Earthworks DK25/L, DK25/R User Manual

Made in U.S.A.

Earthworks, Inc.

37 Wilton Rd.

Milford, NH 03055

603-654-2433, ext. 114

www.earthworksaudio.com

Printed in U.S.A.

TC25 Polar Pattern

SR25 Polar Pattern

Specications for SR25

Frequency response: 50Hz to 25kHz ±2dB at 30cm
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Sensitivity: 10mV/Pa (Typical)
Power Requirements: 24-48V Phantom, 10mA
Peak Acoustic Input: 145dB SPL
Output: XLR-3

Minimum Load: 600Ω btw. pins 2 & 3

Noise: 20dB, A equivalent

Dimensions L x D: 165 x 22 mm (6.5 x .860 in.)
Weight: 160g (.35lb)

Specications for TC25

Frequency response: 9Hz to 25kHz +1/-3dB
Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional
Sensitivity: 8mV/Pa (Typical)
Power Requirements: 24-48V Phantom, 10mA
Peak Acoustic Input: 150dB SPL
Output: XLR-3

Minimum Load: 600Ω btw. pins 2 & 3

Noise: 26dB, A equivalent

Dimensions L x D: 165 x 22 mm (6.5 x .860 in.)
Weight: 160g (.35lb)

DK25/LDK25/R

User’s Guide

DK25/L
DK25/R

Live DrumKit™

Recording
DrumKit™

Congratulations on your purchase of the Earthworks DrumKit™ System. You
will be thrilled with the results you will be able to obtain using Earthworks High
Denition Microphones™ for miking drum sets. If you have any questions, you
may contact us using the contact information on the back page of this manual.

Happy Drumming!

Items Enclosed with your New Earthworks DrumKit™ System:

DK25/R (Recording version)

2 - TC25 Omni Condenser Microphones
1 - SR25 Cardioid Condenser Microphone
1 - KickPad™
2 - Windscreen for TC25
1 - Windscreen for SR25
1 - User’s Manual
1 - DrumKit™ System aluminum carrying case

DK25/L (Live Performance version)

3 - SR25 Cardioid Condenser Microphones
1 - KickPad™
3 - Windscreen for SR25
1 - User’s Manual
1 - DrumKit™ System aluminum carrying case

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Please Read This:

The SR25 cardioid microphone is designed to be used for the kick drum.
DO NOT use the omni TC25 for close miking a kick drum. Earthworks omni

microphones have extended low frequency response that goes down in
the 5Hz to 9Hz range and in certain conditions may cause overload or

distortion when using the KickPad™. There is a lot of energy (power) at
subsonic frequencies. The SR25 and other Earthworks cardioid micro-

phones have a low frequency response in the 30Hz to 40Hz range which

will not pick up subsonic information. We therefore recommend the use
of cardioid mics on kick drum when using the KickPadTM. This not only
applies to Earthworks microphones, but applies to microphones made
by other manufacturers as well. Use only cardioid microphones for close
miking kick drums when using the KickPad.

FIFTEEN-YEAR WARRANTY

All Earthworks products carry a fteen-year limited warranty (parts and labor). If
you have any problems with your Earthworks products, please contact our
warranty/repair department by email at: [e-mail] or by
telephone at [phone] Ext. 119.

1

Earthworks: the New Science in Microphones

David Blackmer, the brilliant engineer who invented the technologies of dbx,
is also the inventor and founder of Earthworks. In the last few years of his life,
David developed a number of revolutionary technologies that dramatically im­prove the quality and performance of microphones. In short, Earthworks High
Denition Microphones™ will pick up sounds and details that other microphones
cannot. These dramatic microphone improvements are in the areas of impulse
response, diaphragm settling time and new polar pattern technologies. Those
who have heard the Earthworks High Denition Microphonesv, say that they
hear more attack, more subtle detail and a more pristine quality in the sound
than with any other microphones. The demo CD for the Earthworks DK25 Se­ries DrumKit™ Systems should capture your interest in this respect. This CD
is included with this manual. We suggest that you take the time to listen to it.
While developing our new 25kHz Series of High Denition Microphones™ for
percussion, we went into the studio to try them out. We only used two mics
for overheads and one for kick drum. When we heard this, it absolutely blew
us away. Then we made a comparative recording of the same drum set using
seven other mics that are some of the industry favorites for miking drums. In

comparing these two recordings, the difference in detail and sound quality of the

three Earthworks High Denition Microphones™ vs. the seven industry favorites
was staggering. The Earthworks High Denition Microphones™ captured every

nuance of sound from each piece of the drum set with such an exceptional

clarity and cohesiveness, that it sounded like a live set of drums, not a bunch
of pieces. This discovery led to the development of the innovative Earthworks

DrumKitTM System, providing a “dramatic improvement” in the sound quality

of miked drums.

