DPA MICROPHONES

Bass Drum

Miking Drum w. DPA Microphone 4041For this application, try pointing a DPA 4007 into the drum, slightly to the side, and see if your monitors can handle this awesome sound. The low frequency response and the high level capabilities of this mic are superb and result in a very tight, well defined sound. The 4007 is flat at 20 Hz and can handle 140 dB at this frequency. Experimenting a bit with positioning will yield optimum results. Sometimes placing the mic just outside the drum gives even more impact. For Jazz or Folk music it’s best to find a spot outside the drum, sometimes on the drum head in front of or on the kicker side, but that is an artistic choice you need to make.

You can also have great success using the 4011 in the same position, taking advantage of the proximity effect. It all depends on the sound you wish to produce and the instrument/drummer.

Bass Drum w. DPA Microphone 4007 and 4041 - Vers. 2For a natural bass drum/room tone blend (or as a "kit-accumulator") an omni - preferably a 4041 - can be placed approx. 1m in front of the bass drum. Roll off the high frequencies if you primarily want it to be a bass drum addition.

As with brass instruments, a drumkit can produce very high peak sound levels. It is not unusual to see levels in excess of 120 dB at a distance of one meter and at a few cm from a drum or cymbal head, 140 dB or more. It's obvious that the microphones must be able to handle these levels without clipping, which is not always the case in many recording situations.