Review: Earthworks Audio DK7 Gen2

KITTED OUT

The Earthworks DK7 Gen2 drum mic kit comprises a wishlist of seven highly-desirable mics housed in a tightly-packed travel-ready SKB hard case. You get one DM6 SeisMic kick mic, four DM20 Gen2 snare/tom mics and two SR25 Gen2 overheads. Each mic in the case is in its own comfortable, padded vinyl bag. The DM6 gets its own slot at one end of the case because it’s fat, the other six live side by side at the other end. The middle compartment houses four RM20 rim mounts for the DM20s and six little windscreens. The DM6 has an M2-R ball mount, the SR25s have regular clips.

DM20 SNARE & TOM MIC

The DM20 snare/tom mic is the most distinctive design in the kit with its familial machined stainless-steel body and spaceship/bullet-styled mic capsule mounted at the end of the best gooseneck I’ve used for this application. Before you get to use a DM20 it has to be inserted into the RM20 rim mount… how hard could it be? Well, if you’ve read the Quick Start guide you’ll have been warned that “it may seem a challenge” to insert the mic into the clip on the RM20. It is a challenge. There’s a suggested technique that does work with practice but it remains an uncomfortable amount of force to use on a nice microphone. To be fair, once it’s in the clip it holds the mic very securely.

Mounting the DM20 on a drum rim is the easy part, the slightly rounded clasp on the RM20 mount simply slips over the drum rim, the tightening knob close at hand. The clasp is finished with plastic so it won’t hurt the rim. Mounting mics on drum rims is not always possible, some drummers don’t like them, sometimes for fear of scratching or marking the rim, some are concerned the weight of the mic may affect the balance and/or tuning of the drums, and these are heavy mics. Some rims are the wrong shape. Assuming none of the above applies, the DM20s look fantastic when they are mounted on a drum kit. As well as being held securely by the mount, the firm gooseneck allows the mic to be positioned exactly where you want and it will not move.

DM20 REFLECTIONS

So you like them before you’ve heard them, the good news is they sound like they look. ‘Fast and focused’ is the first impression. The toms seem to crack out of nowhere and the snare is big and meaty. The frequency response is flat and extended. High-frequency detail is emphasised, giving the snare and toms a crisp attack that is ideally suited to pop or jazz styles or anything that demands accuracy. The super-cardioid pattern is quite tight in front of the mic with strong rejection of sound from the rear but tighter dynamic mics with lots of proximity boost may be better for heavier/louder music. The DM20s can, of course, be EQ’d to taste but they mainly made me want to just turn them up and enjoy the sound of the drums.

SR25 GEN2 OVERHEAD MICS

The two SR25 Gen2 overhead mics are premium instrument mics, employed here as overheads. Matched to within 2dB they make an ideal stereo pair. They’ve got the same body and mic head as the DM20 but no gooseneck, so they’re smaller and lighter. The mic body inserts into the clip of the stylish stand mount (firm but no warning required) for convenient placement either above drums or in front of instruments. High sensitivity (-36dBV/Pa) and high level handling (148dB SPL) also makes them suitable for percussion, piano, solo acoustic instruments or orchestral use. The super-cardioid pattern is tight, the frequency response is flat, apart from a gentle reduction in the low frequencies below 100Hz and a little rise above 10kHz.

I don’t use 57s on snares because drummers knock the tops off them and I don’t want to think about what would happen if either the DM20s or the SR25s were struck by a drumstick. I’d use them with the windshields in place, not sure they’d save the mic head if struck with intent but they might help with a glancing blow. I was positioning them slightly off the drum rims to be safe. They don’t need to be as close as dynamics anyway, they’re not as reliant on proximity effect to give them some body and it gives the mic a wider view of the source if they’re backed off a little.

DM6 SEISMIC KICK MIC

The DM6 SeisMic kick mic is different. It uses the same type of machined steel body but it’s much larger than the others and chunky at 580g. The body looks great, the head looks somewhat mismatched – its practical in that its quite narrow to allow easy access to tight spaces but it looks like it’s been borrowed from a regular vocal mic. Unscrewing it reveals a bucket-shaped metal-foil pop shield that sits between the head and the capsule that explains the head shape. The M2-R ball mount that attaches the DM6 to a stand is a pleasure to use, it holds the weight of the heavy mic with ease and at any angle to the mic stand. A small sticker credits Triad Orbit with making the mount and they deserve the mention.

The capsule looks the same as the DM20/SR25s but the supercardioid DM6 kick mic has a low sensitivity (1mv/Pa) to suit the application. The frequency response features a gentle rise below 100Hz to bring out some depth with a rise above 1kHz that emphasises the attack. The region between 100Hz and 1kHz is scooped with nearly 10dB attenuation at 350Hz to fatten the sound. This response shape is typical for kick drums but not extreme enough for it to sound un-natural. It’s a little mid-shy talking into it but it’s not dull like some kick mics and, while you’re free to add further EQ, it does sound tailored and ready to go straight out of the box. In use, on a kick drum, it’s powerful, fat and fast, with a deep punch.

PHANTOM FRIENDLY

Phantom power has been an issue for previous Earthworks mics with at least one well-known brand of mixing consoles struggling to supply their appetite for current. The DM6 and Gen2 models have had their internal electronics modified to address this and I didn’t have any issues using them with a variety of consoles including models by the brand that gets mentioned most. Also new for the Gen2s is protection against the noisy spike caused by inadvertent connecting or disconnecting a mic with 48V engaged. Everyone knows you shouldn’t do it but that doesn’t stop it happening.

BIG HIT

Goldfields Gothic24 was a local festival with a wide variety of performers and a hire kit on the main stage, the drummers bring their own snare/cymbals. It was like being in a drum shop auditioning drum sounds, the differences between the snares made clear by the DM20. The same kick drum was used all weekend, the differences between various drummers’ individual techniques (and sometimes kick pedals) made clear by the DM6 SeisMic kick mic.

Emma Donovan played at the Theatre Royal and her drummer Felix Bloxsom was happy to hear the Earthworks drum mics in action. His distinctive large cymbals were quite a sight on the high riser and the look was nicely complemented by the DM20s on his toms. As if to illustrate the earlier point, Felix had a wood rim snare that understandably didn’t want anything mounted on it so I used one of the SR25 Gen2’s on a stand, partly to see how it would go up close with a loud source. It certainly didn’t need much input gain but had no problems with the high level and produced a great clear sound – it hears a lot of detail compared to a dynamic mic, with a more natural and extended low frequency response.

LUXE KIT

I can see and hear why sound mixers get attached to these mics. The Earthworks DK7 drum mic kit comes at a premium price but offers the luxury of having a whole set of mics that are convenient to travel and will always reveal the details and dynamics of the source with exceptional fidelity. And not just drums, there are mics here to cover all manner of instruments and percussive sources.