If you were to pick essential mics to put on a drum kit, it would be the overheads and a kick mic. While there are plenty of overhead mic options out there, drummers often find themselves stuck when choosing a good kick mic.
Look no further than the Sennheiser e 602-II. This dynamic mic is perfect for use as a kick drum mic. For this review, we’ll take a deeper look into everything it puts on the table.
Our favorite feature of this mic is its affordability. It produces competitive sound quality compared to other more expensive kick mics, making it desirable for many drummers.
It has an incredibly lightweight frame, setting it apart from many other heavy kick drum mics. It has an excellent transient response that is backed with incredible low-frequency recognition.
The frequency response range that you get with the mic is from 20Hz to 16kHz.
The mic is packaged fairly simply. You get the mic itself along with a light carry bag. The mic fits well on both boom stands and sturdy kick mic stands. Many kick drum mics are too heavy for boom stands, but the lightweight nature makes using boom stands quite ideal.
Since the Sennheiser e 602-II is a bit cheaper than many popular kick drum mics, you may be wondering whether the quality is as good. We’re happy to tell you that the quality is excellent, and you’ll be incredibly happy with this mic if you buy it.
The sound quality is quite rich, with an emphasis on the low tones that a bass drum produces. Because of this, it’s not only a good mic for bass drums. It works well for tubas, bass cabinets, and many other deep instruments.
However, we’re a drumming website, so we’re going to continue seeing how this mic relates to the drum kit. A final word on sound quality is that the mic works well on floor toms too.
As we said earlier, one of the main qualities of this mic is the fact that it’s incredibly light. Kick drum mics are typically quite heavy. Mounting them on stands is difficult as you need a sturdy stand to hold them.
That isn’t the case with the e 602-II. It’s remarkably lighter than most bass drum mics, meaning you can travel with it a lot easier as well. This makes it a great option for gigging thanks to its light construction.
It’s still quite durable, though, so don’t worry too much about damaging it. As long as you’re wise with how you transport it, everything will stay in place.
As the mic emphasizes low tones, it’s fantastic for getting a booming bass drum sound. If you have a jazz drum kit, you’ll easily be able to bring out the resonant tone that jazz bass drums usually have. The mic will also work well for larger kicks that have heavy presences.
However, a bit of articulation gets lost with this Sennheiser mic compared to other available kick drum mics. You may struggle to bring out a lot of attack from the kick. This means that you won’t get a strong clicking sound when the beater hits the skin.
To achieve that, you’ll need to apply a bass drum patch that accentuates that tone. Otherwise, you’ll need to try a different kick mic.
The main style of music that needs heavy bass drum clicks is metal, so keep that in mind when thinking about buying this kick mic.
The price of the Sennheiser e 602-II is amazing. For around $150, you get a bass drum mic that competes with other mics that cost up to $400. It may not have tones that are as rich, but most drummers won’t even notice the difference if they’re not hectic audiophiles.
We’d highly suggest getting this kick mic over more expensive ones if you’re not the most experienced when it comes to drum kit microphones.
The value of the mic is also boosted thanks to the fact that you can use it on a floor tom as well. You’ll get a booming floor tom sound, just as you would with the bass drum.
The Sennheiser e 602-II works wonderfully in recording environments. Since it specializes in bringing out a deep tone from the kick, you don’t need to EQ the kick in the mix too much to get a desired sound.
If you’re wanting a booming kick, this is the mic to use. You’ll need to do a bit of tweaking if the booming sound is too much, though.
The mic is also good at getting a fairly natural sound. If you tune your bass drum well, its true tone will come through easily.
We think the e 602-II is great for live gigs thanks to its weight. The lighter a piece of gear is, the easier it is to take out with you to play gigs with. Using this as your kick drum mic will decrease the overall weight of your microphone bag, and that is something that many drummers strive to achieve.
Sennheiser makes some amazing microphones that are accessible to all drummers thanks to their prices. The e 602-II is one of those microphones. It’s a lightweight bass drum mic that is perfect for drummers who want deep tones in their recordings.
If you want to see some more bass drum microphone options, check out our guide on some of the best bass mics to get.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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