Kick drum mic comparison: AKG D112 vs. Earthworks SR20LS
0:04 AKG D112 and Earthworks SR20LS outside
0:47 AKG D112 inside; Earthworks SR20LS outside
1:14 Earthworks SR20LS inside; AKG D112 outside
1:40 Earthworks SR20LS a few feet away
Use headphones. Your computer speakers probably won't produce the low end.
I'm always in search of a simpler drum mic configuration, so I recently bought the Earthworks DK3 drum set mic kit, which includes two SR25 overhead mics and an SR20LS kick mic. My immediate impression was that I wouldn't be able to use only these three mics. And in particular, I wasn't sure I would use the kick mic at all.
I've been using the AKG D112 as a kick mic for many years. I've tried others, including D12s (which sound fine) and Shure Beta 52As (which I kind of like), but I've used the D112 about 90% of the time when playing live and recording, so I'm used to it. I know how to EQ it to my taste (boost my kick drum fundamental note at around 50 Hz, cut around 100-200 Hz, then boost somewhere around 3 kHz). It's rugged. It works.
Still, the Earthworks SR20LS came with the DK3 set (and the three-mic set was about the same as buying just two overhead mics separately), so I figured I'd try it.
First, I tried it close to the outside head, but it didn't have enough attack for me and a little too much (bad) tone. Then I tried it inside the kick, close to the batter head, and I heard too much attack and not enough boom.
Anyway, I decided to do a more methodical comparison with the AKG D112, so here it is.
My verdict:
My favorite sounds here are (a) when using both the AKG D112 and the Earthworks SR20LS at the same time and (b) when using the Earthworks mic a few feet from the front of the kit. I'll probably still stick with the AKG D112 for my rock recordings, but I might keep trying the Earthworks mic for more ambient recordings.
Other observations:
-Like everything, the Earthworks mic sounds much better in a decent room. I tried this first in my dead-sounding basement and did not get great results.
-Both mics sound better with compression and EQ, which is how I'd normally record them.
-I'll still need to figure out how to EQ the Earthworks mic to my liking. I'm generally using the same approach as with the D112 here, but I suspect that I should keep fiddling with it to get more of that low end and less head noise.
A few notes:
-I've also played hi hat and snare with some rods so you can hear the kick somewhat in context. To record that stuff I used the Earthworks overhead mics in a spaced pair, and I used compression on just those channels throughout. But the kick is louder in the mix.
-Otherwise, I used a small bit of EQ overall (to roll off some very lows) and then some light limiting at the end.
Equipment:
-DW maple 20" kick, nickle over brass snare
-Remo Powerstroke 3 batter, Remo Coated Ambassador resonant head (with hole cut)
-Zildjian New Beat 14" hi hats
-AKG D112, Earthworks SR20LS, Earthworks SR25 (x2) mics
-Apogee Element 88 A/D interface
-Logic Pro X
-Final Cut Pro
-Fujifilm X100T camera
Пікірлер: 20
Heck yeah, this is GREAT video comparison. Bravo!
Came for the demo stayed for the pocket in the groove!
@schmargle
2 жыл бұрын
Ha! Thanks, man.
Nice comparison! Thanks! 👍
I like that kick sound. It’s very close to what I hear in my head for a kick sound I’ve been after but I’ve been struggling to get it. May I please ask about your kick tuning? I’m curious about the ballpark tension is on each head, and also how they are relative to each other? Thanks man!!!
@schmargle
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks. On tuning: I definitely have a set method for tuning toms, but I'm less religious about tuning the kick drum since I use muffling and have a hole in the front head. I would say it's a fairly low tuning, with both heads tuned to the same pitch/tension. But in general, I take everything off the kick drum (tom holder, pedal) and remove the muffling. I put it front-head face down, and tune the batter head first. Starting with a totally slack head, I tune all the tension rods with my fingers so they're just starting to bite-where it would tough to tighten them without using a drum key. Then I start using the key, going diagonally across the head from lug to the next. With my toms, I tune the heads to specific pitches and use a pitch pipe. But with the kick drum, I tune it just to wear I can start to hear a pitch. Then I make sure it's the same pitch at each lug. I hum into the drum at each lug and gently turn the rod until the head resonates with what I'm humming. Then I do the same with the front head. ...Then I stuff the pillow back in and make some of that useless anyway! I know from EQing my recordings that the fundamental for my 20" kick is around 50-60 Hz, which would put it right around an A. But again, I don't tune it to that note on purpose with the kick. It just winds up there.
