The DK25/L is for live performance and has three SR25s: two for overheads and one for kick drum, a KickPad™ and a windscreen. The patented cardioid pattern on the SR 25 provides a more uniform off-axis response and has less susceptibility to acoustic feedback. The Earthworks DK25L is also ideal for use with multi-miked drums (four or more mics) in either live or studio applications. In such cases it is recommended that two SR25s are used for overheads.

Ronnie Vannucci with the DK25/L

The DK25/L is the ideal three-mic choice for live performance or recording in less than ideal acoustic environments. The SR25 cardioid microphones cut off at 50Hz, which is ideal for overheads and also for spot miking the snare and/or toms. Using SR25s will provide better control of individual mics when mixing.

The typical practice of miking drums is to use a separate mic for most elements of the drum set, along with two overhead mics. This normally involves the use of five to seven microphones or more. While developing a new 25kHz series of microphones for percussion, Earthworks went into the studio to try them out. They only used two mics for overheads and one for kick drum. Then they 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 mics vs. the seven industry favorites was staggering. The Earthworks 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 their innovative DrumKit™ Systems, providing a dramatic improvement in the sound quality of miked drums. When we heard the DK25/L DrumKit™ System, it absolutely blew us away!

A good kick drum microphone needs to be designed and optimized for that specific purpose. This means the microphone is great for kick drum and nothing else. Therefore we designed the kick drum optimization in an external XLR package – the KickPad™. Just plug the KickPad™ into the mic line going to the SR25 kick drum mic for magnificent results. With the KickPad™ removed, you can use the same SR25 for most anything.

All three high quality Earthworks microphones in the DrumKit™ System will provide stunning results on a wide variety of instruments and vocals. As an added bonus, the KickPad™ will improve the sound of other popular microphones used for kick drum.

DK25/L User’s Manual

For more info, visit the Earthworks website: DK25/L