mics for toms...need some advice please

  • Thread starter Thread starter frequency_
  • Start date Start date
F

frequency_

New member
hi i m thinking to buy a drum mic set, containing one D112 and four C418 mics, and i already have an akg c1000 for overheads and an sm57 for the snare. Well...i definately want the d112 but i m not sure about the c418 ones...can someone help me with that? are there any other good mics around for recording toms?
they will be used for recording rock music. thanks!
 
Good choice on the D112! I love mine.

never used em, but 57's and MD421's work fantastically for myself. There are lots of options out there, but these are good bang for your budget buck options.

I would also recomend you look at getting a solid condensor pair for overheads instead of a singal c1000...not many good reviews of that mic and LDC's are usually used as single overheads...a pair will give you a better stereo image than a single one!

Jacob
 
Sennheiser E604s, relatively cheap and very effective. They sound a lot like 421s for a lot less cash. They are also clip ons so you will need to gate extra noise picked up from being cliped to the drum rims. If you prefer them on stands they will work fine that way too.

They run about $300 for a 3 set.
 
The c418's are decent sounding mics, the only real problem I have with them is the tiny wire that you plug your mic cable into. If you aren't careful, you can tear it right off by hanging a mic cable from it.
 
MD421's rock for mid to low toms. SM57's rock on mid to higher toms. Those e609's sound pretty sweet. I don't even mic my toms though! :cool:
 
thanks...i checked on Sennheiser MD421 they seem to be prety good, although a bit expensive, the E604 seem to me like a better option at the moment (just cause of the cost)
 
frequency_ said:
thanks...i checked on Sennheiser E604s they seem to be prety good, although a bit expensive, the E604 seem to me like a better option at the moment (just cause of the cost)
Click to expand...
Yeah or getthe E604's cuz they're cheaper
 
Audio-Techinca AT3035's....
One between your high toms and one between your floors. They're big mics, but they sound wonderful on toms and because they're side-address, you can keep 'em low and out of the way...no cables sticking up in the air. Depending on the degree of isolation you need or want, they'll also pick up your hats and snare. Huge sound, and for toms...actually better than the AT4040 and AE3000. They go for about $150 each and that includes a suspension mount.
 
PYRRHO said:
Audio-Techinca AT3035's....
One between your high toms and one between your floors. They're big mics, but they sound wonderful on toms and because they're side-address, you can keep 'em low and out of the way...no cables sticking up in the air. Depending on the degree of isolation you need or want, they'll also pick up your hats and snare. Huge sound, and for toms...actually better than the AT4040 and AE3000. They go for about $150 each and that includes a suspension mount.
Click to expand...
would the 3035 be considered a mdc or ldc? i havent seen many people suggestion this type of microphone on toms very often. what advantages does a 3035 have on toms as opposed to the e604s, sm57s, or e609s? how does the 3035 compare to the sennheiser md421?
 
frequency_ said:
thanks...i checked on Sennheiser MD421 they seem to be prety good, although a bit expensive, the E604 seem to me like a better option at the moment (just cause of the cost)
Click to expand...

The thing is that you can use 421's to mic guitars, bass cabinets, saxaphones (if you ever had that need), and even a kick drum (personally, I would rather use IT than a D112 on kick!) I think it is a great investment mic!

I agree though that for your highest tom, a SM 57 might actually sound a little better. Something about the way the 57 picks up that higher pitch. It seems to sound "rounder" than the 421, but on lower toms, the 421 smokes the 57.

Mics are a good investment to make. Don't skimp. Get decent stuff if you can possibly afford it. Really, the versatility of the 421 makes it an excellent purchase!
 
frequency_ said:
hi i m thinking to buy a drum mic set, containing one D112 and four C418 mics, and i already have an akg c1000 for overheads and an sm57 for the snare. Well...i definately want the d112 but i m not sure about the c418 ones...can someone help me with that? are there any other good mics around for recording toms?
they will be used for recording rock music. thanks!
Click to expand...

If you end up getting the C418s, they work great for overheads.
I would try to go with the MD421 for your toms as everyone else has suggested. I upgraded to them from the e604. If can't get the MD421 now, I would suggest getting the SM57 until you can.
 
