Recording - September 2012 - 28

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

Audio-Technica
It’s not often that microphone companies resurrect discontinued models, but this month we take a fresh look at a classic and respected kick drum microphone from Audio-Technica that has been given a new, if only temporary lease on life as part of Audio-Technica’s 50th Anniversary celebration. That microphone is the ATM25/LE, where LE stands for “limited edition”. Inside and out (looks and specs) The new version is exactly the same as the original model when it comes to its size and appearance, but rather than AT’s typical black color with red-orange trim found on the original, this model is dressed up for the 50-year celebration in a sparkly brushed silver with blue trim and gray lettering. Like the original, the ATM25/LE is a dynamic microphone with a hypercardioid pattern designed primarily for use on kick drums. As such it is battle-ready and beyond sturdy. It measures 4.63" with a 1.61" diameter and weighs 13.8 oz. It also features a built-in rugged mic stand mount, so there’s no need to fumble with mic clips. It has a 30 Hz–15 kHz frequency response, a sensitivity of –54 dB (1.9 mV) ref. 1V/1 Pa, and a 600 Ohm impedance. In good company The original ATM25 was one of the first kick-drum mics I remember using at the beginning of my audio engineering journey many years ago; along with the AKG D112, Shure Beta 52A, and Audix D6, it is still one of the most common microphones I encounter in the studio and on stage to this day. After using the ATM25/LE for a few months live and in sessions on both 20" and 22" bass drums as well as percussion
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RECORDING September 2012

ATM25/LE
the lows and the D6 is extreme in its aggression, the ATM25/LE fits comfortably and tonally in the middle. This makes it a good choice for classic rock, jazz and old school R&B—essentially any track where you want a nice warm-yet-punchy classic kick tone. On other sources Another reason that engineers lamented the discontinuation of the ATM25 was that it also makes a fantastic floor tom mic. My tests revealed a rounded thumpy tone that gets the boom of the drum without as much stick hit and overtones. As a percussionist I was also pleased by how well it fared on congas and djembe, and really loved what it did in the sound hole of a Cajon. On bass cabinet I found it a tad lacking in the low end for modern bass-heavy rock and metal, and found its tone better suited to a more subdued round Motown sound. Just for fun, I also tried it in lieu of a Shure SM7B for some spoken word sessions. While it is not as open-sounding and versatile as the SM7B, it does have a lot of that “instant deep radio announcer voice” character. Bottom line This is a microphone that every studio should consider having in its arsenal. It’s different enough from all of its bass drum cousins as not to be superfluous, and if you put it on floor toms you may never take it off. And for now you have two choices: you can scour the used market for an original, or grab one of the shiny new reissues while you can! Price: $489 ($279 street) More from: Audio-Technica, www.audio-technica.com

A kick-drum blast from the past makes a 50th-anniversary repeat appearance
and bass, I will try and give you some idea of where this microphone sits sonically among the abovementioned models. Inside and out (of the kick) Stuck inside the kick drum right by the batter head, the ATM25/LE captures a nice rounded attack and a decent amount of low to low-mid thump. In this same setting the D112 is much tighter with a more defined attack, but comparatively lacks body. The Beta 52A was the on the opposite end, with a big near-subsonic low end and an even sharper attack, and the D6 was aggressive with a nice thump and an edgy attack. I found the ATM25/LE to sit nicely in between these last two. Next I changed the mic position back to a cutout porthole on the resonant head of the kick. Here the ATM25/LE exhibited a tad more pop and thud. The Beta 52A was again the deepest and the largest sounding of the group, and the D112 captured too much of the plasticky/rubbery tone of the drum. The D6 was less clicky, but still very forward. Outside the kick is a place where I typically prefer a nice large-diaphragm mic, but I got some good results from the dynamics as well. Here, it was a tie between the D6 and the ATM25/LE, as both of them did a nice job rejecting the midrange overtones of the drum head. It became a choice between the D6’s bright aggressive top end or the mellow rounding of the ATM25/LE. Of the three positions I tested, my favorite for the ATM25/LE was right near the batter head. Each of the microphones has its own flavor and strengths. Of the group, the ATM25, new or old, is quite well rounded. Again, where the Beta 52A is extreme in

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Recording - September 2012

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