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Kick mic

KingRazor

KingRazor

Jun 4, 2010
6,747
415
37
Beaverton, Oregon USA
#1
So, I thought our kick mic was pretty ok, until I listened to it recorded.

All I heard in the recording was a thin, whimpy "tick" sound. No meat to it at all.

No wonder we crank that thing in the sub.

Anyway, what are some of the better kick mics you've used? Either cheap or expensive. What are some of the better mics you've used for kick drums, what do you like about them, and how much did they cost?
 
#5
let´s say is like a standard for the kick drum. I like it because it gives you a non resonant tone but full sounding and interacts well with the bass.

I tried so many type of mics on kick (Audix with the double membrane: condenser and moving coil, sennheiser, neumann u87, oktava, shure sm57, sm58, ...and the list goes on) but the best one I liked was the d112. And by far it´s not the most expensive one of the list.
 
#6
Short answer: Shure Beta 52A is a standard in a lots of studios, and sounds pretty good on bass guitar cabs, too.

Long answer: Could you tell us what kick mic you are using, where you've placed it, what mic preamp you're running it into, and what if any eq and/or compression you are using? Also, what kind of music are you playing, and can you name some of the artists whose sound you like?

All of these factors come together to get the kick sound you're looking for. There's a good chance that you can get an acceptable sound from the mic that you already have if you place it right and sprinkle on just a little eq and compression.

Compared to getting a decent guitar or bass sound, recording drums is an art and a science. Yes, it takes a special mics, but even with them it takes a lot of experience and know how. Give us a little more info and maybe we can help you out without spending any money!
 
#7
I'll find out when I mix tonight what kind of mic we're using. Right now it's on a stand, with the head of the mic inside the hole cut out in the front of the drum.

It doesn't have a special preamp, it's going into one of the FOH board's mic pres.

We're playing christian contemporary music.

Currently have the kick gated and using a healthy dose of compression on it.

I'll be taking a second look at the EQ on it, it's been quite a while since I've really taken the time to EQ it properly. Although when I record the band I do it all pre-EQ, so that won't make it sound any better recorded.
 
#9
When you're recording, are you taking a feed straight out of the board for recording?

More often than not, recordings "from the board" of a live performance give you a horrible mix and notoriously bad sound especially on the low end (kick drum and bass guitar).

Not saying you need to ugrade your kick mic (or that you don't)... I'm just saying that a good recorded mix and a good live mix are two different animals and it's virtually impossible to get both simultaneously using just one console.
 
#10
jaywa said:
When you're recording, are you taking a feed straight out of the board for recording?

More often than not, recordings "from the board" of a live performance give you a horrible mix and notoriously bad sound especially on the low end (kick drum and bass guitar).

Not saying you need to ugrade your kick mic (or that you don't)... I'm just saying that a good recorded mix and a good live mix are two different animals and it's virtually impossible to get both simultaneously using just one console.
Click to expand...

We have a pre-EQ send to a DAW from the FOH board. In the recordings the kick is totally devoid of any low end.

Is it normal to have add a lot of low end to a kick in a recording? It seems like when I ask about kick drum EQ people tend to recommend high passing somewhere between 20 and 50Hz, which to me says that there is actually sonic information there to be cut out (even if it's just mud). But in the recording, there is no low end to cut out...
 
#11
KingRazor said:
I'll find out when I mix tonight what kind of mic we're using. Right now it's on a stand, with the head of the mic inside the hole cut out in the front of the drum.

It doesn't have a special preamp, it's going into one of the FOH board's mic pres.

We're playing christian contemporary music.

Currently have the kick gated and using a healthy dose of compression on it.

I'll be taking a second look at the EQ on it, it's been quite a while since I've really taken the time to EQ it properly. Although when I record the band I do it all pre-EQ, so that won't make it sound any better recorded.
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight: You don't properly EQ the thing(what does that even mean, have you been improperly EQ'ing it thus far?) for days or weeks at a time, don't try moving the mic, don't even know what the mic is?

and you conclude that the problem is best solved by buying a new mic?

