Sontronics DM-1B, DM-1T, DM-1S User manual
BY PAUL VNUK JR.
RECORDING MAGAZINE January 2015 edition. Sontronics drum mics reviewed by Paul Vnuk © Music Maker Publications Inc.
Sontronics
DM-1B, DM-1S, and DM-1T Drum Microphones
...and a look at the STC-1 condenser mic, too!
percussive recording, including accidental stick hits and bumps.
Similar to the guitar-focused Halo
mic, the DM models are task-specific
and are laser-focused on recording the
elements of a drum set. While they’re
designed to work hand in glove, the
DM mics are sold separately and currently not sold as a kit. This allows you
to purchase the correct number of mics
tailored to your own needs.
Boom boom!
Let’s start with the kick drum. The DM-1B
is a cardioid condenser microphone with
20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, a
6mV/Pa - 45 dB ±1 dB sensitivity, a <200
ohm impedance, a maximum SPL of 155
dB and a self-noise of 14.0 dBA. Internally
it has a 27mm diaphragm in a 32mm capsule, which is suspended in a rubberized
internal shock mount.
Externally the DM-1B has a 5
body (XLR jack to the top) with a 2
The Sontronics DM Series is a collection of condenser microphones dedicated
to drum recording. DM presumably
stands for Drum Microphone, and the
series is currently comprised of three models: the DM-1B kick drum mic, DM-1S
snare mic, and DM-1T tom mic.
We h av e b ee n loo ki ng at So ntr on ic s
microphones and preamps for a few years
now and the DM series is a bit of a departure for the company. The mics are still
designed in the UK and manufactured overseas. However, unlike the Orpheus and
Sigma (reviewed June 2010) or the Halo
(reviewed July 2013), all of which featured
the company’s “future retro” stylings such
as bulbous head baskets, spring-suspended
capsules, and art deco leanings, the new
DM series are quite straightforward in the
looks department with a nicely matching
brushed finish.
The DM-1B ships with a foam-lined aluminum road case, and the DM-1S and
DM-1T ship in a foam-lined cardboard
box. Each mic comes with a screw-on
drum mount as well as a mic clip, and
they’re all built to withstand the rigors of
diameter. This mic does not ship with a
mic clip or shock mount, because it
comes attached to a large vintage-style
yoke connected with set screws, allowing it to swivel and lock for easy placement. The DM-1B also features a
recessed –15 dB pad switch.
Sonically it is a very full-range condenser mic that has not been overly
scooped or pre-tailored in the mids for
kick drum use like many dynamic kick
mics. It also has a surprisingly crisp and
airy top end. On the kick, this results in a
very full even sound across the spectrum
with a very big bottom end. It also grabs
the upper beater hits well, and does not
sound pinched or muffled on top.
If you are used to many of the pre-tuned
kick mics on the market, the DM-1B may
take a bit of getting used to. Any scooping, shaping and EQing will take place at
the board or in the DAW. I used it on both
a 20" and a 22" kick drum and it did
well on each; the two words that stand
out are “huge” and “natural.”
I found it well suited to the sound hole of
the kick, where it offered a nice balance of
Excerpted from the January edition of RECORDING Magazine 2015
©2015 Music Maker Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
5408 Idylwild Trail, Boulder, CO 80301 Tel: (303) 516-9118 Fax: (303) 516-9119
For Subscription Information, call: 1-954-653-3927 or www.recordingmag.com
1
3
/2"
/4"
hit and boom. The outside of the resonant
head was my favorite use, yielding a vibey
boom perfect for exaggerated and even
vintage-flavored kick drum sounds, wellsuited for many indie rock and alt folk
styles. Up by the beater on the batter head,
it was less suited to my tastes, as its high
end and mids captured too much beater
attack and sounded too “thwappy,” for
lack of a better description.
One thing I really appreciated was that
unlike many condenser mics, when
placed in the sound hole I did not experience any plosive overload caused by the
air rushing out of the port. I am convinced
that this is because unlike a typical largediaphragm condenser, where the capsule
is often only
1
/4" from the grille, the capsule in the DM-1B is set back about 1
from the grille, so the air gusts have a
chance to dissipate a bit.
1
/4"
The DM-1B is a fantastic bass cabinet mic
RECORDING MAGAZINE January 2015 edition. Sontronics drum mics reviewed by Paul Vnuk © Music Maker Publications Inc.
and here its full-spectrum condenser nature
really shines. It captures the subsonic lows
beautifully while grabbing the mid honk of
the strings, but never sounds overhyped.
Having said that, this is not a multipurpose condenser, and when trying it on
other sources it just sounds (to put it bluntly) weird. Only here does it become
apparent that there is some sonic tailoring going on for kick and bass sources.
On things like vocals or guitar, its top end
is slightly harsh and spitty and its
midrange slightly pinched. All in all,
that’s OK... this isn’t a vocal or guitar mic,
it’s a kick or bass mic, and at those tasks
the DM-1B does a great job.
Thwack thwack!
Moving to the snare, the DM-1S is a
small sized pencil condenser, 3
7
/8" wide, with a 30 Hz to 20 kHz
by
1
/2" long
response, an 8mV/Pa - 42 dB ±1 dB sensitivity, a <200 ohm impedance, a max
SPL of 135 dB, and a Self-noise of 14.0
dBA. It has a 24mm capsule and a
recessed –10 dB pad switch.
