your favorite dynamic mic for toms?

farview · Post by **farview** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:30 pm

+1 for the e604's

If you want an examples of them on toms, any of the tom sounds on this page http://www.farviewrecording.com/html/sound_clips.html

edit, the only one that isn't the 604s is sample 6 Smokescreen. That entire kit is electronic.

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:52 pm

If you already have Oktava MC012's don't even worry about getting other mics for toms. They will smoke anything else hands down.

That said for more budget minded dynamics th e604s do sound good. 57's can be cool, they might need a little eq sometimes. For live sound I used Cad 4 TSM411 mics and they sounded good.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:56 pm

421 are my numero uno. The 604, EV468, and even Audix D2 sound good too.

I need to try MC012s again, but I didn't really dig them when I tried in the past.

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:18 pm

Ok seriously on the cheap, the audio technica drum pack mics; it had two sn/tom mics and two tom/bass mics were actually really good on toms. Admittedly most of the time I was recording a really gorgeous set of Gretsch Round Badge toms, but they still sounded great on other drum kits. They are seriously super cheap if you can still find them.

The MD421's are really really good, but I use the MC-012's pretty religiously (although these are condensers so not what you are looking for.)

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 11:00 pm

I had a thread on here a while ago about looking for a tom mic. The 604s looked nice and if I was on a budget I'd probably look to them. I've wanted some MK012s for a while, and I need to get something for overheads soon as mine are starting to act up, but I'm a little afraid I'll end up liking them more on toms than overheads, and then have two great tom mics (when I need three) and nothing I love for overheads. That side, as the result of my thread on here I got two used MD421s from two people on Craigslist. Mine sound a little different from each other - one has a bit of a high spike, oddly (even with the rolloff set the same), so I like that one on floor tom but not on rack tom. I've been biding my time waiting to get another 421 since I mostly drum with 3 toms and a number of drummers that come through here do too. I've ended up supplementing with an SM7, which doesn't always match too well. The 421s definitely sound nice on toms. I wouldn't say I'm getting the 100% ideal tom sound, but I'd say that has much more to do with other factors than the mics. EQ-wise they're beautiful, I don't need to EQ toms anymore. I was also floored when I first got the first 421 and playing around a bit with it on kick. I've heard people liking it there but I didn't expect to love it like I did. 421 > RNLA is a really sweet combo. I also really liked it on snare. I'm a huuuuge SM7 lover and I love it on many, many things, but not toms as much as the 421s. I'd be comfortable micing and entire kit with the exception of maybe overheads with 421s. I most often use my SM7 on kick, 57 on snare, 421 on two toms, and D112 on the floor.

Tim A · Post by **Tim A** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 11:37 pm

e604 just have a great standard sound i'd say. good attack, good body not dicking around or eq...super simple. theyre great for a budget as theyre cheap and you wont need to buy more Mic stands. Plus mic stands are my arch enemy so theres nothing better than clipping on 3 mics in three seconds when your in a session.

that being said I've moved work to a place that doesnt have them, and i really dont miss them. 421 are pretty much always great. need to get my hands on one more oktava to give them a try on a kit. I remember Joel busting them out on a session i was in and they sounded great!!

losthighway · Post by **losthighway** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:27 am

The 604's are literally the only mic in my studio that I still use about every time, and that hasn't changed since I got them (7-8 years). I've had weird prejudice that somehow I needed something cooler, or less "live" sound, but they always sound right.

I tried 4033's, placement was trickier, even with the pad on they were a little hot, sounded ok.

I used ksm 141's those are just cool. They work for this also, but they are often in the overhead position, and I don't feel as ok with them being dented by drum sticks as I do the 604's.

weatherbox · Post by **weatherbox** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:20 am

ATM25s are my favorite. MC012s #2.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:57 pm

jgimbel wrote:I had a thread on here a while ago about looking for a tom mic. The 604s looked nice and if I was on a budget I'd probably look to them. I've wanted some MK012s for a while, and I need to get something for overheads soon as mine are starting to act up, but I'm a little afraid I'll end up liking them more on toms than overheads, and then have two great tom mics (when I need three) and nothing I love for overheads. That side, as the result of my thread on here I got two used MD421s from two people on Craigslist. Mine sound a little different from each other - one has a bit of a high spike, oddly (even with the rolloff set the same), so I like that one on floor tom but not on rack tom. I've been biding my time waiting to get another 421 since I mostly drum with 3 toms and a number of drummers that come through here do too. I've ended up supplementing with an SM7, which doesn't always match too well. The 421s definitely sound nice on toms. I wouldn't say I'm getting the 100% ideal tom sound, but I'd say that has much more to do with other factors than the mics. EQ-wise they're beautiful, I don't need to EQ toms anymore. I was also floored when I first got the first 421 and playing around a bit with it on kick. I've heard people liking it there but I didn't expect to love it like I did. 421 > RNLA is a really sweet combo. I also really liked it on snare. I'm a huuuuge SM7 lover and I love it on many, many things, but not toms as much as the 421s. I'd be comfortable micing and entire kit with the exception of maybe overheads with 421s. I most often use my SM7 on kick, 57 on snare, 421 on two toms, and D112 on the floor.

