Cheapest Usable Kick Mic

[JD01]

OK, possible drum recording is moving along more quickly than I thought.
My old kit is set up in my mate's man-cave and I'll head over there for some recording soon.
Also, we're going to set my Bristol housemate's drums up down at his studio and have a crack in a couple of weeks.

So, cheapest kick mic that will get me something that sounds like a kick drum.
I've done a bit of research and it seems that a condenser that goes down to at least 30hz, lower if I can get it, is what I need.
The one that is most recommended is the AKG D112, there's a few of these coming up 2nd hand and apparently they go down to 20hz.

There's also this weird Chinese thing:
https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Li ... CYQAvD_BwE

Or this thing that I've never heard of:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAP-DM-20-KI ... 0005.m1851

[Greg_L]

I've done a bit of research and it seems that a condenser that goes down to at least 30hz, lower if I can get it, is what I need.

You didn't do enough research. A kick drum has the potential to demolish a condenser.

[JD01]

I've done a bit of research and it seems that a condenser that goes down to at least 30hz, lower if I can get it, is what I need.

You didn't do enough research. A kick drum has the potential to demolish a condenser.

What do you use?

[Greg_L]

What do you use?

Right now, a D6.

[JD01]

What do you use?

Right now, a D6.

Ah, they seem to hold their money really well 2nd hand, probably out of my budget. Although AKG 112s are pretty cheap.

Was thinking about this this morning, I think I'll stick to 2nd hand gear that I should be able to get my money back on easy enough if/when I fail to make any progress with recording real drums.

[Greg_L]

The drums themselves, heads, tuning, and cymbals are more important than spot mics like dedicated kick mics or tom mics. Spend your money on the kit, heads, and cymbals.

Great mics on shitty sounding drums gets you a good recording of shitty sounding drums. Who wants that? Nowhere is the source sound more important than it is with recording real drums.

[JD01]

The drums themselves, heads, tuning, and cymbals are more important than spot mics like dedicated kick mics or tom mics. Spend your money on the kit, heads, and cymbals.

Great mics on shitty sounding drums gets you a good recording of shitty sounding drums. Who wants that? Nowhere is the source sound more important than it is with recording real drums.

Yeah - I understand that and it'll come with time. At the moment I'm at the mercy of whatever Ben's (Bristol) kit is like or whatever my mate back home has done to my kit in the last 5 or 6 years. It had decent heads on it when I gave it to him... that's probably not the case any more.

I'm not going to mess with tom mics yet I was going to start with 4 mics only.
O/H 2xAKG C1000 ('cos I already have one!)
Snare - i5 or a 57
Kick - either something 2nd hand or something shite and Chinese. I don't want to use my main vocal mic on kick in case I destroy it.

Don't want to spend more than 100 quid on an extra C1000s and a kick mic.

[Bubba]

An AKG D112 isn't a condenser, JD - it's a dynamic mic.

Get this: https://www.red5audio.com/product/rvd1- ... icrophone/

It's what I use and it's in your budget. It even has a wee stand, look!!

[JD01]

An AKG D112 isn't a condenser, JD - it's a dynamic mic.

Get this: https://www.red5audio.com/product/rvd1- ... icrophone/

It's what I use and it's in your budget. It even has a wee stand, look!!

Awesome - cheers. I'm watching a D112 on eBay. If it goes up out of my budget I'll probably just get one of these. I guess I dynamic is probably handy as I'm less likely to damage it!

Planning on giving the drum recording a crack the week after next.
Will probably try some preliminary drum tuning next week though, before we head down to Ben's studio.

Fuck knows what state my old drums are in but I guess I'll find out before too long!

[Farview]

D112's are inexpensive because they have been making them for 30+ years and there are millions of them out there. These are also great for micing bass cabinets..

You can get a usable kick sound out of a 57 and some EQ. You don't need a lot of 30hz in a kick sound. 50hz is about as low as you need, depending on the sound you are going for. If you want it to hit you in the chest, that's closer to 80hz.

A used Shure Beta52 can be had for cheap here, I don't know about where you are. Those have a more modern sound. But I routinely used the D112 and Beta 52 interchangeably. (Meaning that it didn't matter which one I chose, I could get a good kick sound out of it)

[WhiskeyJack]

Perhaps i am spoiled here in Narnia but JD, does anyone in GB rent all this stuff out for events? Like there has got to be somewhere in Mordor that you can go and be like " i need a mic setup for a drum kit for the weekend" Surely anyone who puts on an event/ festival/school music display doesn't go out and buy all that stuff when they need it and try to sell it off after?

I would look around for a place that does gear rentals. It saves you a few bucks on the front of learning what mics are out there and being used and what is going work / not work for your needs. Then purchase the ones you like that you have taken a stab at with.

that's just me and perhaps it isn't an option outside the boundaries of communist Canada?

[WhiskeyJack]

D112's are inexpensive because they have been making them for 30+ years and there are millions of them out there. These are also great for micing bass cabinets..

You can get a usable kick sound out of a 57 and some EQ. You don't need a lot of 30hz in a kick sound. 50hz is about as low as you need, depending on the sound you are going for. If you want it to hit you in the chest, that's closer to 80hz.

A used Shure Beta52 can be had for cheap here, I don't know about where you are. Those have a more modern sound. But I routinely used the D112 and Beta 52 interchangeably. (Meaning that it didn't matter which one I chose, I could get a good kick sound out of it)

I just looked at one of these one the weekend and i may splurge for a D112

[Greg_L]

50hz is about as low as you need,

Truth.

I was gonna say that worrying about 30hz is pointless. 50hz is pretty much the bottom of what's useful with a kick drum. People can't hear much lower than that and/or their setup can't reproduce it anyway.

[JD01]

Cool, cheers guys.

I have a plan now I bet you lot can't wait to hear me playing drums.

[Greg_L]

It can't be any worse than your guitar playing, or bass playing, or singing.

[JD01]

sounds like a challenge!

I'll plug Ben in when I've got the drums set up. He's actually a great bassist.

[liv_rong]

I was going to say the same about a 57 working well enough. I got my D6 for like $130 I think, was lucky, just checked and they are going for more than that.

[witzendoz]

I think the cheapest new mic would be a SM57, I use a D112 in the studio and its fine, but I often use it with a sub kick (10" speaker with a pad) or a large condenser. I have used large condensers with no problem at all but don't put it inside or it will get destroyed but it's OK outside the kick. A lot of studios do this and blend it with the inside mic.

I have used almost anything over the years and you can get good results, SM57, SM58, Sennheiser 421, D12, D112. The actual drum and tuning are very important.

Alan.

[JD01]

I think the cheapest new mic would be a SM57, I use a D112 in the studio and its fine, but I often use it with a sub kick (10" speaker with a pad) or a large condenser. I have used large condensers with no problem at all but don't put it inside or it will get destroyed but it's OK outside the kick. A lot of studios do this and blend it with the inside mic.

I have used almost anything over the years and you can get good results, SM57, SM58, Sennheiser 421, D12, D112. The actual drum and tuning are very important.

Alan.

Cheers, I won't be waiting until the right kick mic comes along as I think its going to be harder to find than another overhead, I'm either going to use an i5 or a 57 on the snare, so whichever one I'm not using will end up on the kick.

[liv_rong]

jdead, also worth checking out is the GLS ES-57. I have three and they are not bad for the price, they were my tom mics for a while. I have also used on a kick. At $30 its worth a shot.