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Best KICK DRUM MIC for recording? (Beta52, WA-47F, Audix D6, SM57)
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0:15 - Kick Mics Solo'ed
2:24 - Kick Mics @micstdrum567& Drum Mics
4:41 - All Mics & Music
8:11 - Final Thoughts
SM57 - www.zzounds.co...
Audix D6 - www.zzounds.co...
Beta 52A - www.zzounds.co...
Lewitt DTP 340 - www.zzounds.co...
WA47F - www.zzounds.co...
Dennis Leefland D-Sub - www.dennisleef...
Shout out to Sam Hatfield for helping film this video!
@MatthewBarelick 3 күн бұрын
I personally run a 3 mic system on my kick, Shure beta 91 mounted on a Shu, DPA 4055 at the soundhole and a Telefunken TF29 COPPERHEAD on the outside just left of center best setup EVER, live or studio doesn't matter it not only brings "the boom" but it also brings the clarity!
@DennisLeeflang 6 ай бұрын
Mic “F” sounds very familiar… Thanks so much for the kind words. Glad you’re enjoying it! With a front head on the drum you will definitely get a bit of a longer note with more sub harmonics, but the D-Sub is super versatile and vibey in any setup. Even as a room mic! As an inside mic, the sE Electronics V-Kick has been living on my kick for the past few years. Super versatile and natural sounding!
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
SO many people I know have said good things about the V-Kick, I need to check it out. As for the D-Sub, you are like the 5th person to say I should try it as a room mic. I'm intrigued and will totally be trying that any tips on that?
@DennisLeeflang 6 ай бұрын
Just experiment! I like it about 8ft in front of the kit. It doesn’t pick up much cymbal information so you can compress the hell out of the track without it becoming harsh or washy. It really thickens up the overall kit sound.
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
MAN. I just tried this and I have to order another D-Sub. This thing sounds AMAZING as a room. Tons of cool midrange without trashing cymbals. I have a mono room I do that to but it requires a TON of EQ to manage cymbals in it with how distorted and mangled it is. This will accomplish the same thing with way less work and a better end result. Will order another one soon!
@jasoncoffey 6 ай бұрын
Out of the mics tested here, Lewitt DTP 340 sounded best to me (dynamic mode) and it has lots of options so if you had to choose only one mic from this selection that one might be the best option. My favorite kick mic (also one of the most popular kick mics on the market) wasn’t featured here. It’s the Sennheiser E602. However, if you have space and resources for more than one kick mic, any combination of two mics (one inside for the attack, and one for the sub frequencies would be good). I find it easy to EQ any kick mic to get both attack and sub bass frequencies, but a lot more challenging to EQ any other mic on or around the drum-set. Thanks for the video Tim. I am always entertained by a good comparison video.
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
Agreed on this. Will have to check out the E602. Another reason the Lewitt didn’t do it for me was that even though you get “two capsules” you HAVE to use them on the same source. Where if you buy a Beta 52 and a d-sub you essentially pay the same but get more use out of them because you don’t HAVE to use them on the same source in your studio day to day.
@BenjaminGib 2 ай бұрын
Well this was an awesome video, and I’m equally impressed as I read all the comments, and you reply to all of them all with great information. Learned a lot on this video!
@tiekoe Ай бұрын
A 47Fet style mic is typically used as a kick out, so fully outside of the kick, and it's rarely used on it's own. Typically, it's paired with a more 'attacky' kick in mic, and then used to enhance the body/low mids in terms of frequency, as well as the 'lenght' of a kick. I basically never record a kick without a 47Fet, but on it's own, it's never the most flattering sound. In other words: in a test like this, on it's own close to the batter head, it's never going to be your preferred sound :)
@compucorder64 2 күн бұрын
Same here. Usually Beta 52A on kick-in (barely inside). 47 FET clone on kick-out. Then if you want to add more definition on the beater impact , can do the Steve Albini tiny back electret hung near near beater, phase reversed. D6 instead of 52A for heavier styles.
