Thanks everyone for checking out the video! I made one slight mistake in that the AKG D112 was not introduced until 1986, not the 70s. Sorry about that!
This was extremely helpful, and I thoroughly enjoyed your dynamic playing, tuning, cymbal choices. Thanks so much for taking the time to make this comparison. I was in the process of upgrading my home studio and this was exactly what I was looking for. Cheers
Brilliant video and brilliant playing as well! This is super helpful for someone who's just getting into recording. Deserves WAY more attention! Thanks for putting the work into this for us!
Amazing - just what I was looking for. There are very few resources on recording jazz kits and what mics to use. Thank you so much for the time you have invested in this :-)
Amazing presentation and tasty drumming! Agree on everything you said in this video. You can talk bout mics, room, processing etc.. but the hands is what really makes the difference.
Great video! I'm in a similar situation, and it's always a bummer at the lack of videos that include a jazz approach to miking/recording. I typically do a mono overhead in jazz settings, but I've been curious if you have considered stereo miking OHs and how you base your center point for phasing? Obviously, Snare is the go-to, but in a jazz setting it's really not the nucleus of the kit and that creates an interesting debate to choose another part of the kit to base the center point off of.
Thanks, Mike! For a long time, I used mono overhead and bass drum simply because I only had two available channels on my interface. Now, I exclusively use stereo overheads and bass drum at the minimum and add other mics if I feel I need to. If you set up your stereo overhead as a coincident pair (as in the mic capsules are very close together) then you will not have any phase issues and you can place the mics wherever you’d like. I like to put mine right in the center which usually means the snare is a little off center, but not by much. Another benefit of a coincident pair is there is less of a stereo image and you can capture the entire kit evenly. Hope that helps!
Awesome job Michael. I'm finishing up building a studio here in my back yard and have the Earthworks DK7 drum mic pack. Very much looking forward to working with them, especially after watching this video!
Solid video comparison! One other thing to add... mic placement! It can change your sound / balance SO MUCH! Experimenting with that to find your sound is important too. I’ve seen some crazy setups with equally crazy reasoning. Maybe a future video?!
Nicely done. I especially appreciate around 2:23 or so where you say there's a similar sound or approach to so many drum demo videos. That's definitely something that makes this one worthwhile. Also the fact that you're not being paid to promote any of these companies. I have to check again, I thought you said you had just one mic overhead - a two mic setup with above and one in front of the set. You must have two up top, right? It looks like a stand over your right shoulder and one sort of above the snare drum. I'll go back and listen again. Gotta say, though, the lower priced mics sound awfully good.
"One mono overhead." So, that's really to focus in on that mic, right? Because it would seem a somewhat unusual way to record (at least for the past 50+ years) - unless you can only record two channels at a time, in which case, thankfully we can get the whole sound...
Really lovely to listen to and witness you exploring the sonic qualities of your tone. Even at 75% speed! Lol taking notes 📝 Thanks for the research! Excited to get some drum mics soon… EDIT: I believe this is my first RUclips comment ever!
Nice sounding set, excellent playing, and well done test! 👏 Minor correction at 6:10 : the AKG D112 wasn't introduced until 1986. Yes, I'm a gear nerd!🤓
Superb video! They all sounded great to me although your kit / tuning and drumming performance have got a lot to do with that, but the differences in the mics were so very subtle. I was thinking of upgrading my overheads from a pair of AKG C1000s, to something a little bit better. I'm thinking either Lewitt LCT 040, Rode NT5s, or SE8s, but, I already have one Rode NT2A, so maybe another one of those, would make a great pair of overheads, then I have options for doing a blumline pair, mid / side recordings etc!
Being in Brazil, where right now, July 2022, my currency is 5 reais to 1 dollar, i can´t even think about buying Neumanns or anything in that league...the one that rings to me, according to my reality, is no doubts, the sE8. They sound really good for the money. The At2035 sounded, to my ears, a bit too harsh on the mids. Great video. Very informative and your playing is phenomenal! Cheers, mate!
