I like my cheap AT clip on's lately on tom's. I point them almost straight down. They have a wind screen on them so, this tends to help the "reflection" problem some have reported. I have had this problem before too, where the "slap" of the stick sounds papery and I chalked this up to the strike reflecting off the mic and back onto the head.. Coated heads and a wind screen helped this a lot.
When pointing straight down, I like to move into the head as far as the drummer,{sometimes that's me} will allow. However, moving to far in and being to close can make the "boink" sound.
I try to get the overheads happening so the toms sound real good in the pair. I like to be able to fade the toms in and have the tom level come up with out them sounding like they are coming from somewhere else. To get this to happen, I am happy to print with some EQ on the toms. I end up high passing and shaping the high mid end a bit. Why not print the sound I want? Getting real close to a tom with most mic's will mean some bottom need's to be carved out for them to sound like a louder version of what the overs are getting... Kinda..... I guess........ Or somethin' ;-}
I sure love drums..
Oh, I'm a Remo guy still. For rock/hard hitting funk and so on, I like coated Emperor's on the top and clear Ambassador's on the Bottom. Tuning means nearly everything. Period. If that part is not good, your done before you start. Tuning tuning tuning......
Ivan..........