I gotta stop posting in these threads. Best of luck.
 
#12
projectMalamute said:
Let me get this straight: You don't properly EQ the thing(what does that even mean, have you been improperly EQ'ing it thus far?) for days or weeks at a time, don't try moving the mic, don't even know what the mic is?

and you conclude that the problem is best solved by buying a new mic?

I gotta stop posting in these threads. Best of luck.
Click to expand...

The recording is a pre-EQ send...

I haven't tried moving the mic because I know very little about mic placement for drums. It's not something I've done much of.

I played no part in the process of mic purchasing. The mics we use now we've had for at least 6 years, which is before I even joined the sound team.

I'm not completely clueless about drum EQ but I've recently learned some better ways to do it. Up until now I just went with something that worked.

I thought that, perhaps, the mic we were using was sub-par (we have leaned toward budget mics in the past, from what I've seen) and I figured that might help improve the sound. I didn't necessarily think it would solve everything.
 
#14
I mix a variety of kick mics.

My favorite used to be the EV ND868 $199-$250ish (it's been a while)

Then we got our Shure Beta 52's and beta 91's $150 and $250 respectively

So we run 2 kick channels 52 and a 91

I f I had to choose I'd always go 91 because you don't need a stand for it and it's just a solid sounding mic, if your kick drum sounds good the 91 will make it sound awesome, but granted it can't really help a poorly tuned kick drum.

Also got a Yamaha sub kick ($300) for kicks and grins and it is all low end, you'll have to run a 91 or some other mic for some presence (click) in the kick.


Never was a fan of the d112 but that's not a very fair evaluation, we didn't have a very good PA when we were using it back in the day.
 
#16
The "egg" AKG D112, nothing better!! Best low end extremely durable and easy to set up an interior mic station with the eggs clamp. I've tested everything you can think of with a flat graphic and unity channel through 2 (18s)(JBL) the older betas and newer ones didn't produce the lows the egg did. The only other mic I like is a Syn. 421 with the roll off settings, that mic is good for live and recording for both kick and bass.
AKG D112 remains king and for 199.99 to 219.00 you can't go wrong. My current one has been in a variety of thin shelled bass drums for the past 20 years. I don't leave home without it!!! Doc


the bottom line is to have a "thin" shell kick drum of quality construction, and for the best low end a "Super Kick 1" on a 20 or 22 kick will get you there. The drum is actually the key for live application the studio gear comes into play a higher role ofcourse. Yamaha Recording Custom or a Sonor Delite kick drum with the Egg is the best I've heard and I've been kicking those things for a long time. good luck
 
#17
KingRazor said:
How do you think it compares to the Audix D6?
Click to expand...

I own a D6, and I've used it in demo recordings for one of my bands. I've also used a D112 while getting my AAS in audio production. I'm not a pro, but for what it's worth, I think the D6 is a much better "set it and forget it" mic; it has a very particular sound, and said sound is awesome if you want a beefier sound to your kick. Great for aggressive music, and very easy to mix.

The D112 requires a little more effort on the placement, since its directionality has something to be desired, but I would argue it's more versatile than the D6. If you take a look at their frequency response charts, you'll see it clear as day: the D6 pretty much has radical EQ curves built in to get its sound, while the D112 has a bit more of a "natural" looking curve. So it's easier to change the sound of the D112 with effects processing than the D6 if you don't like the sound you're getting.

But personally, I freakin' love the D6's sound, and I'm glad I bought it. The D112 deserves its reputation, and I honestly don't think you'll be disappointed if you buy either mic. Just do some research so you know what to expect.
 
#19
MNAirHead said:
Before clutching for new gear...

Are you trying to combine live and recording at the same time --- they're almost two different worlds...

For live, it's treated totally different.
Click to expand...

I understand that, but it really shouldn't make a difference.

I'm sending the raw signal of the mic to the DAW, then using EQ, compression, etc after the fact.

I simply noticed that the tone coming from our kick mic, when recorded, sounds weak and thin. I don't really notice a lack of bass when mixing it live because I have it pumping through the sub.
 

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