Figure-8 Tom mics

[Mutha Goose]

Now let me start off saying I don't really trying to solve any particular problem, but I am curious... Is anyone using a Figure-8 pattern mic between 2 toms for live applications?

 

Which ones do you like? Which to avoid? Is the cymbol rejection off axis noticably better?

[Coaster]

i dont think it would do what you think it would do. a lot of the modern tom sound comes from the attack on the head and a figure 8 in between two drums would lose a lot (if not all) of head imho. i've had predictable decent results using a plain cardioid inbetween two toms positioned similar to that of miking one tom.

 

or it might work great.

[Mutha Goose]

Yes, I've had decent results with a cardiod between two toms as well, though it's rare I find I need to consoladate channels (other than the occational time where a pair of overheads are just a better/simpler option). The figure 8, on paper at least, looks like a good compromise option when needed. But without an absolute need, I couldn't see going out and spending the $, and I've never played with one.

[Coaster]

you could get an M179 for $200, i have two and they are easily one of my favorite mics. they do all the patterns, and can take high spl (think kick drum spl)

 

they work equally great in front of an orchestra or clipped onto a tom, plus you could play with the figure 8 and see if you like it.

[agedhorse]

The problem w/ fig8 is the opportunity for uncontrollable bleed and the inability to close mic the skin surface. Might work ok in an anechoic type studio but I would be wary of using it live.

[Scodiddly]

Figure-8 mics are an interesting beast - sometimes very useful live. One detail most people miss about them is that the backside has inverted polarity (aka "flipped phase") compared to the front. Depending on the situation that could totally screw things up - if one tom has regular polarity in the mic but the other has inverted polarity, the sound from the stage vs. the PA may be completely different on the two.

 

Might be fun to play with, though. Might sound amazing, or terrible, or just plain OK.

[Mutha Goose]

I don't think the phase will make much of a difference. I couldn't imagine there'd be much chance for cancellations. The way I'm thinking; a pair of singers using a bi-directional (regular usage) would have far more opportunity for cancellations, right? The tom hits aren't as coincedental as voices in harmony.

And I'm not sure the lack of proximity would matter too much either when that's exactly what you're doing when you use one mic on two toms anyway. Right? And, when you're using a single cardiod, niether head is in the mic's sweet spot. Where as both heads could be in the sweet spot of a well postioned figure-8. And I thought their off-axis rejection was pretty good?

That's why I started to get curious. But outside of a studio, I haven't come across someone that's actually tried it. Am I making a wrong assumption somewhere?