Tom Mic Comparison

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losthighway
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Tom Mic Comparison

Post by losthighway » Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:16 pm

I've been wanting to do a little R&D with some of my mic choices. I have been using Sennheiser e604s on toms in 90% of my sessions for like a decade. I think I've always been playing with options in other roles, and have gotten so many drummers excited by their tom sounds I took a 'Ain't broke/Don't fix' kind of attitude.

When I picked up a MD421, and started lusting after those awesome Josephson e22s I thought it would be good to do a little comparison to gain some context and perspective. I brought out my Shure KSM141 cause that's been just about the only other mic I've used on toms. Kind of similar action to the Oktava lovers with a SDC.

Like another recent tapeopper shared, this isn't pure science, not a proper 'shootout'. More of an informal comparison just to see generally what things sound like. I didn't bother to put up my beloved DWs, this is just my drummer's okay sounding Yamaha rack tom with one of those kind of hazy looking, semi coated Evans heads. I appreciate a comparison with a fairly ordinary sounding instrument. I've recorded drums that would sound amazing with a generic dynamic mic before.

There's two cycles of the beat with each mic in this order: Sennheiser e604, Sennheiser MD421, Shure KSM141.

I'll share my thoughts later in case someone wants to share any observations first.

https://soundcloud.com/trevor-mcmorris/ ... omparison

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by digitaldrummer » Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:41 pm

I like 421's. :-) The e604's aren't bad either.
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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:37 pm

It's kind of amazing how close the 604 and 421 sound. Either one sounds great to me. Not loving the KSM141 even in context. It's funny, the snare sounds better than the tom on the KSM141.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by losthighway » Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:41 pm

A.David.MacKinnon wrote:
Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:37 pm
It's funny, the snare sounds better than the tom on the KSM141.
Yeah, the bleed on each of the mics is so different, it's the most notable difference between the two Sennheisers, which is crazy because a 421 costs like 3 times as much.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by Scodiddly » Sun Feb 28, 2021 5:39 am

losthighway wrote:
Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:41 pm
A.David.MacKinnon wrote:
Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:37 pm
It's funny, the snare sounds better than the tom on the KSM141.
Yeah, the bleed on each of the mics is so different, it's the most notable difference between the two Sennheisers, which is crazy because a 421 costs like 3 times as much.
Makes sense to me. Controlling the pickup pattern is one of the really tricky things about microphone design, and then manufacturing it consistently is even more difficult.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by vvv » Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:49 am

8) , thanks.
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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by frans_13 » Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:40 am

Going through most of the usual suspects for tom mics i kind of ended up with Beyer M600s and M700s. Spill is reasonable and not as funky sounding as with a 421, allthough the Beyers don't have the icepick-in-the-eye of the 421 on axis. They were expensive and unpopular when new, so there's not that many around, but they are pretty good dynamics. If i had way more money i'd get a handful of DPA 4099 for toms and see how they handle spill. On axis they sound fine and detailed to me. Getting one a year ago they beat every other mic here (about a 100 mics) for snare. And i tried a lot of mics in the last 35 years.
Due to luck and circumstances i am offering a limited run of Beyerdynamic M380 clones with unused Beyer capsules. PM me for info.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by vvv » Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:51 am

Izzit fair to assume all y'all worried about spill aren't gating the toms?
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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by losthighway » Thu Mar 04, 2021 2:03 pm

vvv wrote:
Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:51 am
Izzit fair to assume all y'all worried about spill aren't gating the toms?
I can only speak for myself, but I hear/read a lot about people talking about "helpful bleed" in the tom mics. In some cases I actually hear it. It more often has to do with a different flavor of snare coming through, but usually cymbals are too much of a problem for me along with the occasionally resonating floor tom that kind of blurs the bass drum a little.

In those frequent situations, I'm much more likely to do volume edits, and pull the toms down 10-20 db during long passages without toms, or leave everything open during those groovy parts where there are almost no cymbals. I find gates are too choosy, and I end up spending as much time tweaking the settings as I can creating some smooth automated 'fader moves' in the software to deal with all the trouble.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:06 pm

It's always drummer and kit dependant. If at all possible leaving the tom mics wide open is the goal but........bashers, shit tuning, ride cymbal a quarter inch from the floor tom, hi hat, hi hat, hi hat.
I too never gate with a gate. It's always volume or mute automation. If the kit is good and it's just an issue of cymbal hash I automate volume down between hits. If the tuning is so crap that there's an atonal drone from ringing toms I'll just chop out everything except the hits. If the whole god damn thing is a disaster I'll sample replace (hopefully with clean hits from the actual kit being recorded).
If I'm the drummer then there usually aren't tom mics....or tom fills......or cymbals....or "great" drumming. No bashing though.


Oh.... also, Beyer M700 on toms! I'll have to give that a shot. I've got one in the drawer that doesn't get much use. I break it out as my live vocal mic every few years when I do a gig but forget about it otherwise.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by digitaldrummer » Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:21 pm

when I've got a whole kit with close mics, I usually end up editing between tom hits because the ring is too much otherwise. But that's a lot of work. Which brings me to the Glyn Johns mic method. I do not have to edit anything there. And I'm diggin it! But its a different sound so doesn't work for every song.
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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by Nick Sevilla » Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:46 pm

When I put a 414 on the low tom, the earth shakes LOL.

Try it. Use the mic's pad to lower the level.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by Recycled_Brains » Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:22 am

I picked up a pair of ATM230's a while back and they're pretty outstanding. Good tone, less bleed than other mics I've tried, small profile, easy to position....

I like M88's and 441's too.
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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by drumsound » Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:35 am

Recycled_Brains wrote:
Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:22 am
I picked up a pair of ATM230's a while back and they're pretty outstanding. Good tone, less bleed than other mics I've tried, small profile, easy to position....

I like M88's and 441's too.
I use an ATM23he on snare and its the same size I believe. Easy to position.

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Re: Tom Mic Comparison

Post by Jarvis » Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:18 am

Self recordist here, I use 4033s cos I have two toms and I have two of these mics. I don’t always do a lot of tom work but when I do, coated ambs on top, clear on the bottom: tis the Crack of God. I always ride the volume, post recording.
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