A better way to mic acoustic drums is finally here.
It seems that the coolest thing in drum miking to come down the pike of late is the B-Band DM-T Drum Contact Mic for toms. Based on nanotechnology, the DM-T tom mic is a remarkable new way to get an amplified acoustic sound from your drums. Manufactured in the spirit of true acoustic instrument aficionados, the system consists of the DM-T preamp and the DST contact mic. The DM-T preamp features high quality Class A electronics, while the revolutionary DST transducer is a patented, high-tech electret film that acts like a condenser mic.
Since the DST contact mic mounts discreetly on the inside of the drum shell near the head, its performance is consistent, since there are no mics to be accidentally bumped into and moved out of place. There are no positioning issues, and the changing room characteristics of different venues are taken out of the equation. The DST also offers superior isolation from overheads and snare, which is always a problem in the studio (was a problem), and especially for miked drums in live performance, where other instruments bleed into the onstage mics.
The sleek looking and unobtrusive DM-T preamp will work with any size rack or floor tom. It attaches quickly and easily to the drum rim, while staying happily out of the way of errant drumsticks. Once attached, it need not be removed, which makes setup a breeze. The DST lead is simply fed through the drum air hole to the DM-T preamp. Once in place the DM-T connects via standard XLR cable to PA or mixer. The DM-T preamp can be powered by any 48-volt phantom powered PA or mixer, and has four mini switches for tone contouring: 1) +6 dB bass boost; 2) +12 dB boost at 330 Hz; 3) -8 dB cut at 500 Hz; 4) +8 dB boost at 4 kHz. In keeping with the B-Band philosophy, the DM-T does not add any noticeable weight to the drum, and is built to withstand rigorous touring.
Of course, the most important question is: how does it sound? If it's any indication, the DM-T system employs the same technology found in B-Band's acoustic guitar systems, which are used by the likes of Larry Carlton and Steve Vai. Simply stated, live sound engineers find that they sound great and are a real time saver.
