need an excellent bottom snare condenser mic

[Curran]

Hey there can anyone(andy included) please recomend a good bottom mic for snare recording. I have an akg c3000, rode NT3, and a GT55 groove tubes mic that I have been trying to use BUT with some drummers(the hard hitters) the mic's diaphram will peak or clip internally. is there anything i can do in addition to buying a new mic that might help to pad or buffer the mic itself?

Love Curran

 

[carl@laruso.com]

c3000 clips even with the 10 db pad engaged? try that if you havent also maybe try backing it off a little...

 

[Curran]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh yeah it clips. completley useless. anything else? or ideas?

 

[carl@laruso.com]

weird man... i used one on a session a couple of months back and it was fine,
I'm stuck....

C

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I am newb at drum recording but found myself asking "why condenser?"

 

[Matt Crooks]

KM184/185, or perhaps one of the Josephesons...

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

AKG C414

But in my experience it's not a problem if it's clipping a little as long as you don't harm the microphone.

 

[Curran]

the clip is making the audio useless. so its coming off of the mic not the pre's or during the conversion. so it is a pretty bizaar situation. it only happens on the manliest of the manley drummers(big hitters). so as to the second question in the thread here as to WHY a condensor. it is so you can get the "Snap" of the actual snares under the drum. if you only use the top snare sound you get a very thick BUT overly thuddy sound. so if you blend the too sounds you can get the big fat off of the top and the snappy snappy of the snare for the crack you all like. anyone else got any ideas?!?!?!?! I guess I will have to roll out and buy an AKG c414 with the -18db pad switch. damn it!!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[JeffTD]

I know Sneap used the Shure beta 58 on TGE, and Van Williams isn't a pussy AFAIK, so I'd give that one a shot.

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

the clip is making the audio useless. so its coming off of the mic not the pre's or during the conversion. so it is a pretty bizaar situation. it only happens on the manliest of the manley drummers(big hitters). so as to the second question in the thread here as to WHY a condensor. it is so you can get the "Snap" of the actual snares under the drum. if you only use the top snare sound you get a very thick BUT overly thuddy sound. so if you blend the too sounds you can get the big fat off of the top and the snappy snappy of the snare for the crack you all like. anyone else got any ideas?!?!?!?! I guess I will have to roll out and buy an AKG c414 with the -18db pad switch. damn it!!?!?!?!?!?!?

Ive beeen using a C414 on snare bottom as well recently. Basically a condensor has a faster response so will catch more detail with higher frequencies. A 57 will do a decent enough job but some sort of condensor will be better just to get the top end of the snap. Another good one which is cheaper (IMO) is the Beyer 201.

Ive been really happy with the C414 but I realise not everyone can afford them. Ive been using it in figure of 8 recently to eliminate kick and other things spilling over.

 

[Curran]

yeah I am pretty much consigned to the idea of popping for a c414. oh well it is not like the mic is a one trick pony or anything and it will only make my recordings for bands sound better soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I'll just pick one up this week thanks though for all of the feedback on this.
Love Curran

 

[greyskull]

57, lol
or kms 184, they are awesome

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

Id be interested to hear a drum kit recorded with nothing but 57s. Ill bet it wont sound that bad.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

57's work fine for the bottom snare as well I agree.

 

[AStacy2]

I always use a 57 on bottom snare

 

[Curran]

see I use a 57 with an e609 on the top and it is fine BUT doubling up on the 57 just doesn't do it for me. I also use 57's with the impedence matching on all of the toms and they sound very nice. I also use the ddrum triggers for everything to catch the nuance(inconsitency) of the drummers HAHA and actually use that to edit/quantize the drums to the grid. works very well. just having this prob on the bottom snare
Love Curran

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Curran Murphy, TRUE!

 

[006]

Id be interested to hear a drum kit recorded with nothing but 57s. Ill bet it wont sound that bad.

Listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers...one of their albums was done completely with 57's on the kit. It doesn't sound "awful", persay...rather just lacking some balls a little bit. Plus the kit in general sounds real high-endy. As much as you could expect with nothing but 57's...

~e.a

 

[Glenn Fricker]

If you're using carpet on your floor, try substituting with a couple of sheets of plywood & forget the bottom mic altogether.

 

[Curran]

there can be only one Curran Murphy (thank god). and I am building a new drum room in my new home and it will have the awesome wood floors!!! HAHA so I will try the snappy wood floor in the drums type of thing!!!!
Love Curran