One of the great challenges when it comes to miking turns out to be, precisely, miking an acoustic drum kit, something intricate and quite tricky. This is easy to understand if we consider that, usually, almost every element of the percussion kit needs a microphone that (in principle) captures its vibrations. As you can imagine, pulling this off with a certain quality and success in sound capture won't be cheap, to say the least; although nowadays there are products on the market designed for this purpose that are so decent and affordable it really seems as if elm trees had started bearing pears. I assure you I'm not exaggerating at all. I consider myself quite a perfectionist, and when I state something like what I've just put my name to here, I don't do it lightly in any way. Both sound engineers and drummers, at the very least, have reason to celebrate.

Prodipe DM8 drum microphone kit
This set of microphones offered by PRODIPE comes in a very well-made case (very cool) whose sturdiness and rigidity are beyond doubt; ideal for transporting and protecting the mics inside. Once this case is opened, we see no fewer than eight microphones designed (with percussion instruments in mind) by Prodipe's engineers and endorsed by Claude Salmieri, who also contributed actively to their design at every level. So we have:

One DM8-KD – For the kick drum.
One DM8-SD I – For the snare drum.
Three DM8-SD – For the toms.
And another three DM8-C – For the hi-hat, cymbals, atmosphere or ambience.

Although, naturally, everyone can use them for whatever they like (especially percussion instruments): you try it out, and if they work for whatever purpose, go for it. As a common feature of these four microphone models, all of them have a cardioid pickup pattern, that is, they are unidirectional. I'll now go through each one:

DM8-KD bass drum microphone
With a thoroughly professional look (in fact all eight mics have one), this microphone provides optimal capture of the always powerful sound of the kick drum or any instrument with an extended low range, such as (if you'll pardon the redundancy) the speaker cone of an electric bass amp, with which I confirmed its real worth.

The frequency response graph of this mic shows certain amplitude peaks centered around approximately 100 Hz and 5 kHz; this means the kick drum sound is enhanced during capture itself, without needing to push the EQ (or only very slightly). The impact and presence of this percussive instrument are thus guaranteed with no help other than a good mic preamp.

The DM8-SD I and the snare drum
A mic designed to capture the impact (transient attack) of the snare. The frequency response graph of this DM8-SD I shows a boost in a frequency band between about 2.5 and 10 kHz, which gives us a clear, bright sound; across the rest of the spectrum this microphone can pick up, the frequency response curve is certainly very linear, or flat. During testing its behavior was most charming; a shame I didn't have another identical one to mic the snare wires. You know, with the phase rotated 180 degrees, or in opposite polarity.

The DM8-SD on toms
For this task we have (this time) three microphones, whose technical specifications are identical to those of the SD I just described.

Although we see the same technical data for both models (SD and SD I), they don't behave the same, because the frequency response curve of the DM8-SD differs from that of the SD I. In the curve of this mic for capturing the toms we see that the frequency boost occurs in a band between about 2 kHz and 10 kHz, and the graph also shows a more even curve (on the SD I the boost curve is somewhat more irregular); on the other hand, keep in mind that this SD and its colleague the SD I are two mics of different design, each aimed at a specific job. These DM8-SDs can also be ideal for miking congas, bongos, etc.

The DM8-C and the high end of the drum kit
Three DM8-Cs are also included in this drum microphone set. This time they are capacitor, or condenser, mics, unlike the rest of the set which, as we've seen, are dynamic. These DM8-Cs are designed for optimal capture of the hi-hat and cymbals; in other words, these are the ambient mics (overheads).

You can see in the attached table how the DM8-C extends its pickup range in the high frequencies considerably further than its set companions; also note how well its capsule handles high SPL (sound pressure level) onslaughts. Phantom power, as with any condenser microphone, is more than necessary: it is mandatory. Looking at the frequency response graph for this microphone, you'll notice an effective boost in high frequencies between about 2.5 kHz and 12.5 kHz; below 2.5 kHz the mic's response gradually falls off (it enters a roll-off slope), which gives us a very clear idea of what job it is aimed at. In this response curve you can also see a slight peak (about 2 dB) at around 7.5 kHz; in other words, this is the frequency at which this microphone will be most sensitive. I must mention, because it's striking, that the polar graph produced for these DM8-Cs shows almost absolute regularity and precision, something uncommon in microphones in this price range, which in turn indicates careful construction. As many of you already know, or should know, overhead mics are largely responsible for the true profile and tonal balance of a drum kit; don't think these mics are up there just for show or anything like that. They can be of crucial importance, which is why good quality is desirable in them.

