My drum mic situation

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Shout It Out

Shout It Out

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Well, right now I am using the Nady drum pack (http://www.music123.com/Nady-DMK-7-Drum-Mic-Kit-i264536.music) with a SM57 on the snare. I have been thinking about just restarting my microphone setup to 2 MXL 603's for Overheads, SM57 on snare, and an AKG d112 for bass, all of the Nady's would be eliminated. Do you think this is a better mic collection than the nady's. Will i hear noticable differences. The main differences I can see in the mics are all in the frequencies. I just want to know if its worth the few hundred dollars for the upgrade.
 
I use to use the Nady mic pack, they actually are pretty good. I've posted saying different but in retrospect you get a good deal out of them. You will hear a big difference, however, if you're strapped for cash and just want to hear your recordings better, I wouldn't shell out the money.
 
Thanks for the reply...i also think they are a great pack. I might just upgrade to the d112 kick mic. the nady kick mic is the weakest link of the pack
 
Shout It Out said:
Thanks for the reply...i also think they are a great pack. I might just upgrade to the d112 kick mic. the nady kick mic is the weakest link of the pack

What is it specifically that you are looking for in a kick drum mic?


Tim
 
Witness mics

I'd save for some Rode NT4 or NT5s or thier equivelent. Really ask around about the bass drum mic. It really depends on the styles that you are playing as to whether the Beta52, d112, D6, 414, Kickball, etc.. is the right one for you.
 
also...

You also might think about a good inexpensive compressor like the RNC (you need a stereo pair)...if you don't have one.
 
I am looking for more low end and thump in the kick mic. The Nady doesnt have that great of low end, you can get a little thump out of it though.
 
I would go the exact route you are suggesting, but I don't think there's a need to eliminate the Nady's when you can still use the tom mics. All the tom mics do is fill in the body of the toms. You'll get great aticulation from the 603's as overheads. The Nady's will do quite well to assist.
 
I agree, keep the nady's on the toms, but get the 112 for the kick and a nice set of overheads. also, take a look at where you're recording, room ambiance can really make or break a live drum sound.

read up on recent drum! magazine articles, they've been going over some really good tips to get decent drum sounds in different recording situations.
 
Well the drum room is fine its treated with 703 bass traps and some more absorbtion. I was thinking about adding in the nady mics for the toms. if it helps Ill keep em. I mostly want to get the best sound out of the 2 over heads the kick and snare though. So the mxl/akg/shure combo sounds good??
 
Shout It Out said:
Well the drum room is fine its treated with 703 bass traps and some more absorbtion. I was thinking about adding in the nady mics for the toms. if it helps Ill keep em. I mostly want to get the best sound out of the 2 over heads the kick and snare though. So the mxl/akg/shure combo sounds good??

Yes, it is a good combination....but you may also want to seriously look at the D6 for the kick mic.
I haven't personally used one, but I have some friends who have them and they love them.... especially if you are doing Metal....I kind of find it hard to believe that they'd choose them over the D112 for metal, but they are.



Tim
 
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Shout It Out said:
Well the drum room is fine its treated with 703 bass traps and some more absorbtion. I was thinking about adding in the nady mics for the toms. if it helps Ill keep em. I mostly want to get the best sound out of the 2 over heads the kick and snare though. So the mxl/akg/shure combo sounds good??


i personally dont know much about the 603s but the only mxl mics i have and used was the 990 and im veyr unhappy with it...

my suggestion from me would go with the at2020 condensor mic's as the overhangs and get a beta 52a kick mic. keep the nady set for the toms, and use the 57 on the snare, and you'll get an amazing sound. and even if you ahve 2 57's set up on on the hi hat too to add some sound to it.


my ste up is amazing, i love the wya it sounds and everything it gives me. I use 2 at2020's as overhangs, a sm 57 on the hi hat, a beta 52a kick mic inside, and a 5 peice samson mic set up [4 on snare/toms, and one on the beaters]

as long as you angle them correctly, and you get the levels right, you can make a bad mic sound pretty desent.

clipping is what always destroys the sound. test many times before you start recording.
 
yea i was lookin at the beta 52. I love my MXL 990, so we differ there. I may just put the Nady Condensor on the Hihats
 
What do you think about the Cad Pro or Premium drum miking packages?
 
Shout It Out said:
yea i was lookin at the beta 52. I love my MXL 990, so we differ there. I may just put the Nady Condensor on the Hihats

i never liked the vocals that come out of my 990's idk... i guess im just really picky with that....

990s are nice, ill admit, esspecailly for the price, but there of less use for me than some of my other mic's.

and the cad mics are veyr nice. great reveiws, great price, great sound
 
I don't know about the CM-88s, but the CM-90s make decent drum overheads if you place them carefully, IMHO. I would probably not bother upgrading those unless you're noticing a lot of self noise (hiss), in which case, yeah, replace them with something better.

For the kick mic, the DM-90 is an absolute turd, IMHO, so I can't imagine its little brother not being even more horrible. AKG D112 sounds better even when badly placed. When placed well, it's night and day. :)

No idea about the DM-70 mics.

My advice would be to just swap in a D112 for kick and a new snare mic. I've never been a fan of the SM57, though.... The SM series all just sounds too tubby to me.

For the snare mic... maybe one of the used Shure Unidyne series mics that resemble an SM57 but silver, so long as they have an XLR connector... e.g. Shure 545SD (but ideally, a working one). Alternately, perhaps a used AKG 190E. That's what I'm using, and I really like it.
 
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