Using a speaker as kick drum mic

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

playon <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:
>I've read about people using a speaker as a kick mic in the studio.
>Have any of you guys tried this, and if so, how did you like the
>results compared to a mic? I'm guess you need a lot of gain for this
>to work. Does a larger speaker work better than a small one, or is a
>large speaker not sensitive enough? Seems like a large speaker would
>pick up more low end. I have a 12" & 10" speakers both mounted in
>cabs that I could use for this application.

I like a 4" 45-ohm intercom speaker _because_ it doesn't pick up much
low end. The point is that you get a huge amount of distortion added,
which gives you a very well defined kick sound but without a lot of
real bass that is hard for a home system to reproduce.

Johnny says my box makes kick drums sound like a ping-pong ball. If
you want something with more low end, you can either use a larger
speaker or (more effectively) a larger cabinet.

If you use an 8 ohm speaker, you will probably need to shunt it so it
doesn't ring too badly. A 45 ohm speaker seems happy with a typical
mike preamp input.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <kr1bg09s1hbmfu6p407uoa89pu3o9qcbaq@4ax.com>,
playon <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:

> I've read about people using a speaker as a kick mic in the studio.
> Have any of you guys tried this, and if so, how did you like the
> results compared to a mic? I'm guess you need a lot of gain for this
> to work. Does a larger speaker work better than a small one, or is a
> large speaker not sensitive enough? Seems like a large speaker would
> pick up more low end. I have a 12" & 10" speakers both mounted in
> cabs that I could use for this application.
>
> Al

Auratone.

--
Iron Butt Assoc., WATR 4X, BL3 paparazzi, E.O.B.
R1100RT, R75/5

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 10:19:05 -0500, another viewer <toomuch@spam.net>
wrote:

>In article <kr1bg09s1hbmfu6p407uoa89pu3o9qcbaq@4ax.com>,
> playon <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:
>
>> I've read about people using a speaker as a kick mic in the studio.
>> Have any of you guys tried this, and if so, how did you like the
>> results compared to a mic? I'm guess you need a lot of gain for this
>> to work. Does a larger speaker work better than a small one, or is a
>> large speaker not sensitive enough? Seems like a large speaker would
>> pick up more low end. I have a 12" & 10" speakers both mounted in
>> cabs that I could use for this application.
>>
>> Al
>
>Auratone.

I knew I should have kept those...

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

don't forget to wire it backwards because you're using it backwards from
it's intended purpose.

jep
"playon" <playonATcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:l89dg0t2722v1a5hm6q9i51001upjjt1oq@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 10:19:05 -0500, another viewer <toomuch@spam.net>
> wrote:
>
> >In article <kr1bg09s1hbmfu6p407uoa89pu3o9qcbaq@4ax.com>,
> > playon <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:
> >
> >> I've read about people using a speaker as a kick mic in the studio.
> >> Have any of you guys tried this, and if so, how did you like the
> >> results compared to a mic? I'm guess you need a lot of gain for this
> >> to work. Does a larger speaker work better than a small one, or is a
> >> large speaker not sensitive enough? Seems like a large speaker would
> >> pick up more low end. I have a 12" & 10" speakers both mounted in
> >> cabs that I could use for this application.
> >>
> >> Al
> >
> >Auratone.
>
> I knew I should have kept those...

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

>Message-id: <gNANc.15996$iK.10782@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>
>
>don't forget to wire it backwards because you're using it backwards from
>it's intended purpose.
>
>jep

What?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <20040727193320.00126.00000505@mb-m10.aol.com>,
ybstudios@aol.com (Wayne) wrote:

> >Message-id: <gNANc.15996$iK.10782@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>
> >
> >don't forget to wire it backwards because you're using it backwards from
> >it's intended purpose.
> >
> >jep
>
> What?
>

corialis effect, unless you're in the southern hemisphere

--
Iron Butt Assoc., WATR 4X, BL3 paparazzi, E.O.B.
R1100RT, R75/5

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 00:28:06 -0500, another viewer <toomuch@spam.net>
wrote:

>In article <20040727193320.00126.00000505@mb-m10.aol.com>,
> ybstudios@aol.com (Wayne) wrote:
>
>> >Message-id: <gNANc.15996$iK.10782@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>
>> >
>> >don't forget to wire it backwards because you're using it backwards from
>> >it's intended purpose.
>> >
>> >jep
>>
>> What?
>>
>
>corialis effect, unless you're in the southern hemisphere

Yeah I'll remember that...!

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

playon wrote:
Paul McCartney tried a speaker as a bass-amp mic once. Te technical
assistance evidently got hauled over the coal for allowing an 'impedance
micmatch' . Things like that were important in those days.

geoff

I have used a 5" speaker mounted slightly off centre in a wheel of foam plastic as a mic inside a Tama 22" bass drum. It is OK but not as good as a genuine mic .. bu only when used as a recording mic, in other words with no active speakers in the vicinity, because it tends to ring round (positive feedback) when the level is turned up. I suspect that there is much more technology in the air passages inside a professional mic than is ever disclosed to the public.. this is the craft of the manufacturers which allows a cardiod pattern and high rejection of sound not wanted by the engineer. Physical selectivity and this is never an issue with a speaker design.
Joh Screaming Doc hansen.