Nady Drum mic Kit?

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studiodrum

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Anyone have any experience or luck recording with the Nady DMK-7 DRUM MIC KIT?

The kit includes, 4 DM70s, (tom mics) 1 DM80, (kick drum) and 2 CM88s (overhead condensers)

I know that Drum kit mics are frowned upon, and that most of them are crap . . .But, I'm just curious how these Nady kits performed for recording?

Thanks everyone. . .
 
I've got a set minus the condensors...can't complain

They work amazingly well for the price. The DM70 are very comparable to an SM57, but the 57 is a bit more punchier. The DM80 is not bad for a bargain kick drum mic, but it's no D112 or the like.

If you're on a budget, I don't think you can beat the Nady kits. I couple the 5pc. with two Radio Shack/Realistic (really Crown innards) condensor mics for overhead and get a pretty clean, tight, well rounded sound if you consider the cheap mics that are being used.

Scott
 
I've got a set minus the condensors...can't complain

They work amazingly well for the price. The DM70 are very comparable to an SM57, but the 57 is a bit more punchier. The DM80 is not bad for a bargain kick drum mic, but it's no D112 or the like.

If you're on a budget, I don't think you can beat the Nady kits. I couple the 5pc. with two Radio Shack/Realistic (really Crown innards) condensor mics for overhead and get a pretty clean, tight, well rounded sound if you consider the cheap mics that are being used.

Scott
 
I think that they are at best "ok" I've used the DM70s way more on guitar than on drums. The just have no low end to really make the drums hit.

The DM80 sounds a little cardboardy in the kick (the ATM25 doesn't so it wasn't the kick). I have however used it with good results on floor tom.

If you're on a budget and need alot of mics cheap these will definitely be a good deal and are workable but they aren't mics that you'll often return to.
 
someone gave me a Nady drum mic kit for free, but only with 3 tom mics and a kick mic. They actually perform quite well. I mainly only use the kick mic from the kit but they all work fairly decent
 
I use the three mic kit (1 DM80, 2 DM70s)and they definitely seemed to be worthy adversaries against my Shure 57s and 58's. I agree that the DM80 IS a bit "cardboardy" in the BD like was said before but it's nothing a little EQing and compression can't solve. The quality and quantity for the price was a real upgrade and value to me working on a shoe-string budget. I don't know how the condensors included in the pacakage you're looking at sound but if they're basic quality then the condensors should make up for any seeming lack of clarity that the DM80s and 70s exhibit by themselves.

For example, here is a best-case scenario recording I've made thusfar using my Nady three mic package and an MXL 990 condenser behind me.
Song name is Soul Exsanguination..
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/theanoymousmusicexplosionmusic.htm
 
I have the dk-7 kit and i have and some decent sounds... You really don't need to turn these up much, the get hot at a low level...
 
Don't waste your money.

Buy a pair of MXLK 603's for Overheads, and buy an Audio Technica ATM Pro25 for the kick.
If you want a mic on the snare for added control, grab another Pro25 - it's great on any drum, plus it won't be picking up the hi-hat because of it's polar pattern)

Tune the drumkit really well, and pay attention to mic placement.

The drums will sound great, rather than mediocre through those crap grade mics.

But that will get you a real USABLE, basic set of mics for recording drums.
You do NOT need a mic for every drum....that is such a myth, and as far as I'm concerned most of your tom sound should come through the overheads.

I've been playing drums for 28 years-and recording them for over 16 years, and the key to individual micing of the toms was to get that big "processed sound that the hair metal bands had, and half of them were replacing drumsounds with a Linndrum anyway.
 
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Tim is correct. .. !!!

Listen to him, he knows what he is talking about. . .Initially, when I posted this thread, I was in the market for some drum mics-- thinking that I needed a mic on every drum to get a good drum sound (cause thats the envireoment that I came from) . . . Especially, since the Nady drum kit is so cheap, and for home recording its just easier to buy a mic kit like that, and be done with it. . .