X/Y Stereo Overhead Miking

While in the studio auditioning our new 25kHz High Denition Microphones™, we

recorded in two acoustic environments: a drum room and an open studio (larger

room). When recording drums in the drum room, we mostly used the X/Y ap­proach to miking which is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Overhead miking with HORIZONTAL X/Y positioning

3

2

All of the microphone positionings shown in Figures 1-4 should provide excellent

results using an Earthworks DK25 Series DrumKit three microphone system.

If you prefer the sound of multi-miked drums, then using one of these position-

ings in Figures 1-4 for your overhead microphones will provide terric results.

The DK25/R DrumKit™ System has been designed for recording in a studio
or other acoustic space that is ideal for recording. The DK25/R has two TC25
omni microphones for overheads and one SR25 cardioid for kick drum. For live

performance applications, we recommend the DK25/L, which has three SR25

cardioid microphones. This will work better for live applications and provide
more gain before feedback. The DK25/L is recommended for any application
where spot mics are used on separate elements of the drum set.

Figure 2. Overhead miking
in downward position

Figure 3. Overhead miking
aiming positions for Figure 3

4

5

In Figure 1 the microphones are positioned about two feet above the drum­mer’s head. This placement will provide excellent results in a drum room or
an acoustically treated small room. If you do not have a drum booth or are in
a larger room, you can also use another variation of the X/Y pattern by facing
the microphones straight down (see Figure 4). In this case the microphones
should be one or two feet above the drummer’s head and about one foot in
front of the drummers face, looking down.

Figure 4. Overhead miking with VERTICAL X/Y positioning

Closer Overhead Miking

There is a closer miking approach that we also used in our sessions. This method
would be ideal for those who do not have a drum room or drum booth. Closer
miking will reduce some of the ambient room sound while picking up subtle
details of the drum set. This method is shown in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3,

you can see the positioning of the microphones from a front view and Figure 4

shows where the microphones are pointed.

Miking the Kick Drum and using the KickPad™

A good kick drum microphone must be designed and optimized for that specic
purpose. This means the microphone is great for kick drum and nothing else.

Therefore we designed our kick drum optimization in an external XLR package

- the KickPad™. Just plug the KickPad™ into the mic line going to the SR25 kick
drum mic for magnicent results. With the KickPad™ removed, you can use
the same SR25 microphone for recording most anything. All three high quality
Earthworks High Denition Microphones™ in the DrumKit™ System can be used
for other instruments and vocals. As an added bonus, the KickPad™ will improve
the sound of other popular microphones used for kick drum. The KickPad will

provide outstanding results on other popular kick drum microphones such as

the E-V RE20, Audix D-6, Shure 57 and others. Simply plug the KickPad into the
mic line feeding the kick drum mic and you will be astonished with the sound.

Important Please Read

The Earthworks SR25 supplied for miking kick drum is a precision condenser

microphone and is sensitive to large bursts of air. However, this microphone
used properly will produce an incredible kick drum sound. For optimum results

it is crucial to place the SR25 at a 45 degree angle to the head (which reduces

the air burst at the front of the microphone). Whether your kick drum has a front

head or not, place the SR25 at a 45 degree angle to the front of the drum as

indicated in Figure 1. If there is a hole in the front head of the kick drum, do
not place the mic in front of the hole as there will be a large burst of air hitting
the microphone. In our eld tests, we achieved the best results and the best
sound by miking the drum just off of the rim as shown in Figure 5. Whatever
your approach, if you get any popping from the air bursts, place the enclosed
windscreen on the kick drum mic.

We hope these suggestions have been benecial for you. Don’t be afraid to ex­periment with mic placement. You can be as creative with your mic placement as
you are with your music. You are the judge of what works best and sounds best.

Figure 5. Miking a kick drum