@jamescassidy4045
2 жыл бұрын
@@schmargle Thanks for that run down, I apprecite it! I know what you mean about the EQ! So with toms, how do you like your reso's? Its funny, Ive always found myself tuning them lower, or basically the same, but then all the tom sounds I like that Ive asked about, the person always tunes them higher! I need to start expirementing with higher resos!
@schmargle
2 жыл бұрын
@@jamescassidy4045 With my toms, I tune the batter and resonant heads to the same pitch. I really like hearing a single tone/pitch for each tom, with a strong fundamental and a lot of sustain, and that's the way to get it. I tune my 14, 12, 10-inch toms to D, G, C (4ths if you're going up). Of course, the odd thing is that while I tune my heads to those notes, once I actually mount the drum on the stands the overall pitch of the drum is something other than those head pitches. (But understanding how that works would require more physics than I can handle!) Still, they remain a 4th apart, which I like. I know some people tune the top head tighter either to have a more responsive (tighter) surface or to get that descending-bending pitch kind of sound. I would guess that tuning the resonant head higher might either dampen the sound or maybe give you a slight upward bending note. ...Or I guess, if your batter head is muted, raising the resonant head will just raise the pitch overall. I honestly haven't had the resonant head higher in a very long time-and I don't remember what it sounded like.
Great comparison! The AKG is by far the clear winner!
I was considering getting the DK3 set, but I have to admit, the D112 sounds better. The SR20LS sounds a little boxy and dull in comparison. It looks like Earthworks has discontinued the DK3 set, so I was feeling pressure to buy it soon. This video has convinced me I don't need to get it. Thanks! EDIT: I liked the D112 in, SR20LS out setup the best.
@schmargle
3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I agree. I'm still trying to like the other mics in the set-the SR25s-though I'm having a hard time. (I did a comparison video for those: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ip6Bzq1wYancdrw.html). But for the kick mic, for me, it's really a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I like the way the D112 sounds, especially when I EQ it in a particular way, with a boost around the kick's fundamental, a dip in the low mids, and a boost again for the beater attack. I've also liked the D12 and the Shure 52A, and I'd like to try the Blue Mouse some day. But I suspect I'll just keep using the D112 forever.
AKG in + SR20LS out, great!
thnaks
the earthworks so much better natural and wide and real the akg is darker and close
both of them dont work that great at once because of phase-cancellation, i feel
@schmargle
3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I rarely use multiple mics on a single drum in part because of phase issues. Now, if the mics are next to each other, there's really no phase issue-the waves arrive at the mics at the same time. If one is inside, the other is outside a kick drum, then yes, there could be some phase issues. You could fix that manually (in a digital audio workstation) by shifting one of the tracks until they're perfectly in phase or by trying to flip a phase switch on a mixing board, but it's only a problem if it sounds bad. Whenever I record in professional studios, there are almost always 2-3 mics on the kick drum. Usually something inside, something outside, and sometimes also something a few feet away. And we flip phase switches on the board until the kick-and snare-sound good.
How far away is the AKG? Closer= more Low end? ;)
@schmargle
3 жыл бұрын
When I place the AKG inside the drum, it's about 2-3 inches away from the batter head. When I had it outside in this video, it was nearly touching the resonant head. Placement can definitely change the sound, but closer doesn't necessarily mean more low end. It often means more attack (though it also depends on where you're pointing it on the head). The low frequencies have long wavelengths, so if you put a kick drum mic too close, the low fundamental wave peaks past where the mic is. You get more of the shorter, higher-pitched attack. ...But when you have it inside a drum with two heads, there are waves coming from the batter and bouncing off the resonant head, which is why I leave the mic somewhere in the middle.
AKG
@schmargle
3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, it's a solid mic!