@manuellujan5625 6 ай бұрын
thanks for the video! i think the WA 47f needs that's space a bit more outside the drum to develop the low end. Out of experience with 47 fet mics they usually need that space for the low end to build up a bit further. That DSUB sounds very very good i would also assume its because of placement. Can never go wrong with the BETA 52 it will always work for most every project.
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
Hey! Yeah, I tried the WA-47F as kick out on a kick drum with a reso head and moved placement a bit and it really just didn't do it for me. Like I said, def not unusable or anything - but just didn't get close enough to what I wanted out of the gate to warrant a $800 purchase for me. I'll be honest, that D-Sub sounds good ANYWHERE.
@georgecain123 3 ай бұрын
The beta 52 and the D sub were only 2 I liked in the blind test; which is what u use. So stick with that. Note a beta 52 is more beefy than a beta 52A. I have both.
@celsorocha7844 3 ай бұрын
You’re missing a few really good ones, the AKG D12a ($500), the AKG D112($100), and the Shure PE54D, basically a 57 with a lot more bass 😊.
@bobbyspittle4144 6 ай бұрын
Great vid! I have tended to lean towards a D6 over a Beta 52, but during the blind comps in this video I liked the 52 much more. Now to go rethink everything 😆
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
Ha! That’s how it goes. Testing is always the only way to know. You test it and still end up liking D6 - great!
@compucorder64 2 күн бұрын
@@TimBuell I wouldn't say it's an either or thing. D6 is better for heavier styles, modern metal, hard rock. It's subbier, fat, deep and pillowy. But with less definined knock and less woodiness. More often though, I use a 52, which I prefer for more most vintage styles, blues, older rock, folk, jazz, funk, soul - it's more old school sounding. You can dial in some sub on a 52A track too, though, with a plugin at a push.
@ChurchOfTheHolyMho 5 ай бұрын
I agree - the pairing of the Beta52 and DSub sounds the best in your test. Soloed, I preferred the Lewitt - but in the mix and song, I preferred the Beta52. It is really growing on me. This video did finally knock the Audix off my potential cheap BD mic list - its always just kinda ok to my ear. I agree with the other comment that the Sennheiser E602II does really well on these sorts of tests. [Edit: oh - and the glorious thing the DSub does is really great in this test.]
@jeffbridges6110 6 ай бұрын
Iv'e used a 57 inside with a sub kick outside before. The result was actually quite good. BTW , you can easily build your own sub kick mic for hardly any money. I currently use a Sennheiser E602-ii with one of my sub kick mics. so easy to process and fit into a mix.
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
I’ve thought about making a few other mics by reversing polarity on some stuff I have sitting around haha. For $120 and no labor Dennis’s D-sub is pretty amazing
@xomblei 3 ай бұрын
it's the earthworks DM-6, I've gone though all the kick mics like you have and the earthworks blows them all out of the water without having to fight against the sound in the mix/ minimal processing
@Spedat 6 ай бұрын
If you're recording them all at once, obviously you can't place them in exactly the same position. Will that affect the sound you get from any particular mic?
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
Slightly. But not enough to notice a huge difference (for me). My inside kick placement is never super specific, I just put it in the kick somewhere haha
@PressuredSpeechBand 4 ай бұрын
100% will change the sound. Good question!
@andyselway712 6 ай бұрын
Gonna be picking up one of Dennis Leefland D-Subs soon i think!
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
YES please do. I've used it for 5ish years now on every song I've tracked. Sometimes it's the only kick mic you need.
@JulianFernandez 6 ай бұрын
so cool. Thanks!
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
Glad you dig it! Thanks for watching.
@jamescassidy4045 3 ай бұрын
Curious brother, do you run your sub kicks to a DI before the Mic Pre, or just straight to a Mic Pre w/ a Pad?
@TimBuell 3 ай бұрын
Straight to a mic pre - if it needs a pad I do it but I don’t think mine does.
