MXL DRUM MICROPHONES

EXCLUSIVE
overhead miking method pioneered by Glyn
Johns (one mic overhead aimed down at the
snare, with the other at 90° from the side,
pointing over the top of the fl oor tom towards
the hi-hat). The venue was a large marquee –
a tricky environment for sound reinforcement
that made an ideal test.
The A55-Kicker got things off to a good
start, supplying a strong signal with little
required in the way of EQ. Plenty of
bottom-end was present and the sound
was fairly clean and consequently it sat
distinctly in the mix.
A few mic placings were required with the
Cube to get an optimal result but, once settled
on, the snare sounded excellent. What was
most impressive was the way it reproduced
the whole of the drum’s sound. When miking,
that’s not always straightforward to do, as the
process can unintentionally promote elements
of a snare’s sound over others. Here, the
metallic crack was present, as was the
crispness of the wires along with the warmth
of the shell – the whole package. Swapping the
Cube for the V67n brought a little more
middle and top end to the sound and a
M
XL microphones are
manufactured by American
technology giant Marshall
Electronics (not to be confused
with the legendary British guitar amps). Well
known around the rest of the world, MXL
mics are now being distributed in the UK
by Bedfordshire-based pro recording
specialist musictrack.
Build
For review, musictrack sent a selection of
four mid-range models, all of which are
suitable for miking drums. Mark Gordon of
musictrack describes the mics as being
robust enough to cope with live situations yet
providing a quality of sound that would stand
up in a studio.
The four mics are the A-55 Kicker, which
lends itself to bass drums and other low-end
instruments, the chunky-looking multi-
purpose Cube, a pair of 603 overhead mics
and a V67n small diaphragm condenser mic.
Of the four, only the A-55 Kicker is a dynamic
mic, with the other three models all being
condenser models. With its large diameter,
black metal casing and protective front mesh,
the A-55 Kicker looks ready to spend its
working life in close proximity to a bass
drum. A second glance at its name reveals a
barely coded reference to its claimed
butt-shaking capabilities.
Part resembling a vintage vocal mic is the
Cube. Its square-sided housing conceals a
condenser element with a gold-sputtered
diaphragm. Sputtering is a process that
applies an incredibly thin layer – in this case
MXL DRUM
MICROPHONES
From £109 MXL microphones claim
to deliver studio quality in a live
environment. Adam Jones reports
6/1000th of a millimetre – of gold to
the surface of the diaphragm. This
makes the diaphragm rigid while leaving
it capable of agile movement, so making
the mic sensitive and effi cient. MXL
recommends the Cube for all types of
percussive miking duties.
The pair of 603 condenser mics have been
designed to be used as joint overheads above
a kit, but MXL claims that they can also be
used for miking vocals, strings, piano and
even guitar amps. The green and gold V67n is
described as being similarly versatile and
able to record a variety of different
instruments. Both the V67n and the pair of
603s also feature a 6-micron gold-sputtered
diaphragm. Unlike the 603s, the V67n
contains a transformer, which, Mark Gordon
explains, imbues it with subtly different
tonal characteristics.
Hands On
I tested the mics at a gig. The bass and snare
drum were close-miked with the A55-Kicker
and the Cube respectively, while the pair of
603s covered the rest of the kit using the
100 RHYTHM SUMMER 2010
PRICES
MXL microphones
A-55 Kicker, £109
Cube, £109
603 pair, £199
V67n, £125
CONTACT
musictrack
2 The Granary
Buildings,
Millow,
Nr Dunton,
Bedfordshire
SG18 8RH
Tel: [phone]
Website: www.mu-
sictrack.co.uk/www.
mxlmics.com
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RHY180.gear_mxl 100 7/15/10 10:22:03 AM