Kick drum mic

fbchurch2009 · 12-20-2009, 03:49 PM

Can you mic a bass drum with a regular mic? in other words, can you get the low/correct sound with a mic that is used for (let's say) vocals?

stormjh · 12-21-2009, 09:03 AM

Depends on what you're using for vocals, if you're using a condenser, no, you'll want a dynamic for the kick. Get something like an AKG-D112, a Shure Beta 52A or a Sennheiser E902, i've not used the Shure one, but the other two get the job done.

SATCHMO · 12-21-2009, 01:13 PM

I worked with a band that used Shure SM-57s on the entire kit. Their aim was to get a sort of drum machine uniformity of dynamic and it worked. Large diaphram mics are always optimal. You're losing out on a lot of bass response when using a vocal mic, but with the right outboard gear and sufficient tweaking you can get adequate results with just about any directional mic.

futuredisco · 01-05-2010, 08:18 AM

Mics like the D112 are ideal as they have a tailored response for bass instruments and can withstand a high volumes. Vocal dynamics are usually tailored with a presense lift for live use. This is not a bad thing for a bass drum, but make sure the mic you use has a decent response down to at least 50hz

12-20-2009, 03:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
fbchurch2009 Groupie Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2	Kick drum mic Can you mic a bass drum with a regular mic? in other words, can you get the low/correct sound with a mic that is used for (let's say) vocals?

12-21-2009, 09:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
stormjh Music Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 161	Depends on what you're using for vocals, if you're using a condenser, no, you'll want a dynamic for the kick. Get something like an AKG-D112, a Shure Beta 52A or a Sennheiser E902, i've not used the Shure one, but the other two get the job done.

12-21-2009, 01:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
SATCHMO Al Dente Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 4,708	I worked with a band that used Shure SM-57s on the entire kit. Their aim was to get a sort of drum machine uniformity of dynamic and it worked. Large diaphram mics are always optimal. You're losing out on a lot of bass response when using a vocal mic, but with the right outboard gear and sufficient tweaking you can get adequate results with just about any directional mic.

01-05-2010, 08:18 AM	#4 (permalink)
futuredisco Groupie Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Leicester Posts: 9	Mics like the D112 are ideal as they have a tailored response for bass instruments and can withstand a high volumes. Vocal dynamics are usually tailored with a presense lift for live use. This is not a bad thing for a bass drum, but make sure the mic you use has a decent response down to at least 50hz