So What are you using on snare..

[greyskull]

So since i got my D6 and 421's i havent worried about my kick and tom sounds, and sure aint reaching for the slate samples on them anymore.

However, maybe its all part of this great game we're involved in, but i'm still wanting to improve my snare sounds.

Normally i go for an old shure unidyne 545 on top and a 57 on the bottom.
like this

but im still lacking that nice top end on it. condenser is out of the question, coz spill would be awful, I have also used an i5 which im not keen on, an ae2500 a 414, and a 421 and of course a 57, and none of them have quite got me there.
This is of course taking into account a decent snare with good heads tuned well side of the equation.
pre is normally Tg2 or Api 3124, so that sure aint it.... could it be placement? i always find that placing the snare mic is a struggle coz of the way most fucking drummers set up their kit. Inconsiderate arseholes.

could it be the mic? AHHHHH DONT KNOW

got these to chose from
KG D112 x2
Audio-Technica 4040 x2
Audio-Technica AE2500
Audix D6
Audix D12
Beyerdynamic Opus 51 Boundary Mic
The Blue Ball
Rode NTK Valve Mic x2
Rode NT5 (Matched Pair)
Rode NT1
Sennheiser MD 421
Sennheiser MD 441
Sennheiser E604 drum mic x3
Shure SM58 x2
Shure SM57 x5
1960's Shure UNIDYNE III Model 545 - x2
T Bone RB500 x2

Help!
HELP!

 

[punkrockacademyfightsong]

I've tried quite a lot of mics on snaredrums but have always gone back to the regular 57. The only other mic I sometimes use is a 904. It's got a bit more presence and is a bit less sensitive to bleed than a regular 57. Might be one to check out. The b56 sounds pretty similar BTW but I don't have one of them myself...

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Why don't you try blending some mics? Like say a 57 and a 414 for example? I would bet the 57 would give you a nice body and 414 a nice crisp top end

Edit: Oh, you said you used a 414 but I don't see it on your mic list

 

[gabriel g.]

I use always a sm57 but I heard amazing resulst with the i5. I also used an beyerdynamic opus 53 (small condenser) on the snare one time ( because the drummer 5 toms) worked great!!!

 

[vespiz]

Audix i5 or BeyerDynamic M201TG, try 'em!

 

[Lasse Lammert]

I used to use 2sm57
now, after I got the m201 that'll be my main mic for the top side of the snare.

I posted a comparison some time ago, was km184 vs 57 vs 201.

 

[Seizure.]

It depends!
Sometimes i love the i5, sometimes the sm57 is more apropriate (more transients/more natural attack it seems..), and i also regularly use a md421!

 

[Trevoire520]

At some point or another I've used the following on snare:

SM57 - it works, but i think there are better choices
B57A - brighter and crisper than the standard 57, the highs seem a bit smoother too
SM58 - this seemed to have more snap and more thud than the 57 in a shootout I did, a bit "pre-eq'd" sounding though
M201 - also used in said shootout, seemed to have the thud of the 58 but it was wayyyy more natural, didn't have the top end attack though
E904 - had a very nice "pop" to it
C391B - too hot, ended up with alot of hits overloading the mic, and surprisingly it wasn't very snappy. I think that was more to the snare than anything else though.

Personally I think if you had a hypercardiod condenser you'd be surprised how manageable the spill would be as long as the drummer whacks his snare and you work hard on the placement.

I've got a pair of I5's I just bought to try out on snare soon, and I have heard that the SE4 is meant to be great on snare drums. I think my brightest snare sound I've had was from the 904. But so much changes from project to project it's impossible to tell if thats the mic, the snare, the room, the mix etc etc.

All in all though I think 90% of the snare sound is in the snare itself and how its tuned etc. If the top end isn't there to start with then no mic is going to put it in.

Maybe to change your overhead setup? Generally people on this forum aim to get as much cymbals and as little drums in the overheads as possible, mainly because there's alot of sample replacing going on. Whereas I try to get the whole kit sounding balanced in my overheads, so with a good sounding bright room you should get a bit of snare brightness from the overhead mics.

 

[KeithTidd]

lately i've been using a 421. I would say it's a bit drier, and bleeds more though - probably not what you're looking for. I always use a 57 and boost it's hi end with a pultec when possible. That always gives me the highs i want.

 

[lolzgreg]

Use the AKG D112, it scoops the shitty mids and boosts the highs and lows.

Nice kit, btw. I've got the same one and the toms are amazing.

-Greg

 

[colonel kurtz]

i5 on top, AT 4033 on bottom is usually my go-to combo

 

[ze kink]

Well, I honestly have always preferred the SM57 as the top mic, so I dunno. I'm sure I'd like the i5 too, but I don't own one yet. Maybe experiment with the bottom mic more? I've heard good results with a large diaphragm condenser as the bottom mic, but I haven't tried it myself. Perhaps try a room mic that only opens when the snare is hit? I really like the snare sound on new NIN stuff, and in the two songs in the NINJA pack and the snare sounds so roomy that I think there's something like that going on.

 

[egan.]

I like the i5 but I've also had luck with the beta 87 of all things. It actually had less bleed than the 57 if you don't place it with the node pointed at the hats.

 

[kaomao]

sm57 on top and i5 on bottom, if they don't work, I just switch them sm57 on bottom and i5 on top

 

[Joematthews]

I took some samples today with an SM57 on top, a rode nt1 on the side facing one of the holes in the snare, and a Red5 RV4 on the bottom, but any small diaghram condenser will do. The blend of them made a pretty crappy snare sound pretty good.

http://cid-edcc376eae19298a.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Documents/1.wav

Thats the result. Multisamples to come soon.

Joe