Great Video Mike! This really shows how important mic technique, the room and the skill of the player are when recording. I feel I could have successfully mixed any one of the mic combinations into a great mix. All the important elements are in place. I did prefer the D112 and the 102s but not by a huge amount. Peace my man!!!
I'm late to the party, but thanks for the great comparison, Michael. 👍 It's great to have this type of video that concentrates on recording a jazz kit, with a great player and great tuning as well. And YES, Rick Dior is The MAN! 👍 Really loving that 21" PGB ride, too!!! Will have to look into Phillipe's offerings. :-) On my Sakae Trilogy kit I'm using the Lewitt DTP-640 REX on the bass drum. It's a dual capsule dynamic + condenser in one (2-channels) with some built-in EQ shaping options. Really versatile. Works well on FT, too. Overheads are usually either a pair of Lewitt LCT-550 LDC (no longer available) in ORTF, or Samar Audio VL-37A ribbons in Blumlein. (As a reference, I would say that the Samar ribbons are similar to the AEA Nuovo N8 ribbons). I'll swap between the LCT-550s & Samar ribbons as room mics vs O/Hs on occasion. Lewitt LCT-340 SDC on Hi-Hat when needed, different combinations of the SM57/Lewitt MTP-440 DM/LCT-340 on snare top (& bottom depending on the snare drum). C.A.D. M179 LDC or C.A.D. Equitek E100S LDCs when needed on toms & sometimes on bass drum. I've also liked the E100S on O/Hs, and snare top but usually need to EQ/tame the highs/presence region a bit. They are hypercardioid and have decent rejection. One of the best "Is it live or is it Memorex" mic pairs I've had are the Audio-Technica AT5045 condensers. Pricey, but simply incredible and life-like/accurate on just about any source (I play saxophone, too). Incredible dynamics & transients. Amazing as O/H's! I learned that these were one of Al Schmitt's Go-To mics as well. I can understand why. I'm still experimenting with all of the mics and different placements/configurations. But sometimes having too many mics is counterproductive! The best sound (IMO) for most jazz drum recordings is the KISS approach, like you, Rick, and Carter. And I can agree regarding the quality of even the lower cost mics. I started out with just the SM57 on snare and the C.A.D. M179's as stereo O/H's and on bass drum and got really great results. Thanks again for the comparison. 👍
Cool video - great druming. It's amazing how good these se8 sound - espacially when looking at their price.... the Neuman sound fantastic, but they cost. For me the Earthworks are too damn close to the se8 - so in that case I would choose these. The Audio Technica sounded to brigth to my ears - for Jazz. For Pop, Funk, Rock, etc. they might fit better. For Bassdrum I realy like the D112 - warm, fine tone, round sounding. So the maybe best combi would be the Neumanns and the D112 ...... at the end it's always a matter of taste.
Glad to see you are still making content. This is a strange request, but I don't know how to contact you otherwise. Years ago, you released a video of you shedding over Steve Reich's "Music for a Large Ensemble." I can't find it on your channel. I've always loved that performances and the ideas you brought to the piece. Any chance of a re-upload, even if just a direct link unlisted vid in the comments here?
Hi Christopher, Thanks for the comments. RUclips pulled that video a while ago because of a copyright claim. It's still in my RUclips Studio, but I can't even download it for myself. However, keep an eye out... there may be something coming.
@@michaeldangelomusic Bummer. Sad to see these copyright claims screwing up the platform for educational channels. On the upside, I actually found an old audio rip of the video I did years back to practice along with. Take that copyright-claimant! Will keep an eye out for more stuff.
Hello, thank you for this info, so precise and useful. Please, do you know if the SE8 where omnidirectional or cardioid? there exist two different capsules, thank you!
