Favored mic types for kick drum

[jmh]

I've been using a ksm27 in front of a kick drum it has been working decent - but I want to introduce some variation in the sounds I've been getting. So figure I'll ask what other mics some of you like to use. I've just been using the stock heads that have been on the drum. I see that some people cut holes, which obviously open up options for mic positioning (and isolation - which was a previous question). Do the in the drum options tend to be used for certain styles of music?

John

[mr_es335]

John,

My favourite and preferred devices are "auriculocranial" devices.

[jmh]

John,

My favourite and preferred devices are "auriculocranial" devices.

My ears are prone to getting plugged up - particularly in the winter time. During this period, I have a season of growing uncertainty about what things sound like. This year I decided to go to an ear doctor for cleaning. She got very excited while looking in my ears and asked if I was a surfer. Turns out I had osteomas which are tiny boney growths in the ear canal. Part of the cleaning and determination was gripping an osteoma with her miniature ear cleaning alligator clip and giving it a tug. I'd swear it felt like ripping out the auriculocranial!

It turns out that people who have spent time in cold water may develop these things (Apparently they are like speed bumps to wax). I've done a lot of white water boating - but don't live in a surfing region, thus the doctor hadn't had much experience with these.

[cgrafx]

It kind of depends on what sort of sound your looking for.

Lots of things can be done with the same mic just by varying placement and drum treatment.

Options for treatment would be

1. Both heads on
2. Back head with a hole in it
3. only single head
4. back head with a hole and dampening material like a pillow stuffed inside
5. single head with dampening (used to do this with a pillow and a 10lb weight from a bar bell set sitting on top of it)

You can mic from front or back of the drum (will change amount of beater in the mix). Sometimes people will mic both the front and the back (you will generally set one of the mics out of phase when you do this).

All of this can be done with just the mics you already have.

As for mics in no particular order and I'm sure there are lots of others.
- Shure Beta 52
- Audex D6
- Shure SM57 (laid between two pillows stuffed inside the drum)

[Sean McCoy]

As mentioned, the drum itself and the type of sound you're looking for make a lot of difference. But for some 'rule of thumb' mic choices:

EV RE-20 for softer, flappier, double-headed jazz. You can work it close to the head without too much boominess;
AKG D112 for classic rock or R&B. Has bumps in the low and mid frequencies contoured for kick;
Sennheiser 421 for tight and punchy stuff, like funk;
Shure Beta 52 for major beefiness;
Heil PR-40 for a more hi-fi sound with plenty of proximity effect if you need it.

[Darwin T]

The PM10 from Miktek Audio is an amazing and solid mic. And the Lewitt Audio drum mics are amazing and versatile.

[jmh]

There is quite a bunch of choices.

I was just browsing through the Lewitt page (which I have never heard of). They've got some interestingly weird mics. I'm a lover of vacuum tubes, and therefore tube mics - and like most people, fall into the category of not being able to afford the collection I'd like (this would be secondary to guitars anyway). That said, the transistor mics have their place. The LTC940 hit my curiosity on both fronts - which I guess is the intent. Does anyone use one of these?

[Darwin T]

There is quite a bunch of choices.

I was just browsing through the Lewitt page (which I have never heard of). They've got some interestingly weird mics. I'm a lover of vacuum tubes, and therefore tube mics - and like most people, fall into the category of not being able to afford the collection I'd like (this would be secondary to guitars anyway). That said, the transistor mics have their place. The LTC940 hit my curiosity on both fronts - which I guess is the intent. Does anyone use one of these?

Whoops! I gave you the wrong model number... PM11 is actually the correct model number.

Cheers!