The DM8 set under test
With so many factors involved, it's not easy to evaluate the real behavior of a microphone (in terms of its capture quality), let alone eight working at the same time; however, it's something that needs to be done because, after all, when it's time to do live sound you could easily have even more than eight mics open.

To settle any doubts, I tested this set of mics one by one with the rest of the console channels closed, or muted if you prefer; in order to try to determine their real sound, I set the tone controls flat (0 dB). After checking the whole set, all I can say is that my amazement is considerable, not because of what these microphones offer sonically (which is no small thing); the first thing that came to mind was their price. The manufacturer of this product states, more or less, that "a drum mic set of the quality of this DM8 will cost you several times as much"; I can honestly tell you they are absolutely right to say so. Of all the microphones in this set, the one that catches my attention most is the one designed for the kick drum (the DM8-KD); it is beautifully and robustly built, capable of reproducing the dynamic range of the bass drum without any trouble and with sound quality beyond doubt. I also (out of curiosity) set it up to mic the floor tom (low tom); the result was, once again, sublime. As I said at the beginning, I also tried it on electric bass, with the same good fortune. These are three ideal applications for the DM8-KD. As for the other mics in the set, I can tell you each one more than does its job, period. I would highlight, though, that the hi-hat and overhead capture done with the condensers (DM8-C) shows a clarity and finesse worth mentioning.

With all the mics open to proceed with mixing the drum kit, I do so without any problem: I bring the levels up and readjust (only mix levels, not tone) and get a purist drum sound, OK. Keep in mind that I'm only dealing with a drum kit; I say this because when the rest of the band's mics and instruments come in, this approach will surely change. Beyond that, everyone will make the drum kit sound and color it however they like, depending above all on the musical style.

Anything I could say about this product falls short. As I've already mentioned, behind it is the hand of Claude Salmieri, one of today's great drummers, with a long professional career. His signature is (literally) printed on each of the mics in this set. And although I haven't said it clearly until now, this case full of microphones (which also includes the clips for the condensers and their respective windscreens) is within anyone's reach for about €300 — yes, three hundred, something incredible. The fruit of the elm.

PRODIPE A1 instrument microphone
Along with the microphone set described above, I received this A1 to evaluate as well. The Prodipe A1 is a condenser microphone that works on the pressure-gradient principle, which is to say we have a velocity microphone here. It is mainly designed or aimed at capturing string instruments, although, as you'd expect, everyone can use it as they see fit, since this A1 can really be described as multipurpose or widely versatile. Its polar pickup pattern is unidirectional and its frequency response is exceptionally flat or linear over most of its pickup range, with slight amplitude peaks at approximately 30 Hz, 2.5 kHz and a band between 6 kHz and 10 kHz. It also incorporates a microswitch with which we can engage a low-cut filter centered at 100 Hz with a slope of 12 dB per octave.

This time I tried this mic on vocals, and because of its wide frequency range I also used it to mic electric bass; in both cases the result was very good, although for these two jobs I had to tweak (cut) the treble EQ on the console a little, especially when using it on vocals, mainly to prevent any unpleasant feedback and avoid excessive sibilance, although the latter will be a matter of taste or needs. Also, in the case of bass, for example, so much high-frequency extension from this mic isn't strictly necessary. This shows that the A1 is quite capable of faithfully reproducing (thanks to its wide frequency response) string instruments, from the violin to the double bass, just as the manufacturer claims. Although I haven't tried it with those instruments, I see no reason to doubt the worth of this microphone in those roles. Because of how well it handles high sound pressure levels, it is also suitable for capturing high-energy instruments, such as the trumpet. The regularity of its pickup pattern is likewise beyond reproach.

In summary
Some may think I'm overdoing my assessment of the products described in this article; however, I'm not entirely convinced I haven't fallen short. Bear in mind that we're dealing with products in a specific price segment, so what conclusion should we draw? If you're the lucky owner of, for example, something like a 57 for your snare, I won't be the one to recommend replacing it with an SD I, although you surely already know what that one costs, not to mention a D12. I don't know if I've made myself clear, but I think so. All I'll say, to finish, is that just seeing the DM8 microphone set's case open, and if you get the chance to weigh its mics in your hand, will give you food for thought.

Thanks to Dani for his collaboration with his TAMA kit, hardware and so on, as well as for the patience he showed during the tests; I really put him through the wringer. For more information about PRODIPE products you can.