Tom Mics...

Jeff_D

Jeff_D

New member
Looking for advise on tom mics. I record our band live in my basement "studio". I think I have all the basics covered, but I'm lacking in the tom department. Here's what I've got...

(2) Octava MK012--- Drum Overheads
AKG D112--- Kick Drum
Senn E609--- Snare (actually sounds better than the sm57 or the I5 on snare)
MXL V67g--- bottom of snare (sometimes)

Audix I5---Guitar Cab
Shure sm57---other Guitar Cab

Audix OM2--- Main Vocal
(2) old EV dynamic (shaped like a sm58)--- 2 back up vocals

Bass--- DI from back of amp



I also have these... They don't get used in live recording...

Octava 319--- mostly only used for overdubbing vocals
(2) Naiant small diaphragm omnis- don't get used much for rock and roll

I actually tried the Naiants on toms, but they just overloaded way to easily.

I record into my computer with Reaper. I have a Soundcraft M8 with the direct outs routed into a MAudio Delta 1010lt. I also have a Presonus D8 preamp with its outs routed into another Delta 1010lt. The D8 is basically the "overflow" for when I run out of channels on the Soundcraft.

So whats good for toms. Whats reasonably priced?

Maybe I could use the 319 and the v67g for the two guitars and put the I5 and the sm57 on toms? (I just thought of that, lol). I dont know if the ld condensers can handle the volume / provide enough separation.

Thought...
Thanks
:)
 
Do you have any budget to buy new, or are you staying with what you have? I'd recommend some GLS ES-57s (SM 57 knock offs). I love these in lots of places, but lately they haven't left the toms. Here's a tune with a lot of tom work. Kick is D112, snare is an i5, OHs are NT5s, and all three toms are ES 57s:

Sample Song

Here's a link to the folks that sell the mics (a three pack is 80 bucks!):

The mics
 
WhiteStrat said:
Do you have any budget to buy new, or are you staying with what you have? I'd recommend some GLS ES-57s (SM 57 knock offs). I love these in lots of places, but lately they haven't left the toms. Here's a tune with a lot of tom work. Kick is D112, snare is an i5, OHs are NT5s, and all three toms are ES 57s:

Sample Song

Here's a link to the folks that sell the mics (a three pack is 80 bucks!):

The mics
Click to expand...

I'll listen when I get home. Those mics are CHEAP! I'm looking forward to hearing them. :) I'd be VERY happy to get out of this that inexpensively...

Aside from that, I figured maybe senn 604's or Audix I5's or a couple more sm57s... or..........???
 
kremitmusic said:
lol, I havent been around lately. Is that the standard answer to the "whats the best tom mic under $26 dollars" question? :D
Click to expand...

It is for me! I suppose I'd be just as happy using more expensive mics on the toms, but I kinda like to stay "set up." If I need one mic to be used for two different tracks at different times, well so be it--sound quality comes first. But if I can stay set up, it makes working so much easier/faster.

I've got a couple vintage Shure Unidyne 57's that I had been using on both guitar amps and toms. But after trying the knockoffs on toms, I can leave them in place and leave the Shures on the cabs.

And you should probably know that the my tom sound is probably 60-70 percent overheads. I still like to mic the toms, so I can individually compress and envelope those tracks for punch and attack, but at least half of the tone is coming from the overheads.
 
WhiteStrat said:
And you should probably know that the my tom sound is probably 60-70 percent overheads. I still like to mic the toms, so I can individually compress and envelope those tracks for punch and attack, but at least half of the tone is coming from the overheads.
Click to expand...

Exactly- hell I've been doing this for the last 7 years and rarely micing the toms at all- and for the same reason- I like to stay setup. My drums sound pretty good, but that extra tom mic/ control would definitely improve my situation.
THANKS!
 
Yeah, I went back to the ELS-57s after trying some different options. I really liked the CAD M177s and M37s, but they are a little too nice to end up with stick dents in the grills. The ELS-57s are nice sounding, durable, and easy to place. The only problem I have with them is the occasionally work there way out of some mic clips.
 
PhilGood said:
Yeah, I went back to the ELS-57s after trying some different options. I really liked the CAD M177s and M37s, but they are a little too nice to end up with stick dents in the grills. The ELS-57s are nice sounding, durable, and easy to place. The only problem I have with them is the occasionally work there way out of some mic clips.
Click to expand...

I hear ya. I've probably got almost as much money in clips on my toms as I do in mics.
 
Actually you lose something using the clips that sit on the rims of the drums themselves...but if you are creative you can use your hardware to attach the mics to if you can use clamps creatively...besides nobody wants a bunch of booms in the way of your playing.

I just use SM57s on all drums cept the bass drum (Beyer M88)...and on snare (Senn MD421)...pair of AT3035 mics overheads.
 
kremitmusic said:
Exactly- hell I've been doing this for the last 7 years and rarely micing the toms at all- and for the same reason- I like to stay setup. My drums sound pretty good, but that extra tom mic/ control would definitely improve my situation.
THANKS!
Click to expand...

Having the toms miced makes the fills sound nicer.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
Actually you lose something using the clips that sit on the rims of the drums themselves...but if you are creative you can use your hardware to attach the mics to if you can use clamps creatively...besides nobody wants a bunch of booms in the way of your playing.

I just use SM57s on all drums cept the bass drum (Beyer M88)...and on snare (Senn MD421)...pair of AT3035 mics overheads.
Click to expand...

I checked. I tested. I A/B'd. I'm not losing anything by clipping the mics on the rims.
 
If you loose anything, it'll probably be in the decay rate / ringing. Probably not noticeable unless you're doing some sort of george of the jungle type soundtrack on toms instead of tymps. Isn't the MD421 the go to tom mic? I almost got one on craigslist a year back, but the poster got Austin confused with a town 70 miles outside of Austin. A common tendency since most towns are 100 miles out and most cities are 200 miles away from each other in this state. Although most of us put a slash and the actual town or at least the more known neighboring town on our ads.
 
The MD421 is great on all drums including Bass drum...its better than most designed for bass drum...just not better than the Beyer M88...but the SM57 has allways been the go to mic for as long as I remember.
 
md421's rock on a lot of things
kick drum, toms, guitar amp, bass amp, vocals, horns

just picture a good sounding 57, that's an md421

also the EV cardinals rock as well.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
The MD421 is great on all drums including Bass drum...its better than most designed for bass drum...just not better than the Beyer M88...but the SM57 has allways been the go to mic for as long as I remember.
Click to expand...

...unfortunately, the MD421's are a little more than I want to pay right now.
 
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