Recording - January 2014 - 38

Telefunken M82 & DD5

Tom miking was an area I neglected
when I first reviewed the M81, as I only
had a single mic. This time around I was
able to mike up whole sets of toms, from
10" to 16", and in each case, I was really impressed. The M81 nicely captures the
natural tone of the toms, and it also lends
a nice focused weight to them. It's a solid
sound with a forward, rounded attack.
Similar to what I found with the M82,
the M81's tone is natural and not hyped
like some "tom-specific" mics. It's similar to
an SM57, but actually closer to a SM58
with more low-mid weight. Either way, I
like it a lot, as did the drummers I worked
with on the various gigs and sessions over
the weeks I had the kit in the studio.
Conclusions
This is an impressive package on all
fronts. As you may expect, it does have a
substantial price tag, but it's actually
cheaper than buying each mic separately, and you also get the case, cables and
mounts, so it's really a bargain. Even if
you don't need the full kit, look into the
M82; far from being a one-hit (one-kick?)
wonder, it's a really versatile dynamic
with all kinds of great applications, and a
great addition to your mic locker.
Prices: M82, $399; M80 SH and M81
SH, $249 each; DD4 4-piece Drum Mic
Kit, $1149; DD5 5-piece Drum Mic Kit
(as reviewed), $1349
More from: Telefunken Elektroakustik,
www.t-funk.com
Paul Vnuk Jr. (vnuk@recordingmag.com)
is a recording engineer, producer, sound
designer, and live sound engineer, living
and working in Milwaukee. He also plays
drums, and loves a really well-miked kit.

pressure clip version as well as an all-metal
compression clamp style.
Lastly Telefunken also chose to include
five of its brand new Stage Series mic
cables, specifically the SGMC-5R 5-meter
with a 90 degree right-angle female XLR on
one end. The 90 degree angle is a huge
bonus when hooking up drum mics as they
stay out of the way much better, with a
lower profile than straight connectors allow.
The SH mics
While I already reviewed both the
M80 and M81, I'll revisit my experiences
with the M80 on snare from my original
review and also discuss how the M81
works on toms. First, let's look at the new
SH designation of these mics. They are
best described as a low-profile variant,
about 5" long vs 7.25" of the original,
with thumbscrew-adjustable mic mounts
38

RECORDING January 2014

built onto their bodies. (If you're curious:
the SH stands for "Shorty".)
Otherwise each mic follows the color
scheme and finish of the originals, the
M80 in black, the M81 in grey. In the kit I
was sent the windscreens matched the
bodies, but each mic is also available with
chrome versions. Both mics are dynamic
cardioids with an American-made customwound transformer. The frequency
response for both is given as 30 Hz to 18
kHz, with a 200-ohm impedance.
Overall the M80 is a very open and bright
mic that has the illusion of a condenser-like
sound. As I mentioned in my previous review,
it is a great vocal mic. On snare it yields a
nice crisp sound and crack; it may not be my
first choice on a piccolo snare, but on a welltuned drum it picks up every nuance and
detail nicely. I also like it as an underside
snare mic to capture the rattle.
http://www.t-funk.com
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