good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

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trashy
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by trashy » Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:04 pm

b3groover wrote:Give the Superlux mics a try. I have two of their kick mics (different models) and they are great. They are around $60.
yeah, I got the Superlux PRA-218A and I love it. I mean, I have at least $40 of love for it, which is what I paid. New. I'm not shitting you. It's a cool mic.

Here's a couple of okay on-topic threads:
http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=19836

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=16885

Good luck!

dayvel
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by dayvel » Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:54 pm

Oh yeah? I got my PRA-218A for under $30 new inc/shipping off evilbay. Sounds real good, too.

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NeglectedFred
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by NeglectedFred » Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:23 pm

I've used my Octava MC-012's as what I like to call "under-heads", not sure if this is an original tactic or not, but I throw the pads on, set one on each side about a foot away from the kick, pan one hard left, the other hard right and wa-la, A kick so fat it put's your mamma to shame!!

Seriously, it's HUGE!

Of corse it picks up everything, so it's not just a kick mic, but it's the most dominating part of the kit.

I've never been brave enough to throw one in a kick, or right in front of it for that matter, you'd probably want a pop filter or two, but who knows? Joel Hamilton swears they are holy grail on toms.. Why not?

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lancebug
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by lancebug » Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:01 pm

Do a search on the messageboard for the atm 25. I got mine for around $85. Dont take my word for it. Read about it.

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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by Punkity » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:13 am

The SM57 and the AKG D112 work well enough and are under $100 (used for the D112), but IMO the best cheap kick mic is a cheap PZM, especially the old Radio Shack ones (NOT the new ones they have in the stores). There are usually a couple a' three on ebay.

A PZM in a kick is the most idiot proof set-up ever. Just toss a piece of foam or a pillow or whatever in the drum and put the mic on that. You will get the sound of the drum, and it will be good, unlike the 57 or the 112 which will sound like a 57 or a 112, and it might or might not sound good.

A word to the wise regarding the Radio Shack PZM. It has an unbalanced 1/4" plug. You can use an XLR adaptor or clip the old plug off and add one. I have read that you connect the shield from the PZM wire to the cold connection (3) but leave the ground connection (1) on the XLR unconnected. I can't remember why, but I did this and it worked just fine.
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I'm Painting Again
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by I'm Painting Again » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:23 am

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the "speaker as kick mic" method..i guess a desired taste..

you can read about it here:

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=8361

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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by jeddypoo » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:32 am

I bought a CAD kick mic from ebay that I think sounds marvelous for $69 and it came with a really nice heavy-duty stand and base, all brand new.
I'm pretty happy with CAD's price-to-quality ratio in general, actually.
I find adherence to fantasy troubling and unreasonable.

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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by Punkity » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:44 am

Uh... regarding what I posted before about not connecting the shield to the ground on the XLR connector: I googled around and found enough modifications that do connect the shield to the ground as well as the cold connection, and none saying you shouldn't, to make me doubt my advice. I wish I could remember why I read you souldn't.

I take that bit back.
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Luke
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by Luke » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:56 am

I don't think you'll find a d112 for $30 anywhere, I 'd have a bunch of them if you could. I'd try the cad for $50 bucks @ musicians friend, and find a used 57 that you will definitly find a use for. I usually use the cad for floor tom.
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by EoiNius » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:03 am

I got a Shure 10A dynamic for about $60.its basically a cheaper version of the sm57 i think. I think they're discontinued but I'm sure you'd pick one up on ebay pretty cheap.

I use it pretty much all over the kit...depending...my favourite placement is to use it on its own as a mono overhead...
I also use it with a kick drum woofer,hooked onto an unmuffled,unported kick with the mic placed in the middle of the woofer about 1-2 inches from the floor,directed towards the beater...HUGE..thats the word I'm looking for...

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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by EoiNius » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:04 am

Sorry,I think I got carried away a bit there...

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Luke
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by Luke » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:26 am

You might be able to find a cad e100 used for a $100. It's a medium diaphram condenser that I use as an alternate for kick with great results. It can also be used for vox, overhead or room mic.
Use what you have, after all, it's all you've got.LV

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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by Chris_Meck » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:13 am

I recently did a second session for somebody-and on the first session, I'd used a Superlux 218 that I got for $30.

This time, there's some new mics in our studio, so I threw up a Shure Beta 52, thinking it's a much superior mic.

After screwing around with it for about half an hour, the singer from the band noticed that it was a different mic than last time and said," Hey, where's that good mic?"

Go figure. I think the 218 basically sounds like a '57 without the little high mid peak-thing that '57's do, and with perhaps a touch lower frequency reach.

Anyway, pretty easy to get a decent kick sound out of it.

Chris
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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by joel hamilton » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:49 am

BEARD_OF_BEES wrote:I'm surprised nobody mentioned the "speaker as kick mic" method..i guess a desired taste..

you can read about it here:

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=8361
I always found that when I did the speaker as a mic thing, it doesnt sound like a kick drum to me. It sounds like a low end thud, which can be cool to mix in with something else under the right circumstances, but not like a kick drum sounds.

To use that alone would be like just using someone puffing on a mic as the kick. Cool sound, but not the sound of a kick drum in my opinion. I tried to love it when I first heard about it ('97/'98 ish) and I was like "what the hell? this cant be what they were talking about!?!?!"

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Re: good cheap new kick drum mic under $100.

Post by I'm Painting Again » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:59 am

no doubt Joel..a matter of taste it really is..

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