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Home: Video University Forums: Audio For Video:
Drum Mic?

 
 


ivey
Veteran


Sep 6, 2007, 12:56 AM

Post #1 of 11 (1363 views)
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Drum Mic? Can't Post
I am wondering what kind of mic most of you use for placing on a mic stand in front of the DJ speakers for those times when tapping the board doesn't work.





---Lisa---




Macs, cause they work


RustyB
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Sep 6, 2007, 3:23 AM

Post #2 of 11 (1348 views)
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Re: [ivey] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
Funny you ask...just came across this frame in my current edit...



It's the Senn e604 mic (got that idea from the Moaks), Senn G2 plug-on transmitter, sitting on a lightweight light stand, recording to channel 2 on a Z1U.

It's not a cheap mic, at $130, but it ended the crapshoot of getting clean toasts/intros from the DJ. I've done a ton of weddings with this setup, with no trouble, except when a jerk DJ turned his speaker the other direction right before the toasts...knowing I had mic'd it. Mad I only carry a few pieces of gear to a wedding these days, and this piece is essential.



The stand I use will put it several feet in the air...





the People's Video Collective blog
wedding video and the means of production



(This post was edited by RustyB on Sep 6, 2007, 3:25 AM)


Mark Foley
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Sep 6, 2007, 3:41 AM

Post #3 of 11 (1344 views)
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Re: [ivey] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
I concur with the e604 as it can take very high sound pressure before distorting. Rusty says the mic ain't cheap...but I would say it is one of the "cheaper" mics that perform good as like everything else, you must invest to get quality. The good news with microphones, taken care of, they will last for years and have great re-sale value. Another good microphone is the Shure SM-57....and industry standard mic for years. You will see them available in about every recording studio because they are so versatile. Except maybe the kick drum, they can be used for about every drum piece...used for vocals...probably one of the best, IMO, to capture a guitar amp and the list goes on. They tend to have a bit better high end reproduction than the e604. However, they are are bit more picky of where they need to be placed in front of the DJ stack.

Bottom line...if you want a mic specifically for the PA stack, I would go with the e604. If you plan to use the mic in other record processes, consider the SM-57.

_________________________
Mark



(This post was edited by Mark Foley on Sep 6, 2007, 3:45 AM)


ivey
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Sep 6, 2007, 10:23 AM

Post #4 of 11 (1330 views)
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Re: [RustyB] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
This is the exact same mic Ron told me about. I already have the senn plug on transmitter. SO I guess this is what I will get. Thanks Rusty. Got a link for the mic stand too?





---Lisa---




Macs, cause they work


Ron Priest
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Sep 6, 2007, 10:57 AM

Post #5 of 11 (1322 views)
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Re: [ivey] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
She never listens to me Frown
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ivey
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Sep 6, 2007, 11:28 AM

Post #6 of 11 (1316 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
Not only did you tell me the right mic, but you also told me that Rusty had it. Boy, you're GOOD!

(Gee, Rusty, you had to go and give him a big head huh? )Wink





---Lisa---




Macs, cause they work


RT Steele
Veteran


Sep 6, 2007, 1:26 PM

Post #7 of 11 (1301 views)
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Re: [ivey] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
The e604 is my mainstay and works great. It's the only idea I've gotten from VU that worked the first time I tried it. Laugh

I don't use my butt plug though. Instead I just use the body pack with an XLR to 1/8" cable. (I save my butt plug for the sound board).

Be careful not to position the e604 directly in front of the bass speaker though.

I also use a boom pole that goes 7' high. That's not enough because there's one DJ around here who jacks his speakers up at least 9 feet. For him I have a big-assed light stand.

Rusty... what are your AF OUT and SENSITIVITY settings at when you use your Senn Butt plug on that thing? Factory defaults? I know you have your AGC in auto but that never works for me.

