drumkit overheads

[beezleborf]

I just sold my AKG c-1000. Need to get some overhead mics for drums. Any recommendations kids? Thanks

[AGCurry]

If you want cheap, the Oktava MK012 or Rode NT5 pairs are pretty good.

[Madness]

The Oktava MC 012s are really great, affordable mics.

If you can spend a little more, The GT44 by Groove Tubes is a great sounding mic, IMHO. I use a matched pair of these for overheads all the time.

Best wishes
Phil

[clodock]

them shure ksm are real nice too. haven't heard the little guys with the omni pattern as well as the cardoid, but I'd check those out if I were in your shoes. I have a matched pair of octavas with all 3 capsules and they are indeed quite nice.

[Allcalm]

I just got the Joesphson c-42's. They are almost as expensive as Neumann KM-184's but the sound is better and compared to the Rode NT's its just not funny. I personally dont like the Rode's they just sound dead. I am completly in love with the c-42's. If you have the money they are worth every penny.
-Z

[soundguy]

how much money can you afford to spend?

how much time can you afford to save for a good pair of mics?

dave

[PatrickBrown]

I have a pair of Marshall MXL600's, though the 603's would no doubt do fine, and are less expensive. I run them through a PreSonus BlueTube(I bypass the tube,,just use the gain), and run into a PreSonus BlueMax comp set on perc 1, for snare and kick, even though they are overheads, cuz one of the overheads gets the snare. I only use 3 mikes on drums. There might be something awry with my perc 2 setting anyway. It sounds like a steam locomotive going backwards. The MXL's sound ok. Pretty good, really, to my ears(that doesn't mean alot)I have a D112 in the kick running through a Joemeek MQ3.
I find I don't need to shock mount the MXL's. The AKG just lies on a throw pillow in the kick drum, though I might re stand mount it.

[Mark]

I just got the Joesphson c-42's. They are almost as expensive as Neumann KM-184's but the sound is better and compared to the Rode NT's its just not funny. I personally dont like the Rode's they just sound dead. I am completly in love with the c-42's. If you have the money they are worth every penny.
-Z

Where on earth do you shop!? You can get a matched pair of the C 42s from Mercenary for $950. Even Musicians Friend doesn't sell the KM184 MP for less than $1,400. Please tell everyone where they can buy the latter for only slightly more than the former. I'd quite like to know

[inthered]

I like AT Pro37Rs. I've got a pair and have been happy with a single overhead and another out in front of the kit a little higher than the top of the highest cymbal. They're good on guitar amps and at smoothing out brittle-sounding stuff, too, so if you don't have a lot of money you'll be able to do a lot with them (and perhaps even if you do have a lot of money). If you're using a D112 in the kick you might want something to pick up the bass drum from out front so you get more than 'thud.'

I'm also fond of an AT4050 as an overhead in cardioid, with my MK319 (Oktava, and I say 'my' because there's no reason to believe that there's enough consistency across those mikes to guarantee that it would work with any other MK319) across the room. The AT4050 is another pretty neutral mic that a lot of people think is boring, but it does a lot for the price and I'm fond of less-hyped mics anyway. The purpose of the Oktava is to have a funkier response and give more character to the sound.

Also, are you sure you need overheads rather than just an overhead? Stereo overheads can often do more harm than good to a sound.

-Colin

[Allcalm]

I just got the Joesphson c-42's. They are almost as expensive as Neumann KM-184's but the sound is better and compared to the Rode NT's its just not funny. I personally dont like the Rode's they just sound dead. I am completly in love with the c-42's. If you have the money they are worth every penny.
-Z

Where on earth do you shop!? You can get a matched pair of the C 42s from Mercenary for $950. Even Musicians Friend doesn't sell the KM184 MP for less than $1,400. Please tell everyone where they can buy the latter for only slightly more than the former. I'd quite like to know

I actually bought mine from Mercenary. The thing is I orginally bought the KM-184's when they tossed Neumann and had dealer prices so it cost me more money when I sent the Neumann's back and got the Joesphson's.
And for the record I consider $1000 almost as expensive as $1400. Don't you?

[Rodgre]

STAPES!

I know. I know. Shut up about the friggin Stapes already.

For smaller rooms, where there isn't a huge amount of reverb/reflection, these omnis sound FANTASTIC on drums. A pair of these and a mic on the kick could be all you need!

Roger

[Mark]

I just got the Joesphson c-42's. They are almost as expensive as Neumann KM-184's but the sound is better and compared to the Rode NT's its just not funny. I personally dont like the Rode's they just sound dead. I am completly in love with the c-42's. If you have the money they are worth every penny.
-Z

Where on earth do you shop!? You can get a matched pair of the C 42s from Mercenary for $950. Even Musicians Friend doesn't sell the KM184 MP for less than $1,400. Please tell everyone where they can buy the latter for only slightly more than the former. I'd quite like to know

I actually bought mine from Mercenary. The thing is I orginally bought the KM-184's when they tossed Neumann and had dealer prices so it cost me more money when I sent the Neumann's back and got the Joesphson's.
And for the record I consider $1000 almost as expensive as $1400. Don't you?

Not really. For $1,400 I could get a pair of C42s and an RNP. Now that sounds like a deal

[doc]

If you've got a decent room with at least 10' ceilings I highly recommend the Pacific Pro Audio LD-1's. $99.00 each. I've been using them at a new studio and absolutely love them. First time I've used Large Diaphragm condensors as overheads (I've always stuck to my Shure SM81's and Rode NT5's). For the money they rule. Plus they've also been good on electric bass and vocals so far. I'm going to try them on electric and acoustic electrics next week. I haven't loved the sound of these in the iso booths or other small(er) rooms with low ceilings though.

-Doc

[joel hamilton]

Man, Dial up is slow. I am in a hotel, out of town. jeez.

Anyway,

I hardly ever use a stereo overhead anymore. people battle over this all the time. the only stereo pair I give a crap about these days are the room mics.

That being said, i usually use a FET47 as an overhead. I really like it in this capacity. I have tried almost every decent mic as an overhead, and the 47 became my first pull... on a whim the other day, I put up one of my (great) cheap oktava ml-52 ribbons, and I LOVED IT. I really loved it. You can get these on ebay for 250 bucks all the time. NEW! in the box.. I got the shock mount for it too. man, I was so impressed by these things. I really love weird mics, and this one is certainly not your "normal" mic to use as an overhead, but , man! I was digging it. Just a little squish from the 33609, and it was HUGE all by itself (because it has almost NO high end definition). Just a big fat STC or Coles with a sock over it sound that was super musical. Isnt that what we are recording?

I do still pull out 81's (boring) once in a while, or coles, or a pair of CMV563's, but man that little oktava was a great deal!

[leigh]

The GT44 by Groove Tubes is a great sounding mic, IMHO. I use a matched pair of these for overheads all the time.

I've got an Alesis/GT AM40, which is probably identical to the GT44 (bought it a couple years ago when Alesis was dumping the GT line). Do you use the standard cardiod capsule for drum overheads, or did you get omni capsules?

Leigh