Samson QKICK Owner's Manual

NEODYMIUM DYNAMIC BASS DRUM MICROPHONE

PERCUSSION MICROPHONES

Copyright 2003, Samson Technologies Corp.
Printed February, 2003
Samson Technologies Corp.
575 Underhill Blvd.
P. O. Box 9031
Syosset, NY 11791-9031
Phone: 1-800-3-SAMSON (1-800-372-6766)
Fax: [phone]
www.samsontech.com

3

Table Of Contents

Introduction and Features 4

Using The QKICK 5

QKICK Characteristics 6

QKICK Wiring 7

Specifications 7

4

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the QKICK Dynamic Percussion Microphone
from Samson Audio! Since we understand that the bass drum is one of the most
important and personal of all the drums in the kit, we carefully designed the QKICK
as a complete solution specifically for bass drum miking applications. Special atten­tion in the construction of the neodymium element, together with precise capsule port­ing produces a frequency response ideal for bass drum. The QKICK faithfully repro­duces the complex bass drum sound by capturing the deep low frequencies along
with snappy highs produced by the beater. In addition, QKICK is capable of handling
extremely high sound pressure levels with thunderous results. Extremely sensitive, it
employs a tight cardioid pattern to reduce feedback and increase side-to side rejec­tion in close miking situations. In addition to the great sound, the QKICK features a
shock-mounted clip that easily installs on any standard mic stand. Although the
QKICK was designed specifically for bass drum, the extended low frequency
response and high SPL capability makes it an ideal choice for miking electric bass
amplifiers as well. Thanks to the great sound and flexible mounting solution, the
QKICK excels in both live performance and recording applications.

Should your microphone ever require servicing, a Return Authorization number (RA)
must be obtained before shipping your unit to Samson. Without this number, the unit
will not be accepted. Please call Samson at 1-800-3SAMSON (1-800-372-6766) for a
Return Authorization number prior to shipping your unit. Please retain the original
packing materials and if possible return the unit in the original carton and packing
materials.

Features

The Samson QKICK utilizes state-of-the-art microphone technology and is
engineered to the finest detail. Here are some of its main features:

• Neodymium, dynamic percussion microphone, designed from bottom to top,
specifically for bass drum applications.

• Extended frequency range, contoured and optimized for the reproduction of
bass drums providing warm low end and crisp high frequency response.

• Shock-mounted clip allows the QKICK to be easily mounted on any standard
mic stand.

• Tight cardioid polar pattern minimizes feedback problems and effectively
rejects signals from other drums in the kit.

• Capable of withstanding high SPLs lending itself to a wide range of close mik­ing applications inside and outside the bass drum.

• Ultra sensitive neodymium element picks up all of the nuances of any perform­ance.

• Heavy-duty die cast case construction ensures reliable performance in even
the most demanding environments.

• The extended low frequency response and high SPL capability makes it an
ideal choice for miking electric bass amplifiers.

• Included foam-lined, impact resistant carrying case for convenience when
transporting the QKICK microphones from venue to venue.

• Gold plated XLR Connector.

Introduction and Features

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 adjust­ments 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, how­ever 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 get­ting because most of the time your drum kit will be positioned behind the PA speak­ers, 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 micro­phone, 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 put­ting 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 micro­phone will start to sound thinner. Also, you will notice that changing the dis­tance 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

6

QKICK Frequency Chart

QKICK Polar Pattern

Polar Pattern

Every microphone has a characteristic polar pattern that determines how well it
accepts or rejects signal coming from various areas around the microphone. For
example, omnidirectional mics accept all signals regardless of wherever those
signals originate (in front of the mic, behind it, to the side, etc.).

In contrast, directional cardioid mics are specifically designed to accept mostly
signal coming from directly in front, and to reject signal coming from behind or
from the side. The cardioid pattern is utilized by the QKICK (as shown in the illus­tration below). For this reason, the QKICK excels in environments where there is
a good deal of unwanted ambient sound—it delivers those signals originating
directly in front of the mic capsule itself while rejecting those that originate from
behind.

The polar pattern also determines how prone a particular mic is to inducing feed­back. Feedback is that characteristic nasty howling sound that occurs when a mic
is placed too close to a loudspeaker—the signal from the loudspeaker is fed into
the mic, then into the loudspeaker, then into the mic, over and over again until an
oscillating tone is generated. Because the cardioid pattern utilized by the QKICK
is so good at rejecting signal not coming from directly in front of the mic, you’ll
find that use of the QKICK greatly minimizes feedback problems.

QKICK Characteristics

7

QKICK Wiring Guide

The QKICK can be connected to any mixer, mixer/amplifier, or mic preamp using
a standard microphone cable. As shown in the wiring diagrams below, connect
the female XLR end directly to the QKICK’s gold-plated connector and the other
end (normally a male XLR end, although some mixers use 1/4" connectors) to
the mixer, mixer/amplifier, or mic preamp.

QKICK Specifications

Type Dynamic Microphone

Polar Pattern Super Cardioid

Frequency Response 50~16000 Hz

Sensitivity -62 dBV/pa (0.8mv/pa)

Raded Impedance 200Ω

Max. SPL 147 dB (THD≤ 0.5% 1000 Hz)

Weight 370g

QKICK Specifications

Samson Technologies Corp

575 Underhill Blvd.

P. O. Box 9031

Syosset, NY 11791-9031

Phone: 1-800-3-SAMSON (1-800-372-6766)

Fax: [phone]

www.samsontech.com