Members Badside Posted February 14, 2006 Members Share Posted February 14, 2006 We had a small gig this weekend where we had to provide the PA and my drummer decided to rent a MD421 for his bass drum just for kick (pun intended). I was pleasantly surprised. I did have to boost the lows a bit, but the result was a really tight sound that had just the right balance of thump and click (technical terms here...). With the typical bass drum mic, his kick is always too clicky or too bassy. I'm wondering how it performs in a studio environment, seeing it is not suggested very often as a bass drum mic (but rather has a tom mic). How does it compare to a D112 or Beta52A when recording? The fact that it could serve on bass and guitar cabs, as well as some vocals makes it a very interesting purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Weathered Posted February 14, 2006 Members Share Posted February 14, 2006 I have used it on kick with great success - it's a bit more "linear" than the Beta52 or D112, and totally useable. My favorite, however, is still the EV RE20 - with a bit of EQ and compression, it sounds huge and tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EngineGuitarist Posted February 14, 2006 Members Share Posted February 14, 2006 i use a 421 all the time on kick, usually inside aimed a little up at where the beater hits and pretty close in. Although last time i tracked drums I used an SM7 inside and was lovin it. so i'll have to wait and see. I usually also have a RE20 outside the kick close to the resonant head or if there's no head near the edge of the drum. gotta check for phase tho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 14, 2006 Members Share Posted February 14, 2006 I use one occasionally, and have also used a 57. Depends on the song, the kick, etc. But yeah, you can definitely get a good sound with either. Never had the pleasure of micing a kick drum with an RE-20, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members offramp Posted February 14, 2006 Members Share Posted February 14, 2006 I use one all the time in my little home studio, on kick, essentially positioned like EG's. It does pretty well, although I could always use a little more low end.But, yeah, overall...I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Weathered Posted February 15, 2006 Members Share Posted February 15, 2006 An RE20 on kick is a sound to behold - my favorite on kick, by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Badside Posted February 15, 2006 Author Members Share Posted February 15, 2006 I've never even met a RE20! I guess I'll have to find a place to rent one some day. Actually, one soundman we deal with everytime when we can (cause he's the one who makes us sound the best...) is a big EV guy, is PA is EV speakers all around and use EV mics on the drum, but it's not a RE20 he puts on the bass drum, it's like a dedicated drum mic (the one with the movable head)... and it usually sounds pretty good. I'll have to see if he's got a RE20 he could lend us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted February 15, 2006 Members Share Posted February 15, 2006 I've never been a fan of 421's on anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkwave Posted February 15, 2006 Members Share Posted February 15, 2006 It seems to be the industry standard here in New York. 9 times out of ten, the engineer will place a 421 on my kick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Originally posted by Weathered I have used it on kick with great success - it's a bit more "linear" than the Beta52 or D112, and totally useable. My favorite, however, is still the EV RE20 - with a bit of EQ and compression, it sounds huge and tight. +1,000. I can certainly use a 421 a lot of the time and get a tone I can live with, but usually I just prefer the RE20. If given the choice between that and a D112, I'd rather have the Sennheiser. The 112 is a bit too scooped sounding for my tastes. I prefer to dial up my own EQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jackcheez Posted February 15, 2006 Members Share Posted February 15, 2006 The 112 is a bit too scooped sounding for my tastes. I prefer to dial up my own EQ. It sounds like somebody slamming a basketball on the floor at center court. I've been using a Beta 52 with a Focusrite Twintrack Pro for a while now. It's great. Good cut through the mix presence AND still sounds like a drum ! Two mics I've heard so much about that I gonna have to try sooner or later are the RE20 and the Audix D6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Weathered Posted February 15, 2006 Members Share Posted February 15, 2006 The D6 sounds a lot like the D112 to me - as an engineer, it takes a lot of the control out of your hands. It decent, better than the D112, but I was just much happier with a Beta 52 instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 I OTOH, would probably pick a D6, or maybe an ATM25, if a RE20 wasn't available. And as I said, I'm not really a fan of the D112. Different strokes and all that. I still have not tried the Beta 52. Gotta rectify that one of these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Not Serial Posted February 16, 2006 Members Share Posted February 16, 2006 my 421 sounds great when i mic things like dishes, saws, cans. it really makes it sound like dishes, saws, and cans. i'm not making this up. i really did mic these things. don't like it much for toms. sounds good on the occasional guitar cab, not very often but sometimes. i