 Drum micing -
User group opinions.
Compiled by Paul
Marshall
Please see Mii's full article on micing
the bodhran
There has been some
discussion on the bodhrandojo group regarding the
amplification of bodhráns for gig purposes. There have been varied opinions but
a fairly consistent range of recommendations. I've listed the main contenders
below.
There would appear
to be a clear winner - a paired Shure Beta 52 and Shure SM
81- unsurprisingly it's the most expensive option.
Overall I'd say
that there were two main considerations; convenience and sound quality. Cost
didn't seem to be an issue really.
 The 52/81 paired
system offers the most accurate representation of the drum's overall tonal
spectrum, especially in the lower frequencies. It uses a dynamic kick drum mic
designed to deal with these tones, the Beta52. The sound is also detailed in the
mid/upper registers by using the SM81 condenser. The whole mix is balanced at
the mix desk or by the drummer's mini mixer.
Small diaphragm
clip on condensers such as the AKG 418 and 419 are relatively cheap, clear
sounding, hassle free, but won't have the body and 'balanceability' of the
paired system. They provide the most consistent sound to the PA and offer
optimum freedom to move, wireless if that's necessary.
I'd look at your
budget and the types of gigs that you're playing. How important is it to you?
"The sound was PHENOMENAL! Rob
Forkner was there and raved about the quality. I have to agree. I'm going to try
a few more setups, but I'm pretty sure I've made up my mind. Anyone want to buy
a 419 that's only been used once?? - Mark
Mic
positioning
- Concensus is that
the microphone(s) are best placed on the open side of the drum.
- The closer the mic
is to the skin, the better the bass response (proximity effect).
- Clip-on
Mics...
- ...for clarity can
be placed near an area where you execute most high pitched sounds.
- ...will remain the
same distance from the drum head at all times and therefore will have a more
consistent sound level than a mic on a stand.
- ...provide
convenience and give acceptable but not optimum sound quality.
- ...add weight plus
their cable or transmitter pack - these may affect balance
- ...give you
wings.
Condenser
mics
- Pro -
- sensitive (but
relatively fragile) microphones designed to 'capture' a more accurate
representation of the source instrument.
- Con -
- more expensive!.
- They are 'active'
which means the backplate requires a small electrical charge. This charge is
usually either phantom power provided from the mixing board or is an inline
power supply.
- Not all mix
desks will have phantom power!!.
- Condenser mics are
sensitive and can be a source of feedback on stage.
Dynamic
mics
- Pro -
- cheap,
- rugged &
robust.
- require no
external power
- Con -
- Reduced frequency
range compared to a condenser.
Single Mic
Systems on this page
Paired mic
systems on this page
Condenser Microphones
AKG 418/9
Condenser Mics
  Mini diaphragm Condenser
microphone
"[418] Put it at
the top inside the drum, and I play right under it for the top end pops and
tone, and my bass notes down below, and I get both boom and pops. I also ask for an EQ curve
with a boost at 80, a cut at about 200, and another boost at 6K, which brings
out the bottom and top end of the
drum much nicer than a flat EQ curve."
Kevin King
[419] I have been
using it for years now and I'm always happy - Rolf
Wagels
AKG 451 - Small
diaphragm condenser
 Great
instrument mic, maybe not sufficient capacity for low frequencies
"C451 is a great
studio mike but I don't think it would be the best gig
mike for bodhrán. Too
sensitive. Not enough bottom. Gives you great
articulation though. I use it
a lot in the studio". Mii
 "I
purchased the Audix ADX-90 Clip-on Condenser Mic and was pleasantly surprised by
the quality of the sound. Nice solid bottom and good range from lows to high
pops. It was eqed flat so if we were to tweak the levels we might even get more
out of it. For $80 it was a good buy. We used it yesterday in the studio while
practicing for tonight's set at the pub. I'll give a quick review how it did
live. The only thing that I am a little concerned with is that it uses phanthom
power. I bought a mic because all to often the places I sing have mics for
voices but not for percussion. Cheers". - Paulsjuris
Dynamic Microphones
Sennheiser 421 -
Dynamic
 "I use a Sennheiser 421.
With my Metloef drum, I'm not getting the pops and articulation that I want from
this mike without a good tweaking from a good sound guy" - Mark Stone
"While the
Sennheiser MD421 is a great mike for many purposes and my first choice for
tom-toms, I can see what you're missing with it: a clear articulation of the
high pops and taps of your Metloef. The 421 has a pretty good transient response
and pretty darn good high-frequency
response for a dynamic mike"
Mii
Sennheiser
e604
 Dynamic microphone,
cheap & rugged. good for mid/low frequencies lacks some articulation in
detail. Normally used for drumset toms.
"I have used the
e604 live, and occassionally in the studio, for a while, and like it quite well.
Thumpy but reasonably articulate. It's generally getting compressed pretty well,
and eq'd a fair bit (pull at 330 , push at 80-100, push at 5k or so). I like the
rounder sound from a dynamic mic, as opposed to the brighter pointier condenser
feel". - John Anthony
Paired Mic systems
Shure Beta 52
and Shure SM81 - Far
and away the best system of which we are aware.
As used by John
Joe Kelly of Flook (pictured right) the Shure 52/81 combination appears thus far
to deliver the optimum sound. The Beta 52 is a large diaphragm dynamic bass drum
mic which is designed to pick up low frequencies from the drum. The SM81 is a
small diaphragm condenser which will pick up detail. This system requires two
channels on the mixing board and balancing by the engineer. Place both mics on
the open side of the drum to avoid phase cancellation (see below)
"The sound was PHENOMENAL! Rob
Forkner was there and raved about the quality. I have to agree. I'm going to try
a few more setups, but I'm pretty sure I've made up my mind. Anyone want to buy
a 419 that's only been used once?? - Mark Stone
A note on Phase
cancellation from Mii
" If you are micing
a drum with two mics - one on the front and the other on the back - and their
distance from the drum is approximately the same, the signals from the two mics
will cancel a lot of each other out. The sound will come out undefined and
fuzzy. Many mixing desks have a switch for reversing the phase of a channel.
Reversing one of the two mic signals will solve the problem. (This is common
snare drum miking and recording practise.)
"If your mixing
desk doesn't have phase reverse switches for channels, do as Mark said: put both
the mics on the same side of the drum."
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