Sabian Sound Kit- 3x mics and mixer?

[Dano]

I tried the search but was unable to find anything on the forum, so I wanted to create a fresh post.

I am in the market for drum mics to do rough recordings during jam sessions and to feed a PA once a year for a charity gig we do.

Upon investigating, I came across the Sabian mixer + 3 mic setup:

Sound Kit - SABIAN Cymbals

sabian.com

“
The Sabian Sound Kit is a microphone and mixer package designed to help a drummer dial in his sound. The cornerstone of this set is the Personal Drum Mixer. Available only as part of this kit, this mixer features a Kick-tuned channel, overhead-optimized channels (2) and a high-output headphone amp with 3.5mm and 1/4" jacks.
The simple three mic setup for will make for a natural cymbal (preferred) or ambient sound. Also, a line-out will empower a player to use it for live audio applications.

This matched pair of overhead mics (SOH2) were optimized specifically for use as drum overheads. Use them to get the best from your cymbals and a big drum sound.

Additionally, the SK1 mic was designed specifically for a great kick drum sound. This mic's frequency response is tailored for bass drums and its large diaphragm dynamic design is built for the high-sound pressure levels of today's kick drums.”

Does anyone have any recent, hands-on experience with these?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Buffalo_drummer]

If I remember the last thread on this correctly, the general consensus was that it's a good product but probably not as good as getting, say, 3 Shure [or your favorite brand] mics and a mixer to do the same thing. Better quality mics and more flexibility since the mcs on the Sabian are "tuned" for specific purposes.

 

[Dano]

Thank you! Yes, my first few pages of search yielded cymbal results!

Locally the price on used Shures are darn near new, so I struggle with that vs. buying something new.

 

[jaymandude]

Interesting. Someone must be making these for Sabian. I wonder what they are.

 

[cochlea]

Another option you might want to consider is the Yamaha EAD10. It consists of a microphone unit that mounts to the bass drum hoop and a module that contains various effects and can be used for recording. Going with separate mics might yield better results but the EAD10 provides a simple way to record your drums, either alone or on top of recorded tracks.

 

[phdamage]

if you don't want to shop around, this route may be easiest, but there are much better deals out there, just not in a package. my biggest issue is only having 3 inputs. personally, i'd feel better about 4 - adding a mic for snare (even just down the line), and you could get mixers with more routing options and maybe another band of EQ. for Overhead duties, the 12 Gauge microphones get good reviews - blue ones are prob your best bet unless you're doing quiet stuff (then get red or green). (Naiant also make good small diaphragm condensers for cheap. Same for Audio Technica - though both options would cost more, typically) you could get a pair of those 12 gauge mics for $100, a mixer for probably $60-100, depending, and a proper kick mic - used D112 or a beta 52 or something comparable (D6, e602, etc). all that would probably still run you around $300, but you'd have more flexibility, expansion possibilities and a better resale value.

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

Does anyone remember the Simmons Trixer?

I admire what Sabian is attempting to do, but what kills it for me is no snare mic. If they did that, I would try it.

 

[Buffalo_drummer]

if you don't want to shop around, this route may be easiest, but there are much better deals out there, just not in a package. my biggest issue is only having 3 inputs. personally, i'd feel better about 4 - adding a mic for snare (even just down the line), and you could get mixers with more routing options and maybe another band of EQ. for Overhead duties, the 12 Gauge microphones get good reviews - blue ones are prob your best bet unless you're doing quiet stuff (then get red or green). (Naiant also make good small diaphragm condensers for cheap. Same for Audio Technica - though both options would cost more, typically) you could get a pair of those 12 gauge mics for $100, a mixer for probably $60-100, depending, and a proper kick mic - used D112 or a beta 52 or something comparable (D6, e602, etc). all that would probably still run you around $300, but you'd have more flexibility, expansion possibilities and a better resale value.

This. You'll want the flexibility of adding a snare mic down the road. OH's can sound really great but you're very limited in dialing in your snare sound obviously.

 

[Neal Pert]

I mean, I'd avoid it for the reasons other folks have already mentioned. So much actually depends on how much you have and how important your sound is to you and how much money you have to get that across. A four mic set of modestly priced gear will get you where you want to go. I'm not sure this thing will.

 

[John DeChristopher]

I have a Sabian mixer and it's decent. The mics are better than you'd think and you can get a pretty good "Glyn Johns" vibe with the three mics. I've had it about three years and after about a year, the mixer itself crapped out, so they replaced it.

A few months ago, I got a Zoom Livetrak 1-12 but hadn't taken it out of the box. Then I noticed the bass drum channel in the Sabian mixer was flinky, so I hooked up the Zoom mixer with better mics: a Shure Beta 52 inside the bass drum with the Kelly Shu, and two Shure KSM 32 overhead condenser mics, and of course the sound is better. But I tried the two Sabian overhead mics with the Zoom Livetrak and they sounded pretty good too. Eventually I'll mic the drums with an SM57 on the snare and toms, along with the KSM 32s overhead, once we move into our new place.

This is a long-winded way of saying, if you're on a tight budget, the Sabian mixer is not a bad way to go. (In the old days, I'd be struck by lightning for recommending it! lol )

 

[NobleCooleyNut]

I bought this package and quite like it - it is easy to set up , easy to dial in and sounds more than adequate for the average gigging drummer . The fact you can also record performances on an SD card is cool as well . I do swap out the stick bass drum mic for an AKG D112 ( the stock mix is fine , I just have a preference for the AKG)

 

[LRod1707]

Sabian is a cymbal maker and not an electronics company. That's just a licensed accessory that they sell. Probably does the job but I'd buy separate components from companies that only manufacturer those components.

 

[James S]

Interesting. Someone must be making these for Sabian. I wonder what they are.

The kick mic looks very similar to the AKG P2 so the overheads are possibly based on the AKG C430.

 

[James S]

I had a look at the various YouTube vids for this kit. I was wondering if it would work for ambient reinforcement where close mics might be overkill or to save channels eg micing a Big Band using an XR18. As I said in the above post the mics appear to be based on, or possibly licensed from, AKG products so not low end but also not the quality of the workhorse Shure or Sennheiser lines. As far as I can tell the mixer channels have optimised settings preapplied so you don't need much sound engineering chops to dial in something that works. However it would be interesting to see whether better quality mics have a noticeable effect on the output or if the preset only works with the ones that are supplied.

From my minimal research so far I would say that this kit is pretty solid as a way in to drum micing and decent results are certainly possible. We all know what better heads & cymbals are like and its the same with better mics but for what the original poster was looking to do, these should work well enough but give yourself some time to get familiar with them.