- RT

- RT


RustyB
Veteran


Sep 6, 2007, 2:30 PM

Post #8 of 11 (1292 views)
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Re: [ivey] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
This is the exact same mic Ron told me about. I already have the senn plug on transmitter. SO I guess this is what I will get. Thanks Rusty. Got a link for the mic stand too?

For sure, it's a:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/...ack_Light_Stand.html

Only $22. Extremely lightweight, and fits in the same Manfrotto bag with my main tripod.

Great thing about the e604, is it's small, and has a built-in mount, so it's great for packing light. However, the light stand above is 1/4 20 threaded mount, so you need to adapt the e604 mic mount to fit it. Ever buy a Bogen-Manfrotto head? They come with those little thread reducer sleaves. If you don't already have a couple laying around in a box somewhere, let me know, as I probably have an extra somewhere I'll drop in the mail to you. (Go knows I've bought enough heads from B&H. Laugh) You just thread it into the mic mount (along with the existing thread adapter that comes with the mic), using a nickel as a screwdriver, and then it will mount to light stand fine.




the People's Video Collective blog
wedding video and the means of production


RustyB
Veteran


Sep 6, 2007, 2:44 PM

Post #9 of 11 (1288 views)
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Re: [RT Steele] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
The e604 is my mainstay and works great. It's the only idea I've gotten from VU that worked the first time I tried it. Laugh

I don't use my butt plug though. Instead I just use the body pack with an XLR to 1/8" cable. (I save my butt plug for the sound board).

Be careful not to position the e604 directly in front of the bass speaker though.

I also use a boom pole that goes 7' high. That's not enough because there's one DJ around here who jacks his speakers up at least 9 feet. For him I have a big-assed light stand.

Rusty... what are your AF OUT and SENSITIVITY settings at when you use your Senn Butt plug on that thing? Factory defaults? I know you have your AGC in auto but that never works for me.

- RT

- RT


Here's the level settings on my Senn G2 lapel system:

Receiver:
AF OUT: LEV-18


Body Pack Transmitter:
Sensitivity -00 dB


Plug-On Transmitter:
Sensitivity -00 dB

I don't know that those are the very best or quietest settings, but for getting consistent audio levels from run-n-gun WEDDINGS, those settings have worked for a while, so I don't bother trying to tweak them. I just like to be able to turn everything on, shoot the wedding, pack up and go home. Wink And like you say, those settings are based on the fact that I use auto-gain on the camera for everything. In particular with the plug-on/e604 setup, if I put it into manual, the levels are so wild, that it turns to useless crap.


I hear ya, though, one time I had a DJ that felt his speakers needed to be 38.7 feet in the air, out of reach for my light stand. So, I grabbed the extra Manfrotto 3246 tripod out of the trunk, and cranked it way up. Looked silly, but it worked. There's another good reason for putting a 1/4 20 adapter on the e604...it will fit any standard tripod quick release plate. Wink




the People's Video Collective blog
wedding video and the means of production


RustyB
Veteran


Sep 6, 2007, 2:53 PM

Post #10 of 11 (1286 views)
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Re: [ivey] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
Not only did you tell me the right mic, but you also told me that Rusty had it. Boy, you're GOOD!

(Gee, Rusty, you had to go and give him a big head huh? )Wink..



Laugh Yeah, I started using the e604 back in March 2005, after reading one of Brian Moak's posts, and have used it at almost every wedding since, with the exception of the cake and punch weddings with no DJ/band/toasts/speeches.

There are better ways to record audio, but in my never ending quest to carry as little amount of crap as possible to a wedding, yet still get solid audio and video, this setup has been a road tested winner for me.




the People's Video Collective blog
wedding video and the means of production


okspyder
User


Sep 6, 2007, 9:07 PM

Post #11 of 11 (1265 views)
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Re: [ivey] Drum Mic? [In reply to] Can't Post
I use a Sure sm57. The standard for micing a snare drum. Works great.

Anthony