Kick Mic

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BurnBarfield

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What would be the best kick mic for 200 and under. It would be used for anything and everything, but mostly harder rock. The studio house kit is a Tama Rockstar.
 
The ATM25 and the D112 both work very well on the 22" Tama Rockstar kick.
 
Could you tell me the general characteristics of the sound each produce? If it helps, I really like the Incubus and AFI kick sounds.
 
Is the ATM25 as picky as the D112 on bass drum?
 
Right now Im diggin' the Audix D6 quite a bit..Also use the Beta 52 alot..
 
Drummer4Life05 said:
Is the ATM25 as picky as the D112 on bass drum?
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apparently you have to have a certain number of characters to post. i was just going to give a simple no, but it wouldn't let me.

no, it's pretty forgiving about the whole placement thing
 
I use an AKG D112. It's major points are its pretty natural low end. Its very beefy without being boomy, and it has a high-mid boost at around 4k or so for extra attack on rock recordings. You can pick one up on ebay for cheap (ive seen them under 100 bucks). Hope this helps!

the kid
 
If you will notice, everyone is saying that different mics are "the best." That's because there is no "best" kick mic. Almost every one of the good ones runs about $200, and they're all intended for different kinds of sounds. None of them are really copies of eachother, with one just being better than the other.
 
BrettB said:
Anyone can compare the AKG with the Shure Beta kick mic?
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In my experience, the AKG is a bit brighter and a tad more defined than the Beta 52, while the Beta 52 does possess a kind of roundness to it that can be usefull for jazz or contemporary recordings. They have their ups and downs. The AKG will kill the 52 in a rock environment with a 22" bass drum, and a Tama Iron Cobra double pedal with the beaters on the metal side, although the 52 would do WONDERS with a 26"/28" bass drum in a big band atmosphere.......lol. Kind of extreme differences but it serves the explanation.
 
donkeystyle said:
apparently you have to have a certain number of characters to post. i was just going to give a simple no, but it wouldn't let me.

no, it's pretty forgiving about the whole placement thing
Click to expand...

Thanks. :cool:
 
I kind of recommend the Sennheiser MD421.

Although it really might not be the greatest kick mic in that price range, i still think its up there. But the main reason i recommend it is because you can use it on a lot of things besides the kick drum which would be a good idea if you dont have a large mic selection yet. Its versatile and sounds good on most things. Then later when you need a little more flavorful mic set you could go ahead and get a different dedicated kick mic. Either way, if you dont like it you will be able to sell it again and get a different one. Just make sure you buy it used.

Guess it doesnt matter if you already have a pretty good mic collection for other things.

Other than that, out of what ive tried on kick, AKG D112, EV RE20, MD421, Sennheiser e602, what ive liked the best is the Sennheiser e602.

But the MD421 sounds good and is very EQ'able and also works on just about everything else.

Danny
 
From some of my notes. Might help...

Audio Technica ATM-25– I really like the AT mics. They give a really nice definition with not a lot of fuss. If you're just starting to learn to mic drums and are building a mic collection, I would recommend this mic [ or the Red5 Audio RVD-1 if you're in the UK ]. Good for classic rock and pop.

AKG D-112 – I like this mic for hard rock. Very solid, round tone can easily be had with this mic. I also like this mic for jazz – where the point is to often get this fluffy, shitty kick sound. This mic is forgiving on less-than-perfect kick drums.

Beta52 – this is a good mic if you're going for an in-your-face sound. It picks up "clicks" well for heavy metal [ metal washer duct taped to kick head at point of impact and struck with a wooden beater ]. Also good for R&B and Hip Hop. It's not the most musical kick mic, but it does pack a punch. There's a sort of a "honk" to it, and I wouldn't recommend for general kick miking purposes unless you want more "smack" than "boom". Good on tight kicks.

EV RE20 – This is a classic and probably my fav kick mic when it works and least favorite when it doesn't. This mic will make a really good well-tuned kick sound great, but wouldn't help the less-than-perfect kick sound as much. It's pretty flat and very unforgiving. This is the one mic that you'll find you get more use out of than just kick drum. It can make a great vox mic on the right voice.

Red5 Audio RVD-1 - a new up and comer. Really nicely defined tone - and picks up the low-end well. Great pop and rock kick mic.
 
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I have had some pleasing results with the CAD M-177. When used with the -20db pad it performs nicely. Thick low end ..but with a good amount of controlled "smack" form the drum head using the pad. It gives great attack and is suited well for harder rock styles.



brumby
 
While most of these suggestions are great, I hafta wonder a few things:

When people are recommending these mics, are they speaking to the original poster's question? Are these mics you're recommending actually being used on a Tama Rockstar Bass Drum, for hard rock production?

My response was specifically made towards the actual drum make and model being used, and the style of music he wants to record.

If he had asked about a small old Gretch kick for jazz, my answer would have probably been different.

Just curious as to how many of these answers are generic, rather than specific to the exact question being asked.
 
If I was a betting man... I'd bet yours is the only one targeting the Tama Rockstar Bass Drum... but I'm not saying none of the otrhers won't work either. If I was BurnBarfield... I'd try your recommendation first.

Generic list...

AKG D112
ATM25
Audix D9
Beyer M88
CAD KBM412
EV RE20
Sennheiser MD421
Sennheiser e602
Shure SM-91
Shure Beta 52
 
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