They're actually very inexpensive thin curtains I got at Walmart. Behind them was insulation on the walls in the basement I was living in at the time. You could buy the thickest curtains you can find, or check out a company like Audimute. Cheers!
I just want earthworks and Neumann mics for the same reason that people want Lamborghinis. I just want to have the most expensive and highest quality stuff imaginable.
It’s unfair to put the AT2035 in there! I feel like SE8 is the best bang for the buck and the TLM102 is the most romantic of the bunch therefore probably best suited for this purpose. Funny how it really worked here but never really liked it elsewhere.
I can’t tell if my speakers aren’t tuned to hear this very well, or if you are afraid of breaking your bass drum. It’s like you barely tap it. Not very good for a mic comparison. Can’t hear it.
Thanks everyone for checking out the video! I made one slight mistake in that the AKG D112 was not introduced until 1986, not the 70s. Sorry about that!
This was extremely helpful, and I thoroughly enjoyed your dynamic playing, tuning, cymbal choices. Thanks so much for taking the time to make this comparison. I was in the process of upgrading my home studio and this was exactly what I was looking for. Cheers
I like the clarity of the earthworks overheads.
Brilliant video and brilliant playing as well! This is super helpful for someone who's just getting into recording. Deserves WAY more attention! Thanks for putting the work into this for us!
Amazing - just what I was looking for. There are very few resources on recording jazz kits and what mics to use. Thank you so much for the time you have invested in this :-)
Amazing presentation and tasty drumming! Agree on everything you said in this video. You can talk bout mics, room, processing etc.. but the hands is what really makes the difference.
Beautiful light natural feel
Thank you so much for making this Jazz Drum recording video! So true what you said about all the other videos out there.
This is really good, thank you. Deserves more upvotes than it has today.
Great to get a vid that goes deep in to jazz drum set recording.
Love RD’s videos so as soon as you mentioned his name I was sold.
Great video! I'm in a similar situation, and it's always a bummer at the lack of videos that include a jazz approach to miking/recording. I typically do a mono overhead in jazz settings, but I've been curious if you have considered stereo miking OHs and how you base your center point for phasing? Obviously, Snare is the go-to, but in a jazz setting it's really not the nucleus of the kit and that creates an interesting debate to choose another part of the kit to base the center point off of.
Thanks, Mike!
For a long time, I used mono overhead and bass drum simply because I only had two available channels on my interface. Now, I exclusively use stereo overheads and bass drum at the minimum and add other mics if I feel I need to.
If you set up your stereo overhead as a coincident pair (as in the mic capsules are very close together) then you will not have any phase issues and you can place the mics wherever you’d like. I like to put mine right in the center which usually means the snare is a little off center, but not by much. Another benefit of a coincident pair is there is less of a stereo image and you can capture the entire kit evenly. Hope that helps!
Good insight into mics and creating jazz drum sound. Would love to see more about creating jazz drums ound. Man your playing is so smooth. Love it
They all sound good. Great drumming.
Awesome job Michael. I'm finishing up building a studio here in my back yard and have the Earthworks DK7 drum mic pack. Very much looking forward to working with them, especially after watching this video!
Awaiting and looking forward to those "lot more videos coming", Michael!
Solid video comparison! One other thing to add... mic placement! It can change your sound / balance SO MUCH! Experimenting with that to find your sound is important too. I’ve seen some crazy setups with equally crazy reasoning. Maybe a future video?!
Maybe!
Your playing is amazing and the shootout was very well made. Thank you very much!
the SE8 were great!
Nicely done. I especially appreciate around 2:23 or so where you say there's a similar sound or approach to so many drum demo videos. That's definitely something that makes this one worthwhile. Also the fact that you're not being paid to promote any of these companies.
I have to check again, I thought you said you had just one mic overhead - a two mic setup with above and one in front of the set. You must have two up top, right? It looks like a stand over your right shoulder and one sort of above the snare drum. I'll go back and listen again.
