Earthworks: the New Science in Microphones
David Blackmer, the brilliant engineer who invented the technologies of dbx,
is also the inventor and founder of Earthworks. In the last few years of his life,
David developed a number of revolutionary technologies that dramatically im
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prove the quality and performance of microphones. In short, Earthworks High
Definition Microphones™ will pick up sounds and details that other microphones
cannot. These dramatic microphone improvements are in the areas of impulse
response, diaphragm settling time and new polar pattern technologies. Those
who have heard the Earthworks High Definition Microphonesv, say that they
hear more attack, more subtle detail and a more pristine quality in the sound
than with any other microphones. The demo CD for the Earthworks DK25 Se
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ries DrumKit™ Systems should capture your interest in this respect. This CD
is included with this manual. We suggest that you take the time to listen to it.
While developing our new 25kHz Series of High Definition Microphones™ for
percussion, we went into the studio to try them out. We only used two mics
for overheads and one for kick drum. When we heard this, it absolutely blew
us away. Then we made a comparative recording of the same drum set using
seven other mics that are some of the industry favorites for miking drums. In
comparing these two recordings, the difference in detail and sound quality of the
three Earthworks High Definition Microphones™ vs. the seven industry favorites
was staggering. The Earthworks High Definition Microphones™ captured every
nuance of sound from each piece of the drum set with such an exceptional
clarity and cohesiveness, that it sounded like a live set of drums, not a bunch
of pieces. This discovery led to the development of the innovative Earthworks
DrumKitTM System, providing a “dramatic improvement” in the sound quality
of miked drums.
X/Y Stereo Overhead Miking
While in the studio auditioning our new 25kHz High Definition Microphones™, we
recorded in two acoustic environments: a drum room and an open studio (larger
room). When recording drums in the drum room, we mostly used the X/Y ap
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proach to miking which is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Overhead miking with HORIZONTAL X/Y positioning
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All of the microphone positionings shown in Figures 1-4 should provide excellent
results using an Earthworks DK25 Series DrumKit three microphone system.
If you prefer the sound of multi-miked drums, then using one of these position-
ings in Figures 1-4 for your overhead microphones will provide terrific results.
The DK25/R DrumKit™ System has been designed for recording in a studio
or other acoustic space that is ideal for recording. The DK25/R has two TC25
omni microphones for overheads and one SR25 cardioid for kick drum. For live
performance applications, we recommend the DK25/L, which has three SR25
cardioid microphones. This will work better for live applications and provide
more gain before feedback. The DK25/L is recommended for any application
where spot mics are used on separate elements of the drum set.
Figure 2. Overhead miking
in downward position
Figure 3. Overhead miking
aiming positions for Figure 3
