Favorite OH mics for smooth but detailed drum recordings?

[rockyroad]

Checking to see what others are using for OH mics over the drums.
Smooth but detailed. Warm but not dull. Detailed but not harsh. I know the room has a lot to do with this. We've been using 184s and are looking for something else.
Anybody use ribbon microphones? How about TLM 103 or Tlm 49s?

[Svens]

Schoeps MK21 for Jazz, DPA 4011 with an 416 in the middle for rawk, both miked from behind the kit I have no expierence with the Neumanns mentioned...

[T_R_S]

Crown SASS-P stereo

[phaqu]

My main ones are the KM84s.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by Svens

Schoeps MK21 for Jazz, DPA 4011 with an 416 in the middle for rawk, both miked from behind the kit I have no expierence with the Neumanns mentioned...

Nice! How far over the drums do you place them from the rear?

[u b k]

67's and (old) 87's, 44's, & 84's just never, ever sound bad.


gregoire
del
ubk
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[heisleyamor]

KM 84s sound absolutely amazing as overheads. Super expense though. Too expensive for me :-(...and a little rare.

[mikymike]

Been using C1's w/ quad 8 pres and am very happy w/ the sound and detail.

[vaka]

My current session I used B&K 4011 (B&K = DPA) in XY and U87's in AB.
For room mics 2x Fat Head ribbon, 2x U48 and 2x M49 tube - all in AB stereo.
More is more.

The B&K/DPA are really flat and dry sounding, and I mean that in the best way possible. I love 'em. The U87's capture the whole kit a bit better, but it's all a matter of taste. Both are far from harsh or dull.

The Fat Heads & M49's sounds cool, but the U48's.. my goodness.

[pulse_divider]

Originally Posted by T_R_S

Crown SASS-P stereo

I picked one of these up recently and have been meaning to use it for this. Where you do like to place it?

[Brad McGowan]

I would highly recommend the Royer SF12. It sounds like everything you are describing plus it's stupidly easily to place. Add a few dB's of high shelf at 5k and a slight dip around 500Hz and you're golden.

Brad

[Blast9]

Love the DPA/B&K 4011 mics - they sound great n anything

[Jules]

Originally Posted by Brad McGowan

I would highly recommend the Royer SF12. It sounds like everything you are describing plus it's stupidly easily to place. Add a few dB's of high shelf at 5k and a slight dip around 500Hz and you're golden.

Brad

I agree, in the right room its awesome!

[Louderock]

Neumann U67 or KM86

[obolewis]

Brauner Vm1's...

[rockyroad]

M49s, U48s, U67s, KM86s....all amazing but not a very realistic set of options.
No longer made and if found very expensive. Certainly there must be microphones currently in production that be can be detailed and smooth in this application?
The Schoeps and DPA mics appear interesting but very expensive.
Is anyone having any luck with Beyer 930s as OHs?
Anyone using Neumann TLM 103 or TLM 49s as OHs?

Are you hovering from behind or in front of the kit?

[leddy]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Is anyone having any luck with Beyer 930s as OHs?

I find them slightly bright for OH's. To qualify that, however, I only have Sytek preamps. Through something a little more colored they may work better, or perhaps even tracking to tape they may be better still.

I like MC930's on piano. The Beyer ribbons are my favorite drum OH's.

[warhead]

The MC930 don't fit the description for this sound.

The KM84 does.

The Audio Technica AT3031 is a smooth and full overhead mic.

It was part of our Tuesday Testers SDC shootout, linked in my signature.

War

[529 Pro Audio]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Checking to see what others are using for OH mics over the drums.
Smooth but detailed. Warm but not dull. Detailed but not harsh. I know the room has a lot to do with this. We've been using 184s and are looking for something else.
Anybody use ribbon microphones? How about TLM 103 or Tlm 49s?

We are using a Pearlman TM-1 (American tube) and a TM-2 as overheads...the hi-cut switch is phenomenal for taming the cymbals. You can hear some rough mixes on my homepage...

Of course, these microphones also excel in other applications!

Best,
Chris

[u b k]

last i checked km84's go for around a grand, which is less than most of the chinese capsule ldc's that pass for high end these days.

do people really view $1000 for a world class vintage neumann as 'very expensive'?

seems like a bargain for a mic that sounds sublime on almost any source in existence.


gregoire
del
ubk
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[sodium glow]

I LOVE ribbons on drums. I've used Royer, old RCA's, Coles, AEA's, Cascade's all with good results.

Recently I tried something different for me and it was kind of cool. I put a Cascade Fathead over the snare about 2 feet above the drummers head pointing at the head. Then I put the Cascade stereo ribbon right next to the fathead so the tops of the mic cases were pointing at each other. So there was one ribbon (fathead) aimed at the center and one side of the stereo ribbon sort of pointing left at the hat area and the other side of it sort of pointing at the ride cymbal area. I panned the over snare in the middle and panned the stereo mic L/R and it made for quite a unique and cool sounding kit.

I also had close mics around the kit as well...

[SRS]

Josephson C42... Sweet

[mltamisin]

Originally Posted by obolewis

Brauner Vm1's...

Brauner Phantom C's or AE's are amazing as well. They do something to the high end that's just amazing.

[BLueROom]

for budget and great sound... Sterling Audio GT44s (otherwise known as Groove Tubes GT44s)

Tube mics that have th qualities you've mentioned.

[syra]

km84's are great but IMO they clearly lose the battle head2head with the schoeps mk4/21 and DPA 4011s. I use mine on hihat and under the snare...

[Dog_Chao_Chao]

Originally Posted by syra

km84's are great but IMO they clearly lose the battle head2head with the schoeps mk4/21 and DPA 4011s. I use mine on hihat and under the snare...

I agree. Im using schoeps mk4 right now, they have more detail, output, less noise and still sound warm and focused...I use api or flamingo, or sytek...

I dont know if it gets better. For even more smoothness I would go m160´s. Fig 8 ribbons are too risky, you have to get a super room. I still cant have fun with my R84 for overhead use, and my room doesnt sound that bad...

[Everyman]

Most often, at the moment, I'm using BLUE Baby bottles about 15' up from the floor, at the edges of the kit, then Audix CX101s closer, about a 1' above the kit, closer in. I just watch for phase, drop in a high-pass on all of them, add a little 6-8k on the close OHs for sizzle, and then I'm good to go. Oh, and I often hammer the high mics with a compressor for a little grit, and the kit picture is glorious. Nice wide stereo image, smooth around the edges, bright but not harsh.

If I had my druthers, I'd be using regular BLUE bottles, Kiwis, U87s and 414s, though....haha. Too rich for my blood.

[Jamz]

Gefell M295 over a drummer that isn't cymbal-slam-happy works for me.
Coles 4038s sound excellent in the right room.
AEA R88 when the ceiling is tall enough.
I like R84s as room mics. a couple of feet off the floor..

Interested in some of the other mics mentioned as well.

[narco]

I am often surprised at the responses questions like this get.

Firslty I would disagree with the person that recommended studio projects. I have used them and they are the opposite of what you are looking for.

I would also disagree with the person who said josephsons. I own these, and whilst they are fantastic, they are not smooth, they are very bright

You asked about ribbons and someone recommended the royer, this is what I thought first too, it is smooth and detailed, although it needs a touch of eq to brighten it

good luck with your search

narco

[Holy Grail]

C12 !!