Gotta say, though, the lower priced mics sound awfully good.
Thanks! The stand over my right shoulder is my secondary camera. It conveniently mounts on a mic stand!
"One mono overhead." So, that's really to focus in on that mic, right? Because it would seem a somewhat unusual way to record (at least for the past 50+ years) - unless you can only record two channels at a time, in which case, thankfully we can get the whole sound...
Great vid. Thanks, man! Happy holidays.
You sound awesome, man!
Fantastic work! Very helpful, thanks.
Really lovely to listen to and witness you exploring the sonic qualities of your tone. Even at 75% speed! Lol taking notes 📝 Thanks for the research! Excited to get some drum mics soon…
EDIT: I believe this is my first RUclips comment ever!
Great video man!! And your playing is exquisite!!
Nice sounding set, excellent playing, and well done test! 👏 Minor correction at 6:10 : the AKG D112 wasn't introduced until 1986. Yes, I'm a gear nerd!🤓
Man I like that Neumann.
Great demonstration thanks
Super helpful tips, and beautiful playing. Thanks.
Superb video! They all sounded great to me although your kit / tuning and drumming performance have got a lot to do with that, but the differences in the mics were so very subtle. I was thinking of upgrading my overheads from a pair of AKG C1000s, to something a little bit better. I'm thinking either Lewitt LCT 040, Rode NT5s, or SE8s, but, I already have one Rode NT2A, so maybe another one of those, would make a great pair of overheads, then I have options for doing a blumline pair, mid / side recordings etc!
great comparison video, greater drumming!!
Being in Brazil, where right now, July 2022, my currency is 5 reais to 1 dollar, i can´t even think about buying Neumanns or anything in that league...the one that rings to me, according to my reality, is no doubts, the sE8. They sound really good for the money. The At2035 sounded, to my ears, a bit too harsh on the mids. Great video. Very informative and your playing is phenomenal!
Cheers, mate!
Very Informative, Thanks.
earthworks for best representation of reality. neumann for best reinterpretation of reality. se for best value.
Great Video Mike! This really shows how important mic technique, the room and the skill of the player are when recording. I feel I could have successfully mixed any one of the mic combinations into a great mix. All the important elements are in place. I did prefer the D112 and the 102s but not by a huge amount. Peace my man!!!
What a beautiful drum filling
I'm late to the party, but thanks for the great comparison, Michael. 👍
It's great to have this type of video that concentrates on recording a jazz kit, with a great player and great tuning as well. And YES, Rick Dior is The MAN! 👍
Really loving that 21" PGB ride, too!!! Will have to look into Phillipe's offerings. :-)
On my Sakae Trilogy kit I'm using the Lewitt DTP-640 REX on the bass drum. It's a dual capsule dynamic + condenser in one (2-channels) with some built-in EQ shaping options. Really versatile. Works well on FT, too.
Overheads are usually either a pair of Lewitt LCT-550 LDC (no longer available) in ORTF, or Samar Audio VL-37A ribbons in Blumlein. (As a reference, I would say that the Samar ribbons are similar to the AEA Nuovo N8 ribbons). I'll swap between the LCT-550s & Samar ribbons as room mics vs O/Hs on occasion.
Lewitt LCT-340 SDC on Hi-Hat when needed, different combinations of the SM57/Lewitt MTP-440 DM/LCT-340 on snare top (& bottom depending on the snare drum).
C.A.D. M179 LDC or C.A.D. Equitek E100S LDCs when needed on toms & sometimes on bass drum.
I've also liked the E100S on O/Hs, and snare top but usually need to EQ/tame the highs/presence region a bit. They are hypercardioid and have decent rejection.
One of the best "Is it live or is it Memorex" mic pairs I've had are the Audio-Technica AT5045 condensers. Pricey, but simply incredible and life-like/accurate on just about any source (I play saxophone, too). Incredible dynamics & transients. Amazing as O/H's!
