anomie life

Once I had the mixing ability to record more than one channel simultaneously, I immediately had the problem of needing something to record more than 1 channel with. Specifically, I wanted to record some drums, something that, if done well, requires a bunch of microphones. Well, I love Shure, and all I had previously was an SM86, but its around $100 just for one SM86 or SM57! For drums I wanted at least 6 or 7 microphones, so that would end up being something around $600 or $700.-definitely out of my price range. So I did what any self respecting, budget conscious, person would do: I looked online for the cheapest package I could find. The first 2 cheapest packages only have 5 mics because they don’t include any condenser microphones to use as overheads. So I looked past those and found the Nady DMK7 7 Microphone Package.

I think a lot of people cringe when they think of Nady and just discount it as low end junk, but Nady has actually been around for over 30 years. Not only that, but their founder, John Nady, practically invented wireless microphones by patenting a process known as companding that compresses the signal for radio transmission and then expands it when it reaches the receiver. They are also credited with inventing the first wireless in ear monitor in 1978. Now they’ve broadened their horizons to everything from motorcycle communicators to camcorder systems.

The DMK7 comes with 7 microphones: 4 DM70’s, 1 DM80, 2 CM88 microphones, and a lovely carrying case. The DM70’s are for micing your snare and Tom’s. The DM80 has a bigger diaphragm and will pick up the low end of your kick drum a little better than a DM70. And finally, the 2 CM88’s are phantom powered condenser mics for picking up the overhead, overall sound of the drum kit.

Ever since I’ve been recording drums, I’ve been using the DMK7. Just last weekend when I recorded a 3 track for Flowers for Faye I still used the DMK7, but I actually ended up supplementing it with an SM86 for the Hi-Hat and an SM57 for the bottom of the snare. I found out after recording This Night that my new Mapex piccolo snare sounds like it has the beads lose if only miced from the top. Twice I’ve actually used the 2 CM88’s for recording live vocal recitals and they worked great.

Straight up, these microphones do exactly what they’re supposed to do, they pick up sound. What more could you ask for? And I’ve had mine for over a year now and they’re still going strong. Granted, I wouldn’t ever consider using 1 of these for a recorded vocal (actually, for rehearsals when I run out of mics, they do usually end u[ getting used for vocals), but for recording what your drums sound like, they work great. A lot of times the cymbals sound really harsh, but all you need is a little equalization and they sound fantastic. Having 7 microphones really gives you great coverage and allows you to create a great stereo mix.

Overall, I have no regrets in making a $170 investment in the Nady DMK7. It’s a great way to get a whole bunch of microphones for drum tracking without shelling out gobs of money.