The DM-1S is the most sonically carved
of the three mics and the most focused for
its intended use. It has a very subdued
low end in terms of proximity effect and
boom. Its mids and highs are open and
quite real, and it captures the crack and
harmonics of the snare well, both over
and under the drum.
For most rock players, I found it essential to engage the pad to avoid clipping.
With the pad disengaged, it makes a
nice intimate mic for delicate stick and
especially brush work, well suited to jazz
and nuanced playing.
This is one of the most source-specific mics
I have ever used. Beyond snare applications, I found only a few uses for it, such as
on the head of a doumbek, where it highlighted the crack and finger work nicely.
Thud thud!
The tom-focused DM-1T is similar in
every way to the DM-1S from looks to
specs; you will need to look at its
engraved model number to tell it apart. It
differs tonally in that it opens the “faucet”
a bit more on the low mids and lows, and
also highlights the upper mids. This shaping makes it well suited to the hit, thud,
and sustain of most toms.
It’s still not a full-range pencil condenser
like the Sontronics STC-1 (see the sidebar),
but unlike the DM-1S it does have broader uses. The DM-1T works well on percussion such as congas, bongos, tabla,
bodhrán, and the like.
The trio in use
Taken as a set, the DM series mics work
together well. Unlike many dynamic drum
mics, the Sontronics condensers tilt heavily
toward openness and realism vs. focus
and vibe. This is a strength if you have an
impeccably-tuned drum kit and the music
style is suited to realism and openness. The
downside is that as cardioid condensers,
all three mics pick up everything—resonance, ring, rattle, and the bleed of the the
other drums and the cymbals.
On classic R&B, minimal rock, jazz,
and similar styles in a decent tracking
room, this is not much of a problem.
However, I did find it problematic in live
situations, as well as on louder styles of
music like punk, prog, and metal in the studio. Bleed—not only of the other drums,
but the other instruments as well—was an
issue, even when gating the signal, as the
ambience change was noticeable.
On toms, the supplied mic mounts work
great. They allow for a nice choice of
angles to help balance the initial hit with
the drum’s tone. However, on the snare I
found the clip awkward to place; it was
necessary to use a regular mic stand or different clip mount, as the supplied mic clips
are too high for the snare drum and could
get in the way of the hi-hat and high tom.
Conclusion
These are well-built and useful mics that
work well together. They are a tad stylespecific, as mentioned, but really that’s the
hallmark of using cardioid condenser mics
on a drum kit vs. dynamic mics. If you can
only afford one of the trio to begin with, go
for the DM-1B. It’s great for huge natural
kick tones with a nice sound of its own, and
it’s also killer on bass cabinet.
Prices: DM-1B, $399; DM-1S and DM1T, $175 each
More from: Sontronics, www.sontronics
.com. Dist. in North America by
Pro Audio Distribution,
www.proaudiodistribution.com.
Overheads and more: the Sontronics STC-1
Although it’s not a drum mic
per se, and an older model in
the Sontronics mic locker, the
company also sent me three of
its STC-1 pencil condensers. I
received the STC-1S matched
stereo kit ($449), in a wooden
“cigar box” case complete
with mic clips, windscreens,
and a stereo bar. The third
STC-1 ($199) came with clip,
windscreen, and an additional, interchangeable hypercardioid capsule ($69).
The STC-1 is a beautifullymade mic, available in an elegant matte black/brass color
scheme as well as an optional
chrome and black. It has a
great weight and impressive
build quality. It is 6
7
/8" wide and offers a 3-position pad of 0, –10, or –20 dB,
and a 3-position lowcut filter
with off / 75 Hz / 150 Hz settings. It’s a transformerless
Excerpted from the January edition of RECORDING Magazine 2015
©2015 Music Maker Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
5408 Idylwild Trail, Boulder, CO 80301 Tel: (303) 516-9118 Fax: (303) 516-9119
For Subscription Information, call: 1-954-653-3927 or www.recordingmag.com
1
/4" long by
class A design with a 25 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, a
12mV/Pa - 36 dB ±2 dB sensitivity, a <200 ohm impedance, a
max SPL of 137 dB, and a self-noise of 16.0 dBA. It is fairly
smooth across the mids, with a slight 300 Hz dip and a healthy
18 kHz rise on the top.
I put the cardioids to use on overheads, both in XY and
spaced-pair configurations, and used the hypercardioid STC-1
for the hi-hat, before trying them on other sources as well. I
found it a very open, clear, and modern condenser that works
well on overheads as well as backing vocals, choirs, strings,
acoustic guitar, and percussion. It’s a tad too sibilant for distorted electric guitar, but that was really the only source I would hesitate to use it on.
I was really impressed with this mic overall, especially when
one considers its price. I compared the cardioid STC-1 to a few
other pencil condensers in a similar price range; it was the most
open and bright, with a nice full low end that offered a very
dimensional sound. These were the brightest pencil condensers
in my little roundup, but they are not spitty or harsh at all. The
hypercardioid capsule was by nature both narrow in regard to
rejection and also more “narrow” in tone, but this made it a very
nice focused and mid-forward hi-hat mic.
I really liked the STC-1, especially as an XY pair using the
stereo bar on acoustic guitar, where it offered a nice natural
clarity. I don’t say this often, but you would need to move up
quite a bit on the price ladder to find a pencil condenser nicer
than the STC-1 in this class.—PV
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