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Author Topic: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?  (Read 19560 times)

rankus

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Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« on: March 23, 2009, 04:18:51 PM »



Hi all.  We are in the market for some new tom mics, but really can't justify the $500 (Canadian) price tag on Sen 421's...

I'm wondering what other alternatives ya'll have found at lower more reasonable prices?

We're looking at the Heil PR30 perhaps... but are open to any suggestions.

Mostly Rock and Guitar Pop music so we need some punch and a good bottom.

TIA

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Rick Welin - Clark Drive Studios http://www.myspace.com/clarkdrivestudios

Ive done stuff I'm not proud of.. and the stuff I am proud of is disgusting ~ Moe Sizlack

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compasspnt

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2009, 04:34:07 PM »

Almost anything is a better alternative than a 421.

Recently I was very pleased with the ACM310, patched directly into line input.
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rankus

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2009, 08:15:44 PM »

compasspnt wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 13:34

Almost anything is a better alternative than a 421.




Yes, we had a pair parked (almost abandoned) for several years and the owner has taken them home... I was about to go out and buy some replacements but then the reality hit me:  I have never really found a use other than toms for them, and can't really justify the cost for toms alone.

Thanks for the suggestion Terry, but I missed out on the GB.  Damn.  If anyone wants to sell me one or two ACM310's PM me!

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Rick Welin - Clark Drive Studios http://www.myspace.com/clarkdrivestudios

Ive done stuff I'm not proud of.. and the stuff I am proud of is disgusting ~ Moe Sizlack

"There is no crisis in energy, the crisis is in imagination" ~ Buckminster Fuller

bigbone

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2009, 08:58:07 PM »


Audio technica ATM 25 work great on toms. and they are inexpensive ( about 150 $ )
use on ebay.
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tom eaton

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2009, 09:47:28 PM »

Seconded.  I have four ATM25s that always are first choice for toms.

I have NO idea why they stopped making them.  I seem to recall JJ liking the ultra-cheap CAD drum mics... comparing them favorably to his favorite Sennheisers.  I think he like the Senn e906, too.  Which someone you know can get for you I'm sure.

The tom thread:

 http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/309615/2571/?sr ch=tom#msg_309615

(edit- Hey- you say in that thread that you like the ATM25!  You shoulda bought them then!)

tom

hargerst

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2009, 12:06:47 AM »

AT also makes the ATM Pro 25 that's a lower cost drum mic.  I also like the Sennheiser MD E604 or the older 504D.
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Harvey "Is that the right note?" Gerst
Indian Trail Recording Studio

organica

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2009, 02:34:30 AM »

Audix D2 ?
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el duderino

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2009, 11:38:34 AM »

Im not sure which CAD mics JJ was talking about but I have used the TSM411's on toms and they work ok. Not great, but useable. The plus side is they have mounts so no need for stands, and that they cost roughly $140 for 3 of them in addition to some bass drum mic i've never used. imo, about as cheap as it gets for tom mics.
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tom eaton

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2009, 01:03:21 PM »

Those were the ones.  

Here's the thread:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/6739/0/0/2 571/

marcel

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2009, 04:13:42 PM »

Rick:

I've been using a pair of KEL HM-1s lately, and liking them.

http://www.kelaudio.com/hm1.html

I think JJ Blair posted a shootout with them in it and I liked the clips he posted so I got a pair.  They're also cheap, so if one gets smacked (IME drummers will hit a rack tom mic 10x more than any other on a kit) it's not the end of the world.

PM me if you want to try mine out.  I have never used them for anything but toms, so they're often sitting in the case.
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Best, Marcel

compasspnt

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2009, 06:57:36 PM »

Yes, the Kel HM-1's are pretty nifty little creatures.

They have worked for me also on guitar effects cabinets, and a few other things.

We all sometimes forget about them.
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tom eaton

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2009, 07:06:12 PM »

Those HM1s are kinda cool... last used mine on cajun accordion...(both sides)...sounded great!

t

maarvold

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2009, 01:32:46 AM »

Oktava 219s are nice for budget condensers.  Many--but not all--are Pin 3 = high and, imo, should be changed to Pin 2 = high.  It's easy to do if you are careful and can solder reasonably well.  
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Michael Aarvold
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Derek DiFilippo

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2009, 02:06:44 AM »

Hi rankus,

Keeping this to dynamics and in decreasing order of cost (and increasingly less than 421s according to sweetwater.com), I've had personal experience and respectable success with:

+ Shure SM7B.  I had a pair of them until I realized I was only ever using them on toms.  So I sold them.
+ Beyerdynamic M201.   Low output, kind of touchy because of pillowy proximity boost (unlike the SM7B), but can be dealt with.  Low profile.  Could be useful for other sources as well, as a bonus.
+ Audix i5.  Least expensive of the lot.  Ugliest off axis-response of the three.  Not as crazy of a proximity boost as the M201.  Pre-eq'ed with a bit of snap/harsh top end... may work well for you, may drive you nuts.   Occasionally useful on guitar amps and snares.  I've recorded some lovely 70's style dry snare with this mic, it just happened to mate with that particular snare.  Somehow the proximity on this mic can really suit some snare drums.  I'm writing the most about this one of the three because I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it.  

I live in Vancouver and could drop off a M201 and Audix i5 sometime if you want to test them out.
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theo mack

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Re: Tom Mics : An Alternative to 421's?
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2009, 11:00:05 AM »

Audix D4 is a killer dynamic for toms.

Also the shure beta 98 is really more usable than you might think.
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theo mack
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Las Vegas, NV.
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