will say i have never tried it on kick, though - for some reason the 421 sound reminds me of the sm81's character, but it sounds nothing like an 81. i wont back either of these statements up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members offramp Posted February 16, 2006 Members Share Posted February 16, 2006 I like it on trumpet and trombone, sometimes bari sax. My favorite use of a 421 always has been--and always will be--on Stewart Copeland's overheads, in the all-tile kitchen at Montserrat, for the 'Synchronicity' sessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Weathered Posted February 16, 2006 Members Share Posted February 16, 2006 The drum sound on all of the Police stuff is incredible. I am in love with the snare sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MrKnobs Posted February 16, 2006 Moderators Share Posted February 16, 2006 Originally posted by where02190 I've never been a fan of 421's on anything. Wow, we agree on something. Me neither. The 421 looks like it would have some fat low end, but it doesn't. Like a harsher 57. I use a D6 on live kick these days, but not so fond of it in the studio. Terry D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joncyberboy Posted February 16, 2006 Members Share Posted February 16, 2006 Originally posted by jackcheez It sounds like somebody slamming a basketball on the floor at center court. I've been using a Beta 52 with a Focusrite Twintrack Pro for a while now. It's great. Good cut through the mix presence AND still sounds like a drum ! Two mics I've heard so much about that I gonna have to try sooner or later are the RE20 and the Audix D6. Thats it! It does sound like a basketball. I was saying that to a freind. Same as the snare on some deftones song sounds like a tennis ball being hit. Can't remeber the album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted February 16, 2006 Members Share Posted February 16, 2006 Originally posted by MrKnobs Wow, we agree on something. Me neither. The 421 looks like it would have some fat low end, but it doesn't. Like a harsher 57.I use a D6 on live kick these days, but not so fond of it in the studio.Terry D. Don't get too excited, I hate the sound fo the D6. Can they hype the bottom end any more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the stranger Posted February 16, 2006 Members Share Posted February 16, 2006 Originally posted by Hardtailed I've never even met a RE20! I guess I'll have to find a place to rent one some day.Actually, one soundman we deal with everytime when we can (cause he's the one who makes us sound the best...) is a big EV guy, is PA is EV speakers all around and use EV mics on the drum, but it's not a RE20 he puts on the bass drum, it's like a dedicated drum mic (the one with the movable head)... and it usually sounds pretty good. I'll have to see if he's got a RE20 he could lend us. You could just buy one for $400. Seems like a good deal since this mic can serve more than one purpose. link at B&H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MrKnobs Posted February 17, 2006 Moderators Share Posted February 17, 2006 Originally posted by where02190 Don't get too excited, I hate the sound fo the D6. Can they hype the bottom end any more? I'm afraid we agree on that too, at least for recordings. Waaaay too much low end. For live rock, well, these days you can't really have too much low end. Terry D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted February 17, 2006 Members Share Posted February 17, 2006 Originally posted by MrKnobs I'm afraid we agree on that too, at least for recordings. Waaaay too much low end. For live rock, well, these days you can't really have too much low end. Terry D. Again, don't get too exicted, IMHOn the 421 is pretty lightweight in the low end department and far to mid colored, and you most certainly can have too much low end live, in fact that's my biggest complaint about most live shows. Not to mention that D-6 and it's hyperhyped low end that sounds completely artificial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FWAxeIbanez Posted February 18, 2006 Members Share Posted February 18, 2006 our d6 was stolen about a week before we recorded ourselves so we had to use a 421 on our kick and bass... I kinda dug it for the bass although I wish I had another mic to bring around that low end bassy rumble a bass should have... as for the kick, it sounded ok, just wasn't great for our style... we are a metalcore/tech band, so although we aren't going for a triggered sound or anything, the 421 was a bit too clicky for us, not a whole lot of body like we wanted... but at least our demo sounds different from the rest of the super wet and scooped sounding triggered bass modules our area seems to be using for recordings... I swear they are all sharing equipment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MrKnobs Posted February 18, 2006 Moderators Share Posted February 18, 2006 Originally posted by where02190 Again, don't get too exicted, IMHOn the 421 is pretty lightweight in the low end department and far to mid colored, and you most certainly can have too much low end live, in fact that's my biggest complaint about most live shows. Not to mention that D-6 and it's hyperhyped low end that sounds completely artificial. Around these parts, even the D6 isn't enough for some folks. I see more and more subkicks on the bass drum live. Terry D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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