List Price: from $2,124
Audio Many manufacturers have microphones that are designed for use with drums, and some provide complete sets containing mics for kick, snares, toms, and other pieces in the kit. With its DK25L Drum Microphone Kit, Earthworks offers a different take on reinforcing live percussion.
The Earthworks kit differs from most others marketed for live drum mic'ing by using only three microphones—two for overhead plus another for the kick drum. This approach forgoes the seemingly pinpoint precision of placing additional mics on the snare, high hat, and perhaps each of the toms, and then using the overheads to capture the ambient sound of the kit plus the cymbals. Using fewer microphones does have audio merit in many circumstances, and can make the job of capturing a balanced, life-like drum sound more efficient, while yielding better results.
At First Glance
Opening the mic case, I immediately noted the simple elegance of the presentation—you know it's special at first glance. TheSR25 microphones stand out as precision engineering tools, with detailed machining, a smooth finish, and close tolerances in the way the parts go together. This professional appearance befits their heritage, as descendants of Earthworks' measurement microphones that are widely used for tuning concert loudspeaker arrays and other acoustical measurement applications.
The three microphones reside within cutout pockets in a heavily padded, latched metal road case. Mic clips and windscreens are provided for each. The SR25s are small-diaphragm cardioid condensers, with a beneficial sensitivity for their purpose of -40 dBV—hot enough to pick up from a distance without cranking up the input trim, yet not being so sensitive that they could overload the front end of the console when presented with the impact of a drum. Maximum SPL is 145 dB, so they are capable of accepting quite loud sound sources without introducing distortion. Frequency response is very flat from 50 Hz to 25kHz (+/-2 dB at a distance of 30 cm or approximately one foot), and the mic is quiet, with an A-weighted noise level of 20 SPL equivalent.
The KickPad
Rejection of audio signals at the back of the microphone is excellent, even in the lower frequency range; you won’t have to worry about signals from the rear of the mic muddying your mix.
Accompanying the three identical microphones is an inline device about the diameter of an XLR connector, and a bit more than four inches long. Known as the KickPad, this passive device provides both attenuation and shaping to the signal coming from the mic that's placed on the kick, so that the user can attain a fairly close approximation of a typical kick drum sound before touching the EQ on the mixing console—an “instant kick drum sound.”
The KickPad is quite simple to use. Just plug the cable coming from the mic in one end and another XLR cable from the other end to the mixer's input. In place, it is easy to hear the difference when compared with the “unprocessed” raw output of the microphone. Some of the higher frequencies, brightness, and “ring” of the bass drum head is diminished, resulting in a more characteristic kick sound. And the level is attenuated several dB, which is a better starting place when placing a quite sensitive condenser mic right next to such a loud drum.
As an added benefit, the KickPad may be used with other brands of microphones on a kick drum. Some sound engineers habitually carry them to speed the process of obtaining a consistent first-pass kick sound, especially when they are going into a variety of venues and using provided equipment that may not have sufficient equalization capabilities.
In conjunction with the KickPad, Earthworks recommends placing the SR25 mic for the kick at a 45-degree angle to the head of the drum, rather than directly on-axis, to prevent bursts of air from “popping” the mic with such close placement. Testing the two placements, the mic is definitely susceptible to those pops when on-axis, and angling the mic alleviates the effect while capturing the audio well. The supplied windscreens can also be useful, and will help on the overheads in a breezy environment.
Audio Quality
Earthworks microphones are known for their excellent detail and transient response, and these mics are no exception. The small, light diaphragm responds almost instantaneously to the impact of the drum hit, and then returns to its resting position with virtually no “ringing” or excess motion, capturing a faithful impression of the sound source. When combined with the even attenuation and precise uniformity of the off-axis polar pattern across all frequencies, there is less coloration to deal with when blending the input of other mics on stage.
As with other Earthworks mics I've worked with, the frequency response through approximately 45 to 50 degrees off-axis is quite consistent, and sounds almost like what is picked up directly in front of the mic, and without much difference in level. There is a smooth, more rapid attenuation to about 90 degrees off-axis. Rejection of audio signals at the back of the microphone is excellent, even in the lower frequency range; you won't have to worry about signals from the rear of the mic muddying your mix.
These microphones may be used for a variety of purposes other than mic'ing a drum kit, as they are high-quality condensers with a wide and quite flat frequency response. I put one of the SR25s in front of a handmade acoustic guitar, and it caught all the detail of the instrument – sounding almost like the guitar unmic'ed, only louder. So when you're not using them on drums, keep them out for acoustic instruments.
Fewer Microphones
A problem that can occur with multi-mic setups on drums is that nearby mics are going to pick up the adjacent drums, and these multiple signals will end up being mixed within the console. What happens is that adjacent mics are capturing the same drum from different distances, albeit at a lower level via the more distant mics, but with a potentially uneven off-axis frequency response and a different phase relationship.
With this greater potential for interaction, the result can often be more coloration, and a quite difficult job of putting the audio pieces together for a good, impactful drum sound. Careful mic selection and placement can minimize the interaction of the microphones, but will also add time to the setup.Fewer microphones on the drum kit can make the process of reinforcing a drum sound easier, while having it sound great. The two overheads in the Earthworks kit do accurately and musically capture the spatial relationship and the relative levels of the various drums and cymbals, like a pair of full-range ears listening in on a recording session. The compromise is that relying on the overheads to cover everything but the kick does give less control over the ability to emphasize one or more particular drums within the mix. Earthworks recommends several positioning methods for overhead mic'ing, and ways to emphasize desired drums within the kit through that positioning. Also, if the onstage level from other nearby instruments and amplifiers is quite high, and the venue is larger, it might become necessary to place mics on other drums in the kit to bring them out.
Making the Choice
The Earthworks DK25L microphone kit for live applications provides the tools to capture an excellent drum sound with a fairly simple setup. The microphones themselves are of very high quality and accuracy, and the addition of the KickPad helps you to quickly achieve a usable kick drum sound with one of the mics. Furthermore, these microphones can perform double duty as an excellent choice for acoustic instruments.
The DK25L's cardioid pattern is recommended for live use, with the full kit listing for $2,124. Consider it as an investment is studio- or concert-quality live sound for an important part of your mix. Earthworks also offers the DK25R kit for studio applications, using omni microphones instead. The company provides multi-mic solutions as well, for close-mic'ing snare and toms.
