Kick Drum

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Member Since: Aug 13, 2006

We are using a cheap drum mic set my drummer purchased for $200 or $300 to record. The kick is very weak, it records a very dull sound and it almost always has to be punched up volume wise and even then it sounds like crap. We are trying to get that punchy attack sound that you here on most modern rock recordings today, Mudvayne, Godsmack etc. Any ideas?? Is it possibly just a crappy Mic?? Right now we have the Mic set inside the drum right up next to the front pad where the beater hits the drum, an when records it sounds like wuum wuum, wuum wuuum instead of Pow Pow, Pow Pow, hehe -- you get what I am saying.

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Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005


Mar 06, 2007 11:11 am

Yeah the mic will make a difference. i had a stagg kick mike then bought an AKG d112. Amazing difference. That said there are things you can do Tape a coin to the inside of the drum head where the beater hits, this will generate more click. Make sure that the heads are well tuned and you have sufficiant but not too much dampening inide - pillows or etc... perhaps deaden the front head to reduce rebound.

If possible use a compressor on the input stage before the sound hits your multitracker.

EQ'ing - you will probably take a large scoop out of the mids to reduce the WUUMMM sound and you may need to boost around the 60-80hz area. Check around the 125Hz area for any annoying freq's (I cut a small tight Q at 128 on my tama kick drum) Then you will look to boost for the beater smack around the 4-6khz range to bring in more drier click sound.

I hope this helps - but hy I do't know much cause I'm only a drummer!

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


Mar 06, 2007 11:15 am

I mentioned this plugin in your compression thread, but try the Classic Series' Master Limiter on the kick. Crank it way up (or down, I guess) and see what happens.

Also, you'll probably want to do some EQ on the kick. Don't be afraid to boost the lows (around 80-100Hz) and cut out the low-mids, which is where the resonances live. Those resonances drive me nuts, and I'm still not so good at getting rid of them. They're the almost musical notes that a ringing drum head produce. They tend to take over when I boost the kick. But you want to leave the mids and hi-mids intact because that's where the beater 'smack' lives, and that'll give lots of definition to the kick.

Also don't forget about noise gates. Gate that kick so that only the kick opens the gate. When I mixed a particularly resonant kick drum, I ended up setting the gate so that it only let through the initial 'smack' of the kick and closed before the ringing set in. Then I squashed the hell out of it with that master limiter, applied some room-type reverb to draw out the impact a little and ended up with a pretty good kick sound, after some EQing of course.

Member
Since: Feb 27, 2007


Mar 06, 2007 11:32 am

while we are talkin about mics, have u guys any idea what drum mic set should i buy as a start-up?? i cant spend more then $200-300!!

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Mar 06, 2007 01:39 pm

I have the 6 piece audix F series (300-350). It has served me well. Trouble is the 6 piece has no real kick mic, I used the low tom mic on the kick and just EQ accordingly by cutting some 350-400 and boosting at 80 and 2500, it works pretty good.

They also sell a 7 piece with one but it runs about $400. The mics are decent and will get you by, then later when you can afford it you can upgrade the weak links (OH's and Kick).

What I did...

Bought the 6 piece.
Sold the OH's and replaced with Rode NT5's.
Bought an Audix D6.

Other brands offer cheap packages like this too, but this is the only one I have experience with.

Happy hunting.

I KNOW NOTHING
Member
Since: Jun 08, 2006


Mar 06, 2007 05:20 pm

Audix D-6
AKG D-112
Shure Beta 52

They are all very good kick mics, with different flavors. I use the Beta 52, myself.

Any of those mics, with a decently tuned Aquarian Super 2 head, will make just about ANY kick drum punch through a mix.

The above eq'ing advice is good, too. I don't usually boost 60-80 much, (I've usually got plenty) but anywhere from 5000 to 12,00 is fair game if I'm looking for that modern attack.

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Mar 06, 2007 06:18 pm

Heh, yeah when my D6 comes in I won't have to boost much anymore. But using a tom mic on the kick has at least taught me to polish a turd.

Eat Spam before it eats YOU!!!
Member
Since: May 11, 2002


Mar 06, 2007 11:15 pm

#cough# triggers #cough#

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Mar 07, 2007 12:40 am

Hehe, I usede them until recently. I'm not against em, I just need to know how not to use them also.

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