One of the key aspects of getting a good drum mix is having a solid bass drum microphone. That mic will pick up all the low-end sounds you need, making your kick sound punchy.
There are plenty of good bass drum mics on the market, with Audio-Technica being a brand that sells many of them.
For this review, we’ll look at the Audio-Technica AE2500 Dual-Element Cardioid Microphone. It’s got a highly unique design, and we’ll explain why!
The biggest feature of this microphone is its dual design. It acts as both a dynamic and condenser microphone, fitting both designs within a single capsule.
The dynamic design picks up the force and attack of the bass drum, while the condenser design brings out the rounder tones.
The mic has a frequency response of 20Hz – 17kHz for the condenser side and a frequency response of 30Hz – 10kHz for the dynamic side.
It weighs about 0.86 lbs, and it comes with a shock mount and breakout cable.
The Audio-Technica AE2500 has amazing quality. It’s quite different from other kick drum microphones, considering that it acts as both a dynamic and condenser mic.
Both sides of the design perform together to give you rich sounds that are accurate and very full from your kick drum.
You also get plenty of choices when using this mic. If you don’t touch the EQ, you’ll get a jazzy sound. If you tighten things up, you’ll get a more modern bass drum sound.
The construction quality is flawless. Every part of the microphone casing feels solid and durable, and you can just tell that this microphone will last a very long time.
It doesn’t have anything too different from other kick drum mics other than the dual design, but we need to say again that the dual design is the biggest selling point. You get a vastly different performance compared to something like a Shure Beta 52A.
The one important thing to mention about this mic is that it needs to be perfectly positioned to work well. We think it’s due to the dual design, as it doesn’t allow as much room as full-on dynamic or condenser mics.
So, that’s just something you need to be careful of, as you won’t get a great sound if it’s not in the best position.
You’ll be paying just over $500 for this, which is quite expensive for a single bass drum mic. It’s not massively expensive, but it’s a bit pricier than a lot of industry-standard options that drummers like to use.
With that said, we don’t know of too many mics that act as both condensers and dynamic mics, so the high price tag is thanks to that design. Because of that, we think the price perfectly matches the value.
Audio-Technica is a fantastic audio brand. While it’s not as popular for drummers as brands like Earthworks, Shure, or Audix, the brand offers plenty of good microphone options that work well for drum kits.
Audio-Technica also makes some of the best headphones on the market that drummers can happily use.
Having a dedicated bass drum mic is the only way to capture the deep low-end tones that a bass drum produces. It adds depth to your drum mix, and it gives you more control over your overall mix.
Without a bass drum mic, your bass drum would sound quite muffled with the rest of the drums.
We strongly suggest getting the Audio-Technica AE2500 mic. While it’s not one of the most popular options, it’s definitely a unique pick to have something that’s a bit different.
Just make sure to position it as well as you can. You’ll then get a fantastic bass drum sound in your mix. The mic is also quite versatile when moving it between the outside and inside of your bass drum shell.
Founder of TheDrumNinja
I’m crazy about drums, it’s been my passion since I was 12 years old. I played in numerous bands going through different styles like Rock, Progressive, Pop & Jazz-Rock. After being featured in major music publications (Drumeo, Guitar Guitar, AudioIssues, MusicThinkTank) I started this website to share my knowledge and create a resource for drummers of all levels.
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