@jamescassidy4045 3 ай бұрын
@@TimBuell I see! What pre are you using? And you just run an xlr off the speaker (in reverse) straight to the pre right? I just ask, because I made my first sub kick, and though I heard lot's of people run it to a DI, and then to a Mic pre, but I just ran it to a mic pre, and it seemed to work well. Makes me wonder though the difference of running it to a DI before the pre though. I know a part of it is because apparently people say it's because without the DI, the signal can be to hot, but I found it really manageable, so makes me wonder if sonically/impedance wise it'll help. I also heard you can use a resistor across the xlr pins of the Female xlr adapter(off the sub kick).
@TimBuell 3 ай бұрын
@@jamescassidy4045 DennisLeeflang makes the D-Sub and he was in the comments of this video somewhere. If you want a deep dive he would totally answer any questions you have as he's a super smart and kind human. But for me, I run it into an Audient ASP880 with no pad and the gain knob at about 10 o'clock. I've taken it to one other studio and the engineer was surprised by how little gain it needed so I can see them running a bit hot for some pres/etc. The thing is PERFECT for me and since this video I actually bought another one that I'm using as a mono room mic. : )
@cpizz99 6 ай бұрын
Really interesting video, Tim! I'm about halfway thru the vid right now, and what I noticed in the isolated recordings was that I liked B the best, that F had the best isolation and G had the worst, so I'm guessing G is the SM57. Not sure about the others. In the context of the song though, what struck me is that they all sounded good. I think over 99% of people would hear any of those and enjoy the song exactly the same. Makes me think that kick mic selection is not in the 20% of variables that contribute 80% of the sound quality. So then what makes up the 20%? 🤷♂️
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
Very interesting thoughts here! Personally I think 80% of the sound is the player and the tuning. How you hit a drum and tune/dampen a drum is most of “the sound” - if you get that right then ANY mic will capture the drums like what your desired sound is because you did most of the work up front.
@cpizz99 6 ай бұрын
@@TimBuell Yup, I'd agree with that. What do you think about the relative importance of mic quality vs preamp quality?
@TimBuell 6 ай бұрын
@@cpizz99 I think it is a case by case situation, but I think the mic would have more impact than a preamp at the end of the day. I would say a great pre can elevate a mic by like 10% but a great mic will make just about any pre be usable. But again, depends on exactly what you are going for and exactly what gear you are talking about. But if someone was just getting started I would worry about 1) room treatment 2) mics 3) pres and it would be in that order.
@wolfgangraab.twoday 7 күн бұрын
FET47 is fine but not close to the head... its just craps out. Put it 0,5-1 m in front of the BD and a good kick in mic inside.
@JamesArthurHurley 3 ай бұрын
What did you do to the Warm Audio??? Why is it SO crunchy!? It sounds like you overdrove it. TBH the only time I’ve ever seen or heard a fet 47 on a kick it was used on the reso head or further into the room. The other examples of the WA-47f online even raw do not sound like that.
@TimBuell 3 ай бұрын
It wasn’t overdriven into the pre or anything. You’re right - having it on a kick with a reso head and a bit further away improved its capture a bit. But it still 100% was WAY off of what I would ever find useful. And I love every piece of Warm Audio gear I’ve ever used. But this mic in my room for me was not it.
@JamesArthurHurley 3 ай бұрын
@@TimBuell So I wonder then, was it a faulty unit??? Also, I did just see someone use a fet 47 about 1" off the reso head for the first time. So that's definitely a thing... (btw I wasn't accusing you of bad engineering or anything, the tone of my op was meant to be over the top like dramatic sarcasm lol)
@TimBuell 3 ай бұрын
@@JamesArthurHurley Ha! No worries, I've heard worse in these comments before haha. I had another buddy who also operates a studio here in Nashville do a shootout of the Neumann FET, Warm FET, and the United Studios FET and the Warm was by far the worst of that bunch too. His name is @thomasdulin on Insta if you want to find him and check it out there (it'll be a few videos back).
Robin Kuan
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