5
Microphone Placement and Tone Quality
When you mount the QKICK to your drum, it will be easy to get a great sound since
the mic is positioned so close to the sound source. You can make slight adjust-
ments to the height and angle that will have an effect on the sound. The changes
in sound may be difficult to notice at first, especially in live sound applications, how-
ever the more you use your microphone and listen to the sound, the more you will
understand, and hear, the effect the microphone placement has on the sound. As
always, experimentation and experience are the best teachers. Obviously, in live
sound applications you can’t always hear the final results of the sound you’re get-
ting because most of the time your drum kit will be positioned behind the PA speak-
ers, so rely on a band mate or sound engineer to help you dial up the sound. In
recording applications, print some scratch tracks and check the sound by listening
to them back in your headphones and in the control room monitors.
By the way, the “Golden Rule” of getting a great sound miking any instrument, with any micro-
phone, is to start with a great sounding instrument. Be sure that you pay careful attention to
the tuning, and if necessary, the dampening of your drum. Miking your drum is similar to put-
ting the sound under a microscope. Any unwanted buzzes and rattles coming from your
instrument may be much more noticeable when you mic the drum.
You’ll get a great sound just by mounting the QKICK to your drum however, there
are some basic principles and fundamentals that should be followed. (If not, at least
understood.)
•
The QKICK has a cardioid pick up pattern, which means it picks up sound
directly in front of the microphone, and rejects the sound directly behind the
microphone. This means in order to get the best separation between the sound
you want to pick up in the mic (for example your bass drum), and the ambient
sound around it, let’s say the rest of your kit or the back line amplifiers, you
can aim the mic so that it is facing directly at the bass drum. The QKICK is
perfectly happy positioned outside the bass drum for more of an ambient
sound, which is sometimes desired for recording, or inside the bass drum for a
tighter sound like in live sound applications.
For more information on polar patterns, see the section “Polar Pattern” on page 6 of this
manual.
•
All microphones, especially uni-directional or cardioid microphones, exhibit a
phenomenon known as “proximity effect.” Very simply put, proximity effect is a
resulting change in the frequency response of a microphone based on the
position of the mic capsule relative to the sound source. Due to the result of
the proximity effect, slight adjustments of the microphone position and angle
can make a big difference in sound. Specifically, when you point a cardioid
mic directly at the sound source (on axis) you will get the best frequency
response, however when you start pointing the microphone slightly away (off
axis) you will notice the low frequency response dropping off and the micro-
phone will start to sound thinner. Also, you will notice that changing the dis-
tance the microphone is placed from the head will have an effect on the low
frequency response. You can use the proximity effect to your advantage by
moving the microphone closer to the head if the sound is too boomy, or try
moving the QKICK back a bit to add more low end.
Using the QKICK
