British mic makers Sontronics have released three new models, designed specifically for capturing drums. The DM 1B is a large-diaphragm condenser made for use on kick drums, though it is apparently also suitable for brass instruments and bass-amp miking. It has a cardioid polar pattern, and a quoted frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz. As befits a kick-drum mic, it has an impressive SPL-handling capability: up to 155dB, with the switchable -15dB pad engaged.
The DM 1 T and DM 1S, meanwhile, are designed for toms and snare drums, respectively. Both are small-diaphragm condensers, and both have the same nominal frequency response of 30Hz to 20kHz, but their tonalities have been slightly tweaked to best suit their intended roles. They are nonetheless very similar, however, and as such share the same chassis, cardioid polar pattern, and SPL-handling capability of 135dB (with the -15dB pad engaged in both cases).
The DM 1B ships with its yoke-style shockmount and comes with an aluminium flightcase, while the DM 1T and DM 1S both ship with a mic clip and screw-on drum clamp. Pricing for the newcomers is as follows: £299 for the DM 1B, and £119 each for the DM 1T and DM 1S.
For more information, check out the web site of Sontronics’ UK distributors, Time + Space.
