Tom Mics

[Trevoire520]

You know, this isn't the first time I have heard this. I was shown the difference between a set of those and a set of MD421 mics and I can honestly say they were easily just as good surprisingly.

Not exactly a small mic though.

Yeah I prefer the cad's over the 421's tbh, bags of attack, flat low end down to 40hz or so, rip a bit of mids and you're most of the way there.
Though if the drummer has a super tight setup then you're screwed, that's kinda true of any mic mind you.

 

[Eschatologist]

If you need clip-ons, E604 FTW. Otherwise, CAD M179

Why are the 604s better than the D2s?

 

[Drummerrrrr?]

M179.

 

[JeffTD]

^complete oppotiste for me... d4s for all toms, really started to dislike the muddy d2.

Interesting; I've found the D4 to be incredibly boxy on rack-toms compared to the D2; like the eq curve is shifted too far for the tuning to work with or something.

 

[Max Morton]

I've always been into D2 on rack toms and D6 on floor toms. D4 often felt a little wrong to me, too. Waiting for an opportunity to try M179's and ATM450's.

 

[cfh11]

never had any complaints about the d2/d4 setup....would love to try the d6 on the floor tom but it has been stuck in the kick drum since i got it

 

[jeid]

Will give the D6 a try on floor tom, but I was quite happy with the D2/4. I've got the Audix now having had MD421/Beta 56/SM57 on toms before. Happiest with these.

 

[JeffTD]

Will give the D6 a try on floor tom, but I was quite happy with the D2/4. I've got the Audix now having had MD421/Beta 56/SM57 on toms before. Happiest with these.

the D6 is a bit more hyped/excited with the floor tom than the D4; it also really brings out china/ride bleed and placement can be harder, but it's got a bigger, more exaggerated low end and more of a snappy stick attack off the bat. It's also great on the bottom of the floor tom just for insane resonance/depth.

 

[Mago]

I still really dig 57s on rack toms, apart from 421s. Haven't been experimenting with condensers on toms yet, but the atm450 seems interesting.

AKG D440 on rack and D550 on floor works super sweet live. Haven't recorded them yet though.

 

[Machinated]

I've been fine with D2's/D4 although I know what Jeff is saying with the D4. sometimes it can sound a bit funky. can usually compensate a bit by micing further away although it will obviously affect bleed. D2 seems to retain more of the natural sound when mic'd closer IMO.

 

[KillFrenzy]

Why are the 604s better than the D2s?

They're not betterm they are (very) different. I have the D2's and like them, but sometimes I miss some of the mids the e604 brings beautifully. I find them more tweakable.

In the end it's down to personal taste I guess.

 

[RedDog]

Another vote for the audix D series here. Hate my D2, although I use it when more than two toms are called for. I prefer the D4 on rack tom. Never liked the high end attack, but I adore the rejection. I find that I remove a lot of 600-2k from those mics. I'd like to run through juicier preamps in the future.

 

[GeertSamuel]

We're discussing mics here....maybe a wiser discussion would be: "How are you tuning those toms?"
I've heard and did several recording using low budget tom mics, with a proper tom tuning, turning out great.

 

[Heabow]

We're discussing mics here....maybe a wiser discussion would be: "How are you tuning those toms?"
I've heard and did several recording using low budget tom mics, with a proper tom tuning, turning out great.

Tuning is of course a big part of the equation. Each mic has its own characteristic tho. I put e604s once on a great drum, well tuned and well played and they did not give me what I like, it was far better to my ears with md421s.

 

[~BURNY~]

Here's a quick and dirty tom mic shootout on a 13" rack tom:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2973685/Tom mics.rar

D2, D4, BF504, e906, MD421n, SM57.

 

[~BURNY~]

16" Floor Tom

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2973685/Floor tom mics.rar

D2, D4, BF504, e906, MD421n, SM57, D6, D112.

 

[Max Morton]

~BURNY~: Thanks man! That's interesting.

 

[C-Martin]

I've been using the e609 on rack and either 421 or tlm103 on floor with good results. I have two different kind of e609 though, a pair of "pre silver" all black ones and a newer silver one. They both sound completely different, I thend to just stick with the black ones as they are bit flatter and less harsh but the silver one can work too. I like the super cardioid pattern, the black ones seem to be a bit narrower too, might even be hyper but never found any info to confirm.

 

[RedDog]

We're discussing mics here....maybe a wiser discussion would be: "How are you tuning those toms?"
I've heard and did several recording using low budget tom mics, with a proper tom tuning, turning out great.

I'm tuning the tried-n'-true head combo of Emperor clear up top and Ambassador down below. I keep them pretty low, 12" and 16" both in and around the second octave. F#2 and A2 I think. Tuned with sine waves.