I learned that these were one of Al Schmitt's Go-To mics as well. I can understand why.
I'm still experimenting with all of the mics and different placements/configurations. But sometimes having too many mics is counterproductive! The best sound (IMO) for most jazz drum recordings is the KISS approach, like you, Rick, and Carter.
And I can agree regarding the quality of even the lower cost mics. I started out with just the SM57 on snare and the C.A.D. M179's as stereo O/H's and on bass drum and got really great results.
Thanks again for the comparison. 👍
I would have loved to have seen some SM57’s in this! Its surprising how well they work in a pinch in this type of set up
That could certainly be a future video!
Cool video - great druming. It's amazing how good these se8 sound - espacially when looking at their price.... the Neuman sound fantastic, but they cost. For me the Earthworks are too damn close to the se8 - so in that case I would choose these. The Audio Technica sounded to brigth to my ears - for Jazz. For Pop, Funk, Rock, etc. they might fit better.
For Bassdrum I realy like the D112 - warm, fine tone, round sounding.
So the maybe best combi would be the Neumanns and the D112 ...... at the end it's always a matter of taste.
Thanks Michael!!
Fantastic video!
Great video, Michael. Which mic(s) are you using for your speaking voice?
I’m using the sE8 for the talking. It was already over the kit so I figured why not? Cheers!
Great playing!
Glad to see you are still making content. This is a strange request, but I don't know how to contact you otherwise. Years ago, you released a video of you shedding over Steve Reich's "Music for a Large Ensemble." I can't find it on your channel. I've always loved that performances and the ideas you brought to the piece. Any chance of a re-upload, even if just a direct link unlisted vid in the comments here?
Hi Christopher,
Thanks for the comments. RUclips pulled that video a while ago because of a copyright claim. It's still in my RUclips Studio, but I can't even download it for myself.
However, keep an eye out... there may be something coming.
@@michaeldangelomusic Bummer. Sad to see these copyright claims screwing up the platform for educational channels. On the upside, I actually found an old audio rip of the video I did years back to practice along with. Take that copyright-claimant! Will keep an eye out for more stuff.
The only thing I missed was a clearer High Hat - a lot of times I saw it move but heard no sound.
Nice video--thanks!
Thanks for sharing..
Snare sounds great. I think I'll get one but in 5.5 inch depth.
Good test!
Hello, thank you for this info, so precise and useful. Please, do you know if the SE8 where omnidirectional or cardioid? there exist two different capsules, thank you!
You’re welcome Takeo! My sE8 is the cardiod version
@@michaeldangelomusic Thank you very much! Love your playing.
brilliant
Hi Michael!
I want to know about your curtains! I need something very Strong to isolate the sound of the street at home.
Thanks!.
They're actually very inexpensive thin curtains I got at Walmart. Behind them was insulation on the walls in the basement I was living in at the time. You could buy the thickest curtains you can find, or check out a company like Audimute. Cheers!
thanks
Do the overheads need to be matched pair? Im thinking on buying a couple of aston spirit to use as overheads for recording my drums....
I just want earthworks and Neumann mics for the same reason that people want Lamborghinis. I just want to have the most expensive and highest quality stuff imaginable.
its all about placement.
Part 2 is coming!
@@michaeldangelomusic Looking forward to it.
It’s unfair to put the AT2035 in there! I feel like SE8 is the best bang for the buck and the TLM102 is the most romantic of the bunch therefore probably best suited for this purpose. Funny how it really worked here but never really liked it elsewhere.
The AKG D112 came out in 1986 not the 70s
Yes, my mistake. It’s been addressed in the comments already
I can’t tell if my speakers aren’t tuned to hear this very well, or if you are afraid of breaking your bass drum. It’s like you barely tap it. Not very good for a mic comparison. Can’t hear it.
The overhead only clips do not have bass drum. Just the overhead mic