How To Use Audio Technica Drum KitPak?

[Suntower]

Hi,

I just inherited an audio technia drum kitpak. This consists of case, 4 clamps to the drums and 4 mics---2 labelled kick/tom and 2 labelled kick/snare. No documentation and I went to the A/T site and the item is discontinued with no downloadable docs. So...

Any idea on how these are supposed to be set up? I guess I'm mainly wondering proper placement using these clamp thingees...

Any links to docs?

I'm familiar with conventional drum micing with -stands- (eg. 2 oh, bs and snare) but never used this sort of deal. Any help would be much appreciated. I mainly want to use these as triggers for drum replacer software.

TIA,

---JC

[kslight]

Generally you would attach the mic to a clip, the clip to the clamp, and clamp to the drum, point mic at general direction of drum, adjust to taste? Don't know about AT but I use Audix D Vice clamps on snare and toms instead of stands.

[Suntower]

I posted this question @ a 'recording' forum and got a number of derisive posts. Perhaps I should've written...

'I've never used clip=on drum mics'

I was hoping someone had application notes on best practice for PLACEMENT. Usually when I mic drums they are a bit further away then these clips allow for and definitely -not- where these seem to want one to place the mics.

Frankly, I was just hoping for a piccie that demo'd proper placement. There's NOTHING like that @ the A/T site.

---JC

Generally you would attach the mic to a clip, the clip to the clamp, and clamp to the drum, point mic at general direction of drum, adjust to taste? Don't know about AT but I use Audix D Vice clamps on snare and toms instead of stands.

[the finger genius]

clip on drum mics generally are for close mic'ing, if you want to go with another technique these may not be for you.

[Suntower]

clip on drum mics generally are for close mic'ing, if you want to go with another technique these may not be for you.

I get that. I guess I'm getting frustrated because it seems like my question inspires all these grade school replies.

I GET how to mic drums with a 421, RE30 or SM57. I've just never used -these- clip-ons.

Anyone have any -application- notes? ie. Best practice for PLACEMENT?

I see these use on live sound all the time so I guess I was expecting there'd be a number of replies.

TIA,

---JC

[thethingwiththestuff]

seriously, this is not meant to be smart-assed:

put them where they sound best. that is the ONLY answer.

[thethingwiththestuff]

actually, wait, if you're using them mainly as triggers, just put them down as close and perpendicular to the head as possible. you want the hottest and most isolated signal, but it might not be the best sound. if it's too ringy for accurate triggering, point it more where the stick makes contact. these are the same principles for using all mics, there's nothing special about these clip ons.

[The Scum]

Best practice for PLACEMENT?

Place mic.

Listen.

If results are not satisfactory, move mic.

Sometimes things sound right really up close, like 1/4" off the drum. Other times, they sound better farther away...maybe 4" to 6" off. The angle of the mic relative the the head makes a difference. Pointing at the center gets boomier sounds, pointing into the edge gets ringier sounds.

Of course, sticks/heads/player/tuning all also make a difference.

My experience with the clamp on stuff is mixed, at best. A lot of the clamps aren't flexible enough to put the mic where I want it - you're stuck with the placement that it dictates.

I did a bake-off with a pair of Sennheiser e602's on a 14" floor tom - one clamped to the rim with the Senn clamp, and the other on a stand, but otherwise in about the same place. The clamp-on was more restrained - I think that sympathetic vibrations come through the clamp, into the mic, causing some cancellation or intermodulation.

[Suntower]

Thanks for the replies. Just got off the phone with A/T.

Even their guy was less than enthusiastic about these things.

My confusion is that the included clips do NOT allow one to point the mics perpendicular to the drum head. In fact, they seem to want the mics to be almost -parallel- to the head. Hence my head scratching.

If I scrap the clips and just use 'normal' stands, I guess I'm fine.

It just seemed odd that the clips don't help one do the right thing since this is marketed as an ez-bake kind of deal.

---JC

[rhythm ranch]

I don't know if this is the exact kit you have, but the cover of the box shows how the mics/clips are intended to be used:

http://www.directproaudio.com/images/pr ... 4large.jpg

[T-rex]

Experiment with the clips, if you can't get them to sound good, then ditch them and use stands. Just because the clips are made for the kit, you still have to do what sounds right. If the clips don't make sense sound wise, just toss em or sell em.

I had that same kit waaaaaay back from my first band's PA, minus the clips. Like all AT stuff, they actually sounded great for the money and I used them for micing toms when I started recording. I have no idea how they are going to compare to a 421 or RE20 or whatever, but I did get some really usable sounds from them back in the day.

[Suntower]

I don't know if this is the exact kit you have, but the cover of the box shows how the mics/clips are intended to be used:

http://www.directproaudio.com/images/pr ... 4large.jpg

Thanks. This -really- helps. If I had -those- clips I wouldn't have bothered posting.

I got these things sight unseen because A/T kit always seems to have been good value for money for me.

Now... Where does one get clips like -those-?

Cheers!

---JC

[The Scum]

These?

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/winds ... index.html

The Audix DVice is probably the king of mounts like that.

[rhythm ranch]

Thanks. This -really- helps. If I had -those- clips I wouldn't have bothered posting.

My apologies. My psychic mic clip powers are obviously not strong enough.

[Suntower]

Thanks. This -really- helps. If I had -those- clips I wouldn't have bothered posting.

My apologies. My psychic mic clip powers are obviously not strong enough.

That's OK. Everyone has a superpower. You just have to find it (mine is finding great parking spaces at crowded malls.)

OK... one last thing, since I'm obviously a cheapskate:

The only thing wrong with the clips I have is that they aren't long enough. Is there any extension tube one can get to raise the mic up 6" or so? All it needs to be is a tube with a 5/8" female on one side and 5/8" male on the other of the proper thread.

Here is what I have now. I circled the area that needs the extender tube.

http://jchmusic.com/dscn1079.gif

Anyone make tubes like that?

TIA,

---JC