 
You mean you didn't choose to do the Harder Beat column because of your love for Thrash, Hardcore etal?
 
Actually, I feel your pain. As a customer/denizen of DLP Rehearsals' various locations in Dallas down since the mid-80's, I have had a fair sampling of much of your largest customer-base.

Reminds me of your column about wishing for more talented/less egocentric people to work with, like Andy Timmons, etc.
-kp
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Sounds like you know a lot and you're letting your ears guide you rather than the nameplate on the equipment, which is a very good thing. Around here, the ATM25 is pretty much the first kick mic we reach for.

Latin/Salsa would be a welcome relief from all the metal bands we do. I need some variety to keep from getting into a rut.
Click to expand...

do i have to say that my first thought was when i saw the mic "ah, that's the one the man in sanger uses!"?
And no, I am really what you people call a "rookie"...
harvey, talking about bass drum micing: do you think i could damage my earthworks omni puttin it *inside* the bassdrum?
 
We're actually very lucky in that we get some of the very best North Texas groups to record here, like Slow Roosevelt, Doosu, Project 232, Pistol Whipping Ike, etc., but the basic metal/rock genre is so similar, I don't get too much room for experimentation.

I had a New Age group in a few years ago (Percussion, Digeredoo, and Flute) that gave me some real challenges and sometimes I'll use people like Jeff Barnes (Brave Combo) on things I'm producing, but those projects are few and far between.

I did an album for a woman from Wichita, KS last year and I'm pretty proud of that one. Her name is Charisse Lowe and she has some samples of my production up on her website: http://www.charisselowe.com .

She came down to the studio, played her guitar and sang, then left. I used her scratch tracks as guides, and did the arrangements (she left it all up to me), hired some kick ass musicians, then brought her back to do the final vocals.

It took her a while to even like what I did to some of her songs. She hated "Life's Road Blues" until about the 20th time of listening to it, and actually cried when she heard what I did with "Taillights" (the good kind of crying).

I just wish I had a little more diversity around here to make things more interesting.
 
The Earthworks should handle the SPL ok, but the omni pattern let's it pick up too much of the bottom of the snare and the bottom of the floor tom, and worse, the inside of the whole kick, which can really make for a hollow sound. But try it - it just may work great.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
The Earthworks should handle the SPL ok, but the omni pattern let's it pick up too much of the bottom of the snare and the bottom of the floor tom,
Click to expand...

i have tried it from in front, and had a very nice sound per se (huge bottom, due to the omni pattern iguess, and much detail) but far to much of the snare and floor tom. So maybe my idea won't work.
thank you for taking the time to answer!
Harald
 
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