But, its probably not going to give you as good a sound as a pair of Overhead condensers (like the 603's, or even a one LDC condenser mic-- if you want a mono drum mix) and a kick drum mic (like an ATM Pro25) -- I probably wouldnt use the Pro25 in a professional studio setting, . . However, for the home recording,..its an excelllent mic!

So, I finally broke down and bought some mics to track my drums, and I got some fantastic drum sounds using just 2 drum mics, recording the entire drum kit in mono (I used an MXL-v67G, Condenser -- usually used as a vocal mic -- as a single verhead -- roughly 2 feet above, and slightly behind the drum set -- and an ATM25-Pro on the kick)

I was very impressed with what I got, . .the MXL-v67G added some nice overall fullness to the kit, while the ATM 25Pro, added some good bottom-- Eventually, I would like to try this setup, using an SM-57 as an overhead, and the 25Pro in the kick, . .

I'm now a firm believer, that the actual drum kit has a huge part of the sound that you get from the mics-- I'm using a smaller kit, with thinner single ply heads, 8" 10" 12" toms, and a 18" kick, and those toms just reach out and grab you!!! no bad overtones or unwanted resonance. . The cymbals I'm using are a little dark, and dry, . and that REALLY helps, . especially using a condenser overhead-- But, IMHO since its a LDC rather than a SDC, I think thit helps keep the shinny high end cymbal sound down a bit.

Now, if you wanted to add an additional mic on the snare, try another Pro25, like Tim suggested (especially since they are very cheap) or a you can never go wrong with an SM57 on the snare!

Anyway, this method might not work for everyone, since there are so many variables involved, like room acoustics, drum kit, cymbals, and mixing board. But, it seemed to work well for me! Good luck!
 
Man, Micing the snare from behind in mono yields a great drumsound.

Normally, if I'm recording for my own stuff, I use a D112 in each kick, a Pro-25 on the snare, and 1 overhead - from behind and aimed straight down at the top of my head.... with the capsule around 6' high from the ground.

I like the small condensers, but admittedly haven't tried any of the LD Marshalls for overheads. I've got a MXL2000 ( I think that's the model...we used it on vocals) so when I get set back up, I may just have to try it as an overhead.

The only time I liked "individual" micing, I usually just mic pairs of toms (my kit has 6" through 20" toms), but for 99% of the time, I actually just have one 15" mounted tom between the two kicks, and the 18" & 20" Floors....and for that set up, it's kicks, snares, and overheads.

The Toms just have so much more life when you give them a few feet of space to the mic's so that they can "sing".

Another trick, I HIGHLY suggest, is a "Kick Drum Tunnel", so that you can capture extra low end out front. You use an 8" speaker as a microphone, and mix it with the regular kick mic. It will give you a ton of low end.


Tim
 
I had a pair of CM-88's for years (my first pair of SDC's) and I thought they were great for what they were. I originally paid $55 each for them and sold them to a nice guy for $55 for the pair. Now you can get them I think as low as $35 each or so. Did many great recordings with them, however the only thing I would recommend to stay away from with is a classical (nylon string) guitar. They yield horrible results. In the context I was trying to get atleast. No matter where positioned or what pre' I was using it would always sound like a childs toy guitar.
As overheads or general drum mics I think they are very fair. Not to mention you can get some really great guitar sounds with them.
For the price you can't beat them. I just upgraded to a Matched stereo pair of MXL 603s and the difference is amazing but they are completely different mics.

It all depends on how much you have to spend and what your looking for I guess.

best wishes

-Darrill
 
what i use now is...
beta 52a kick mic
5 peice samson set [minus the kick mic]
and 3-4 sm 57's

BUT

my suggestion, spend $200 and get the 7 peice samson mic set. or! $250 and get the 8 peice samson set. Beleive it or not, those samson mic's are a bargain. There amazing sound [esspecially snare] for the price.

But if you ever plan on doing mroe profesisonal, sm 57's/ beta 52a cant be beat in my opinion.


go onto musiciansfriend.com or samash.com and just look for the 3, 4, 5, 7, or 8 peice samson drum mics kit. It's an amazing deal
 
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