Recording - January 2015 - 36

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

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.

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 have been looking at Sontronics
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
36

RECORDING January 2015

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 51/2"
body (XLR jack to the top) with a 23/4"
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

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 11/4"
from the grille, so the air gusts have a
chance to dissipate a bit.

Recording - January 2015

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