MC021 are really wonderful sounding overheads.

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:09 am

Most of the time (like 90%) I am using MC012s on both overheads AND toms. The rest of the time is stapes OH's or a ribbon on OH, but pretty much always MC012 on toms. Personally, I never really liked the e604s. I had em for a short time, but never really got what I was looking for with them. I am sure its just me or my taste cause tons of people love em, but I never really liked em.

Fader4D8 · Post by **Fader4D8** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:15 am

vxboogie wrote:The e604 clip-on mics are pretty good. Fairly cheap used. I still give an edge to my 421s, but they are fairly close and work better in tight space situations and are great for live sound. I also like e604 on snare in many situations.

Good to hear that. I've been looking for an option to use on remote stuff that's quick to set up and take down, eliminating the mic stands.

People think the Senn clip-ons are OK?

gregovertone · Post by **gregovertone** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:58 am

i started with the 604's, as you could get 3 for a budget. i always wondered how the clip impacted the resonance of the toms. they are GREAT for live applications.

scored a few 421's on ebay for a good price.

i liked those more, but not by much, and the connivence of the tiny clip 604 kept them in the running.

having said that.......at l east 80% of the time, i rock the mk012's.

just great mics for the price. great definition. tight pattern.
small enough to get in tight spaces.

hard to beat!

Fader4D8 · Post by **Fader4D8** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:53 am

Thanks for the info Greg

JohnDavisNYC · Post by **JohnDavisNYC** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:15 pm

i almost always use the oktavas, but on a session last week (in between construction days) i used a beyer m88 on floor tom and it was amazing. i want to get another one and try them on toms... definitely more of a 70's vibe than the oktavas. and super tight rejection.

john

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:43 pm

drumsound wrote:
jgimbel wrote:I had a thread on here a while ago about looking for a tom mic. The 604s looked nice and if I was on a budget I'd probably look to them. I've wanted some MK012s for a while, and I need to get something for overheads soon as mine are starting to act up, but I'm a little afraid I'll end up liking them more on toms than overheads, and then have two great tom mics (when I need three) and nothing I love for overheads. That side, as the result of my thread on here I got two used MD421s from two people on Craigslist. Mine sound a little different from each other - one has a bit of a high spike, oddly (even with the rolloff set the same), so I like that one on floor tom but not on rack tom. I've been biding my time waiting to get another 421 since I mostly drum with 3 toms and a number of drummers that come through here do too. I've ended up supplementing with an SM7, which doesn't always match too well. The 421s definitely sound nice on toms. I wouldn't say I'm getting the 100% ideal tom sound, but I'd say that has much more to do with other factors than the mics. EQ-wise they're beautiful, I don't need to EQ toms anymore. I was also floored when I first got the first 421 and playing around a bit with it on kick. I've heard people liking it there but I didn't expect to love it like I did. 421 > RNLA is a really sweet combo. I also really liked it on snare. I'm a huuuuge SM7 lover and I love it on many, many things, but not toms as much as the 421s. I'd be comfortable micing and entire kit with the exception of maybe overheads with 421s. I most often use my SM7 on kick, 57 on snare, 421 on two toms, and D112 on the floor.
MC021 are really wonderful sounding overheads.

Thanks for posting that, hearing that from a source I trust so much really helps me a lot. My SDCs are on their way out (and too cheap for me too want to repair and not QUITE inexpensive enough that I'm not looking at other options). I've been looking at the KSM141s, SM81s, and a few others (C42s, the Pelusos) and at the end of the day, I keep coming back to thinking it's silly for me to ignore the Oktavas.

farview, nice examples. That's got to be the best way to hear samples! Great sounds overall, and the toms sound really nice across everything. The 604s sound like they pick up a lot of the toms' "note", and a really good/appropriate picture of the spectrum. Very nice, definitely mics I'll keep in mind.

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your favorite dynamic mic for toms?

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