If you’ve been recording drums for a while, you may find yourself wanting to replace certain microphones around your kit with some more luxury options. Getting higher-tier mics will give you better drum recordings, as they’ll make dialing in sweet sounds in the mix so much easier.
Soyuz is a popular mic brand to check out that offers several high-tier mics. The Soyuz 023 is a particularly special one that we’ve come to know and love. It’s an incredible microphone, and in this review, we’re going to tell you all about it.
It’s a mic that you can use for almost anything, but we’ll explain what it’s good for in the world of drum kit audio.
The Soyuz 023 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone. It has a design structure that you may not be used to, with a large body and a circular piece at the top where the sound gets picked up. This mic is referred to as the Bomblet, which we think is a very appropriate name.
The mic comes with an attachable 20dB pad, a clip to mount it, and a beautiful wooden case that has been expertly crafted.
The sound quality is fantastic, and you can virtually use this mic for almost any instrument. It’s also a fantastic vocal mic. When it comes to drum kits, it works best as either an overhead, hi-hat, or kick drum mic.
It has a cardioid pickup pattern, and its frequency response sits between 30Hz and 18kHz.
The overall quality of the Soyuz 023 Bomblet is incredible. This is truly a luxury microphone, giving you out-of-this-world recordings that will make your drums sound amazing.
It’s surprising how wide the frequency response is, allowing you to use the mic on either cymbals or a bass drum.
When you put it near a bass drum, it gives you extensive deep tones that are very punchy and full. When you use it on cymbals, you get rich detail with clear and crisp sounds.
The screw-in 20dB pad is perfect for drum kits, as it allows you to put the mic near very loud sound sources. If you want to use the mic for something like a guitar or a woodwind instrument, then you can unscrew that pad for the softer input levels.
The Bomblet is brilliantly constructed. Most Soyuz microphones share this quality. They’re expertly made in Russia, and a lot of attention to detail is seen when you purchase a Soyuz microphone.
This S023 has been handcrafted, giving you personalized construction quality that just feels so good in your hands.
The capsule is durable, so your mind will be at ease when using this mic in live gigging settings. You could knock it with sticks a few times, and the mic won’t get damaged. You do have to be careful, though, as the structural shape makes this mic a bit less durable than a pencil condenser.
We love how the mic looks. The silver body with the gold finish at the sound pickup point looks exquisite.
The Bomblet performs brilliantly. It’s such a high-quality microphone that it just seems to work perfectly in every setting you use it in. You’d get amazing drum tones if you used two of these as your overheads. However, it works well as a single overhead mic as well.
It picks up all the drums and cymbals quite clearly. As we said earlier, it also works wonderfully as a kick drum mic. It’s good for getting a richer tone than what a dynamic mic would give you when hooked up to a bass drum.
This is the type of mic that you can set up and then not have to do too much work in the mix. It just starts off with amazing sounds. It does make it very easy to get better tones, so setting up an EQ will be a breeze.
The price of the Soyuz 023 Bomblet is very high, especially if you’re accustomed to buying condenser mics that are between $200 and $400, like most of the popular drum ones are.
The Bomblet costs more than most intermediate drum kit shell packs. This price makes it mostly an option for professional sound engineers who need luxury microphones for their studios.
However, you’ll love this microphone if you do feel comfortable paying a lot for it. It will give you amazing mileage.
With that being said, there are much more affordable options out there that will still give you good drum recordings. So, we suggest looking at those as well if you want to save money.
The Soyuz 023 is an ideal mic to have in a studio. Since it works well for everything, it’s the type of mic that you want to keep on a mic stand to float around to wherever you need it at different times.
It’s also so easy to work with when used in a controlled environment. That’s why studio engineers love it so much.
This mic also works well on live stages. You’ll be able to get amazing tones. However, it’s a luxury mic that many drummers wouldn’t want to take to risky environments. You could use more affordable drum mics to still get decent tones, and then you wouldn’t need to worry about your luxury mic getting damaged.
The Soyuz 023 Bomblet may just be the perfect microphone that you’re looking for. It’s a luxury condenser microphone that is incredibly versatile. Whether you’re just a drummer or you’re a multi-instrumentalist, you’ll love everything that it has to offer.
The price tag is a bit scary, though. If you’re looking for a good condenser mic for drumming, there are plenty more affordable options to consider.
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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