Overhead mics for <$200

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dastrick

dastrick

huh???
So I'm looking for a pair of mics to use for drum overheads for live recording. I don't want to spend over $200 for the pair. What would you suggest? Here's what I've been looking at:

Sterling Audio ST31 SD FET Condenser ($99/each)

CAD e70 Dual Capsule Condenser ($99/each)

The CAD has dual capsules (cardiod & omni) which seems pretty good. It'd be nice to have an omni.

What are your thoughts? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
D
 
Just my thoughts but I think you could do alot worse than the Studio Projects B1 for a set OH's.

They're LDC's and about $100 each. Been ussing em as OH's for about a year now.

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--STUB1

EDIT...don't know anything about the mics you mentioned.
 
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dastrick said:
So I'm looking for a pair of mics to use for drum overheads for live recording. I don't want to spend over $200 for the pair. What would you suggest? Here's what I've been looking at:

Sterling Audio ST31 SD FET Condenser ($99/each)

CAD e70 Dual Capsule Condenser ($99/each)

The CAD has dual capsules (cardiod & omni) which seems pretty good. It'd be nice to have an omni.

What are your thoughts? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
D
Click to expand...

I'm selling a pair of basically new M-Audio Pulsar 11's. I heard they are great for drum overheads. My ad is in the for sale section and there is a link to a review. I'm asking $200 includes shipping (in USA) Check them out.
 
Dogbreath said:
Just my thoughts but I think you could do alot worse than the Studio Projects B1 for a set OH's.

They're LDC's and about $100 each. Been ussing em as OH's for about a year now.

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--STUB1

EDIT...don't know anything about the mics you mentioned.
Click to expand...

I already have one SP B1. It's the older model without the pad. I haven't tried it as an overhead. Maybe I'll throw it up and see how it sounds.
 
The 3035 is a little out of my price range. I need to spend less than $200 for the pair. Although, they do sound good in the video.
 
I bought both of mine for $50 each on Ebay...I bought a C2000b for $60 on Ebay and it sounds brighter if that is what you like...but the AT3035 gets me a sound I like without EQing.

That video was made with only one AT3035 4' above the kit going straight into a camera...I tend to run mine in a pair closer through a neve 1073 for my sound.
 
When you consider it was done with a single AT3035 through a camera it really sounded nice...they have alot more vids with many more kits.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
When you consider it was done with a single AT3035 through a camera it really sounded nice...they have alot more vids with many more kits.
Click to expand...

But why shoot a vid about a drum kit like that? Are they limited by one mic into the camera?

The 3035 is decent mic, and a pair can make a drum sound nice. But this video neither sells the drum nor the mic. When I shoot video that involves music, I always record the audio like I'm really recording audio--not just a video camera mic, and not just one mic. It's not that hard to sync external audio w/video.

Then the viewer gets the visual of the video, and a quality audio representation. I know not everyone has the tools to do that, but you would think that someone promoting a musical instrument (in this case, drums) would want to show them in a better light.
 
From what I can tell, they're not trying to sell a particular kit. They're demonstrating the differences between each kit. In almost every drum video they shot, they used an AT3035 4ft above the kit. I think they are doing it so that the mic stays constant and the kit is the variable. Even on their other videos, the mics are very minimal. Sure, they could have mic'd every drum, sent it through EQ, Compression, Reverb, Gates, etc...but then how would you know the difference between the kits. :confused::D
 
dastrick said:
From what I can tell, they're not trying to sell a particular kit. They're demonstrating the differences between each kit. In almost every drum video they shot, they used an AT3035 4ft above the kit. I think they are doing it so that the mic stays constant and the kit is the variable. Even on their other videos, the mics are very minimal. Sure, they could have mic'd every drum, sent it through EQ, Compression, Reverb, Gates, etc...but then how would you know the difference between the kits. :confused::D
Click to expand...

That's fine--but one mic 4' above is not telling enough to indicate the differences between kits. I have a feeling all the kits recorded this way sound boomy, boxy, and very mono. :D

I said "quality audio"--not highly processed. How do we record drums? Most folks use a pair of OH's and a kick and snare mic, right?

Those four mics can be placed consistently and accurately across a number of kits to show a) how good they can sound, and b) how they differ from one another.
 
WhiteStrat said:
That's fine--but one mic 4' above is not telling enough to indicate the differences between kits. I have a feeling all the kits recorded this way sound boomy, boxy, and very mono. :D

I said "quality audio"--not highly processed. How do we record drums? Most folks use a pair of OH's and a kick and snare mic, right?

Those four mics can be placed consistently and accurately across a number of kits to show a) how good they can sound, and b) how they differ from one another.
Click to expand...

Sounds like they are a big music store...they should have access to enough mics to do it up right...maybe they didnt have the knowhow to do it...but I dig your point...they could have done a better job...at least droped the mic a foot.
 
OK, I'll throw in something different. Get yourself a pair of Apex 205 Ribbon mics (~$99 ea) and modify them (less the transformer).
 
Simman said:
OK, I'll throw in something different. Get yourself a pair of Apex 205 Ribbon mics (~$99 ea) and modify them (less the transformer).
Click to expand...

How good are they at covering the entire kit?...Id think ribbons would be better if they were only catching the cymbols and not the drums...it all depends on what the OP wants in a pair of overheads...I like to be able to pick up the entire kit...less the bass drum and snare...those will have to have thier own mics.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
How good are they at covering the entire kit?...Id think ribbons would be better if they were only catching the cymbols and not the drums...it all depends on what the OP wants in a pair of overheads...I like to be able to pick up the entire kit...less the bass drum and snare...those will have to have thier own mics.
Click to expand...

Ribbon mics are no different when it comes to covering the entire kit. In fact they tend to give you more bottom end and since they are a figure 8 pattern, you get a bit of the room as well.

Give a listen: http://www.hometracked.com/2007/08/18/ribbon-mic-mod-part-2-before-and-after/
 
darrin_h2000 said:
Sounds like they are a big music store...they should have access to enough mics to do it up right...maybe they didnt have the knowhow to do it...but I dig your point...they could have done a better job...at least droped the mic a foot.
Click to expand...

There's two types of music stores in these parts. Those like Guitar Center and Rock N Roll rentals that specialize in stage bands and effects and some recording gear. And then there's your more typical store that specializes in selling / renting student model horns to grade school band kids. At best those types have a karaoke mic. There's sometimes a third type that specializes in pianos and other instruments that double as furniture for a house. Mostly different entities although most have guitars and drums, which is their non-seasonal bread and butter.

As far as the sample, it's not horrid. It could be much worse. For highly compressed AAC audio, the cymbals aren't completely hideous. Unlike some of my AC3 codec attempts that seemed to scrub cymbals and mallets from existence.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
it all depends on what the OP wants in a pair of overheads...I like to be able to pick up the entire kit...less the bass drum and snare...those will have to have thier own mics.
Click to expand...

I personally like to have a nice stereo image of the toms & cymbals. Although, I do like a little snare in the OH's (it's pretty much inevitable).
 
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