Shure Beta98. Can be had for $200. A lot of people are using Studio Projects B1 on toms with lots of success.
 
thexflamesxburn said:
would the 3035 be considered a mdc or ldc? i havent seen many people suggestion this type of microphone on toms very often. what advantages does a 3035 have on toms as opposed to the e604s, sm57s, or e609s? how does the 3035 compare to the sennheiser md421?
Click to expand...

The AT3035 has a large diaphragm...one inch. Advantages? Extremely high SPL handling capability, with nearly flat response from 20-20. Clear...natural...gives back only what you put in. Disadvantages? Hypersensitivity. I like sensitive mics, but for someone needing a tom mic that picks up the tom and only the tom, well.... I haven't compared a 3035 to an e604, though I suspect it will spank one. It has more bottom-end than both an e609 and sm57. I also can't compare a 3035 to an md421...but there's obviously a reason it costs 2/3 less. You will rarely see people suggesting mics like these for toms...too far outside the box.

When drummers think of toms, they automatically go for the eight or nine most common mics specifically geared towards toms. Seasoned engineers, often have access to the high-end Neumanns and such, so these "budget condensers" don't get much notice. The Audio-Technica AT3035, is "supposed" to be a vocal mic. I bought mine as overheads because I wanted to capture more low-end; I wanted mics that heard what I hear from my vantage-point behind the kit...I also wanted to do this with a short stack of bills. I'm sure as my experience and taste develops, I'll find problems with the At30305's, but right now, they can do no wrong.
 
What is very important when recording drums is finding a mic that can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. I have scratch's all over my e604s from my drummer hitting them. I have a ding on the grille of my 421 from my drummer hitting it. I have a 57 that the drummer broke the plastic grille off. $10 for a new one. All these mics still sound like the day I bought them. Unless you are lucky enough to work with professional drummers all the time, chances are your mics are going to get dinged up.
 
I bought a pack of AKG drum mics a few years ago [D112 and 2 c418]. It was a good deal. I am very happy with the D112. The c418s are good also. I have used them on toms and snare. Someone said that they work well as overheads--I will have to try that some time.

If I were buying today, I would probably get the D112 and two good overhead mics. You can save tracks and get a decent sound with four mics--kick,snare and 2 overheads). I guess it depends how many tracks you have, how much control you need at mix. The sm57 works for snare and you already have one c1000...have you considered the D112 and another c1000?
 
schulteboy said:
I bought a pack of AKG drum mics a few years ago [D112 and 2 c418]. It was a good deal. I am very happy with the D112. The c418s are good also. I have used them on toms and snare. Someone said that they work well as overheads--I will have to try that some time.

If I were buying today, I would probably get the D112 and two good overhead mics. You can save tracks and get a decent sound with four mics--kick,snare and 2 overheads). I guess it depends how many tracks you have, how much control you need at mix. The sm57 works for snare and you already have one c1000...have you considered the D112 and another c1000?
Click to expand...

yes i definately want a d112, i m not sure about geting another c1000 after the bad comments i ve heard (still think its a good mic though), but i definately need a pair of OH mics
 
I recently purchased the Audix DP5A set and have been extremly happy with the results...

Audix DP5A

The set comes with 1 D6, 2 D2's, 1 D4 an I-5 which I prefer over a 57 on snare on most things, also makes a killer mic for guitar cabs. All of the Tom mics are great, and of course the D-6 is the coolest sounding kick mic for rock IMO!

Also consider a pair of small condensors for your over heads, I use a pair of 603's which do quite well. Save a little more money and buy great drum mics once!
 
I use a pair of C1000's for overheads and get excellent results.. I also use one on my hi-hats.
 
Don't know what other folks think of them, but I've been happy with my AKG D2300S mics. They list for $100 each, but MF has a two for $70 deal. When I got mine, my first three were... I think $6 each, and the next three were about $10. Apparently somebody realized that the mics are decent, as the price keeps going up. :D

I wouldn't use them for vocals, personally, as they're a little bright for my taste, but they make quite good tom mics when used with CAD DSM-1 mounts.
 
I bought a third CAD M179 for tom use, incredible open sound and doesn't get all boxy / closed up like most dynamic mics do in the low/mids.

You must engage the pad.

War
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top