whats the best mic for toms?

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Haven77

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I have been trying to get a good tom sound out of my kit and I can't seem to get it right. Im thinking that i need to get some different mics. I have a tama starclassic maple kit with aquarian non coated heads. They sound awsome in the room but not on a recording. any suggestions? currently i have audix d2 on T1, D4 on T2, and another d4 on T3.
 
tom sound

maybe the sound you're looking for is whats normaly picked up in the over heads. Sometimes you just gotta find the right mixture. The "oomph" sound usually comes from the over heads unless you do very specific EQing so if you use mostly the over heads and eq the close mics specifically for the attack you might get some where. Also, if you like that soft, warm sound you might try micing the resonant head. I'm sure a new set of mics wouldn't hurt though.

I once sat down and spent like a day meticulously EQing my toms so that they DID sound like their was a room mic. It turned out the room was so shitty I basically close miced everything including the cymbols where I had the over heads about 2 feet from the cymbols on either side. To get a nice sound I explored through the EQ range and basically cranked 2 very specific sections to about 10db, one in the mid lows around 200hz and one in the mid highs around 4000hz (I think) and had the rest of the frequencies down at like -20db. I use those double ply Pinestripe tom heads though

I'd say it turned out not to bad for my first time, so new mics might not fix your problem
 
Haven77 said:
I have been trying to get a good tom sound out of my kit and I can't seem to get it right. Im thinking that i need to get some different mics. I have a tama starclassic maple kit with aquarian non coated heads. They sound awsome in the room but not on a recording. any suggestions? currently i have audix d2 on T1, D4 on T2, and another d4 on T3.
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Mic position maybe? You should get a pretty decent sound close micing with those mics. Are you usng D-Vices? What preamp? What converter?
 
large condensers on toms

I know everybody uses dynamics for toms, but I am not in love with that sound. Personally, I use cheap large diaphragm condensers on my toms. Global Audio GLX2200s, they are rebranded by CAD. They are almost as cheap as it gets in large condensers, between 60-$70 a pop new. They sound like condensers though, they have a nice airy quality to them and a fast response, I find my toms sound a lot more punchy with them. I was worried at first about durability, and one of the mics in particular has been hit a few times, but so far no problems. They also take the volume with no problems--so far--and pick up more of the kit than a 57 or similar, so the kit gets a more unified sound. At $60 a pop, if one dies from the punishment I won't freak out, I'll just replace it. There are many similar cheap LD condensers out there.

Here's a little sample:
 
Thanks for the help everyone. Right now im using d-vices with focusrite pres. I tried the eq technique listed above and that helped alot. I still think im getting some new mics in the near future.
 
md421 - Awesome for close micing toms and a whole lot more as well
 
Usually, the Audix mics seem to do well with toms from what I hear. Who knows.
 
It sounds to me like your problem may have more to do with mic positioning and the actual drum, than with the mic. Anyway, I prefer EV N/D408's on toms. They are great little dynamics, easy to position and sound fantastic. If I can't get those, I will use Sennheiser MD421's.
 
Hey man, nice drums! I've got the birch Starclassics, I dig 'em...

What are you using for overheads (if any)? I found that when I upgraded from my C3000's to C4's, that really changed the sound of the drums. I also used my NT2 for an overhead, and that really brought out the "warmth" of the toms by cutting out some of the highs - making tom mics a little less necessary.

Anyway, I really dig Sennheiser e604's on the toms...I've used a lot of mics live and they sound pretty similar, just with somewhat different tones. The MD421 is great if you've got the cash...I think any non-jazz drummer uses those as the "holy grail" go-to mic. I LOVED the MD421 on my floor tom (just wish I had the bling for a full kit's worth).

I'd really start with your overheads and go from there...if you want a bright sound, SDC cardioids are great in my experience. If you want a darker or "fuller" sound, a pair of LDC cardioids are great. The tom mics are more there for a filler for me, for panning and bringing the sound up front.

- Jarick
 
Personally for toms, i use SM58's. They give the toms a nice warm sound (warmer than the SM57). The angle of these mic's give a nice dynamic range of attack vs body. When taking advantage of the warm tone, in combination with the attack of the overheads, you will be very very pleased...
 
sepsis311 said:
Personally for toms, i use SM58's. They give the toms a nice warm sound (warmer than the SM57). The angle of these mic's give a nice dynamic range of attack vs body. When taking advantage of the warm tone, in combination with the attack of the overheads, you will be very very pleased...
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That's interesting....since the SM58 is the same mic as a 57 only with a different wind screen.
 
Seems like Tom Jones used a 57 back in the day when I wanted to be Tom Jones. Not sure what Tom Petty likes.
 
Simman said:
That's interesting....since the SM58 is the same mic as a 57 only with a different wind screen.
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Right! And that windscreen alters reflections inside the grill and this effects the sound. Hence the 58 is warmer since it's got more open space inside with no flat spots like a 57.
 
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