Which overhead drum mic to purchase?

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R

ritelec

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Yet, another which mic to purchase question? Been looking around Home Recording and web but still a bit unsure.

I've been useing a couple ksm109's that I'm not really pleased with. Reading about AKGc414BXLS or the 214. SM81's and Ksm141's. Josephsonc42's. AT4050's, 4047's....

I've been hard up for the Josephson's a year or more now, but now that I'm going to make the purchase, I'm having mixed thoughts.

Lots of people seem to like the 414's, yet in the same posts a few are mentioning they prefer the 4050's. Turns out, although I'm embarrassed to say because I haven't been useing it, that I have a 4050 (bought it late 2007 plugged it in to make sure it worked and it's been sitting in it's box). I purchased it for use on vocals (along with a K2), but have been guiding myself thru the pro tools, logic, DAW stuff for a couple years and am now ready to record "audio" and step back from the software rtas's,and au's.

Should I go for the 414's, should I get another 4050? If I went for the 4050 do you think although they are not a matched set and there would be a couple of years between manufacturing them (material, retooling and such) that they would still sound good as a pair.

Musical genre for material is... what ever happens.. rock,pop,jazzy,electric, acoustic...

current mics on drms are D112(kick)sm57(snr top and bottom, high hat)sennheiser 421 (mnt,flr toms) ksm109 (overheads).

When I loose the overhead ksm's , should I try them on High hat or snr bottom. (will they handle the spl's). First things first... The overheads.

141's or another 4050.... or?

Thank you,
Rich
 
The industry has been buzzing with the KSM32 for instruments...even the guys who recorded Led Zep and Steely Dan are using them for overheads and piano and just about any other instruments.
 
Thanks Darrin .... I'll check them out.

A valued opinion..... been reading a bunch of your posts.....


thanks again,
R
 
Ok, checked the ksm 32. Nice . Looking into spec's and researching, comparing with the c214, rethinking the 4050, rethinking the 414 bkls and II.
Geez... even looking at TLM 103's.
 
All of your listed choices are nice mics and should do, but I don't think the 109s are horrible. I'd make sure you nail down room acoustics, drum tuning, cymbal quality, and mic positioning before going too deep into the mic shopping adventure.

You may have done all that already but you didn't say, and you also didn't say what you didn't like about the 109s . . .
 
I have the C42mp and a pair of AT4050s.

I use the 4050s for "overheads" almost exclusively. Really, I'm using them in omni as a spaced pair, but they fufill the function of "overheads".

I have a nice room, though - ymmv.
 
Thanks for the replies.

mshilarious, the 109's aren't horrible. The room here is about 25'x25' with 9+' high ceiling. All carpet installed inside out and painted. Set up for live playing and recording. Maybe too dead from all this treatment. I don't think so, it does have air or tone to it. And with further experimenting, I could shift some of these cylindrical defusers and partitions around and add some sound reflecting type of surface here and there.

Drum micing for me was 25 yrs. ago, with 3-Ev PL80's and 2- sm 57's on a 14 piece drum set recording into a 1/4 tape Tascam 388 8 track machine.

Now I'm set up with 4 piece drum set with mics described in above post.
I set it up to get maximum separation from individual drum mics (little rug cones around each mic.... that really works quit well) and the overheads picking up mainly cymbals and the air of the set (which the 109's are doing).

However, now I'm changing my thought process to have the overheads do the drum micing and supplement the overheads with individual drum mics.

I deaden my drum skins (not too dead like cardboard) to get rid of annoying ringing and overtones. However in this new direction, I may open them up a bit.

The 109's aren't bad (and I may play with them a bit more) but I don't feel they're getting the body of the set (kinda thin).

Rich
 
I'm a bit vague on your carpet arrangement (floor? walls? ceiling?), but for drums I like enough to keep the kit from moving and otherwise none. You've got a good sized room, sounds like you have some treatments laying around? Anyway, definitely play around with different things there, try bringing in some plywood to toss on the floor.

If you have carpet everywhere but not much else, the carpet will kill highs but leave mids and lows bouncing around. If you switch to an approach where the overheads are the basis of the sound (which I do recommend), you might find that fuller mics (say 414s or 141s on omni) sound tubby. That might not be the mics to blame, so keep that in mind.

How do you have the 109s set up, XY? spaced over cymbals? Recorderman (search youtube for a demo)?
 
(floors?walls?ceiling?) yes,yes, and yes (lol). It's cool. Not like sticking your face in a pillow, but was thinking about adding some plywood or sheatrock as you suggested.

Overheads are left and right over the top. Tried x-y. Liked record man but switched back. "Just" read Glyn Johns method the other night, would like to try that (but I'm thinking the 109's aren't for that style of micing, I'll try it, you never know).


You mentioned "tubby" in your post, I can see that. I'm gonna mess with this a bit (and the 109's). I'll let you know how I'm making out.

Thanks for the input and suggestions!
 
I've kinda committed verbally with a seller for a new matched set of c414 bxls for 1700. Caught an auction on - bay for a matched set of used (says there in perfect condition but...) c414bxl ll/st for 1100. Do you , buy used mics. Buyer beware. No lemon laws. Will the BXLS get an overhead drum kit sound that the BXLll/ST can't. Personally I try not to buy used so this is a first.

Bid is over in i hr. 44 min.



R
 
ritelec said:
I've kinda committed verbally with a seller for a new matched set of c414 bxls for 1700. Caught an auction on - bay for a matched set of used (says there in perfect condition but...) c414bxl ll/st for 1100. Do you , buy used mics. Buyer beware. No lemon laws. Will the BXLS get an overhead drum kit sound that the BXLll/ST can't. Personally I try not to buy used so this is a first.

Bid is over in i hr. 44 min.



R
Click to expand...

Well the C414 I had were pretty good for most instruments...but the KSM32 was better...the AT4033 was better...and both were cheaper.
I wouldnt worry about buying the used mics...Ive always had luck...but Id rather get them on Craigslist where I could try them out.
 
You like those ksm 32's howbout royer i think sf12's? I lost the bid... still overheadless (sept for the 109's) the 32's ....we'll see.....thankyou.
 
ritelec said:
? I lost the bid... still overheadless (sept for the109's)
Click to expand...

This could be a blessing in disguise. If you have the money for the mic you've mentioned addition some of them at local stores or on line you could hear these at many sites or local studios or sound companies..
 
Ok.for overhead dabbleing, I just purchased a at4050 to use with my existing at4050. We'll see how it goes, and in the future Id like to check out the 32's, c414 and ribbons.....

Thanks for all your help, I'll let you know how it's going!
Rich
 
ritelec said:
Ok.for overhead dabbleing, I just purchased a at4050 to use with my existing at4050. We'll see how it goes, and in the future Id like to check out the 32's, c414 and ribbons.....

Thanks for all your help, I'll let you know how it's going!
Rich
Click to expand...

Thats probubly the best move you could have made since you allready had an AT4050.
 
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