Earthworks SR25 User manual

Frequency response
Polar Pattern Cardioid
Sensitivity
1
0mV/Pa (-40 dBV/Pa)
Power requirements 48V Phantom,
1
0mA
Peak acoustic input
1
45dB SPL
Output XLR (PIN 2+)
Minimum output load
600Ωbetween pins 2&3
Noise
22dB SPL (A weighted)
Dimensions L x D 6.5 x .860 inches
(
1
65mm x 22mm)
Weight .35lb (
1
60g)
SR25
50Hz to 25kHz +2dB @1’
Frequency response
Polar Pattern
Sensitivity
1
0mV/Pa (-40 dBV/Pa)
Power requirements 48V Phantom,
1
0mA
Peak acoustic input
1
45dB SPL
Output XLR (PIN 2+)
Minimum output load
600Ωbetween pins 2&3
Noise
22dB SPL (A weighted)
Dimensions L x D 8.4 x .860 inches
(2
1
2mm x 22mm)
Weight .5lb (225g)
SR30
Cardioid
30Hz to 30kHz + 1 .5dB @1’
DP30/C
Frequency response
Polar Pattern
Cardioid
Sensitivity
1
0mV/Pa (-40dBV/Pa)
Power requirements 48V Phantom,
1
0mA
Peak acoustic input
1
45dB SPL
Output XLR (PIN 2+)
Minimum output load
600Ω, balanced
between pins 2&3
Noise
22dB SPL (A weighted)
Dimensions L x D
Weight
30Hz to 30kHz +2dB@1’
1
0.75 x .860 inches
(275mm x 22mm)
.22lb (
1
00g)
SR30
SR25
Made in U.S.A.
Earthworks, Inc.
37 Wilton Rd.
Milford, NH 03055
603-654-6427, ext. 14
www.earthworksaudio.com
Printed in U.S.A.
DP30/C

Congratulations on your purchase of the Earthworks DFK1 FullKit™
High Denition Multi-microphone Drum System. You will be thrilled with
the results you will be able to obtain using the DFK1 Drum FullKit™ Sys-
tem. After reading this manual, if you have any unanswered questions,
please email or phone us using the contact information on the back
page of this manual.
Happy Drumming!
Please verify that you have received each of the items listed
below.
Items Enclosed with:
DFK1 Drum FullKit™ System
2 – SR25 Cardioid Microphones
2 – SR30 Cardioid Microphones
5 – DP30/C Drum Periscope™ Microphones
5 – RM1 RimMounts™ for DP30/Cs
9 - LP1530 LevelPads™
1 – KickPad™
2 – SRW2 Stainless Windscreens for SR30s
2 – SRW4 Foam Windscreens for SR30s
5 – PW1 Foam Windscreens for DP30/Cs
2 – SRW3 Foam Windscreens for SR25s
4 – MC1 Mic Clips for SR25s and SR30s
1 – CMK-C High Impact Carrying Case
with custom foam insert
1 – DFK-C High Impact Carrying Case
with custom foam insert
1 – DFK1 User’s Manual
Version 5, June 1, 2012 2
NOTES
17

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Please Read This:
Use of the LevelPad™ - The DP30/C microphones have a high output level,
which may overload the preamps of some mixers or consoles. Many out-
board microphone preampliers and preampliers in mixing consoles will
handle as much as +24dbv at the microphone input, without distortion. We
suggest that you check the “maximum preamp input level” specications
of your mixer or preamplier to see if it will accommodate signal levels this
high. Some mixers and preamps will not handle this high level at the micro-
phone input. To avoid overload, please use a LevelPad™ in the microphone
cable feeding each Drum Periscope Microphones.
Some mixer or outboard preampliers have a pad that can be switched in or
out. However, some of these pads are not attenuators that precede the pre-
amplier input, instead they only reduce the gain of the preamplier. These
(so called) pads will provide no input overload protection from high level
microphone signals (see Fig. 1-A). In contrast, other outboard or mixer pre-
ampliers have actual pads that precede the preamplier. These types of
pads will provide the input overload protection that is needed (see Fig. 1-B).
Such pads will typically provide –10dB or –20dB attenuation. However, due
to the very high output level of the Drum Periscope™ microphones, -10 dB
or even –20dB may not be enough attenuation when close miking snares or
toms with Drum Periscope™ Microphones.
In any case where the pad does not precede the preamplifier, or the pad
does not provide enough attenuation, the Earthworks LP1530 LevelPad™
can be used and will provide either –15dB or –30dB of attenuation. The
LevelPad™ comes housed in a stainless steel tube with gold-plated XLR
connectors on each end. As the LevelPad™ is inserted in the mic line,
it will always precede the preamplifier input. It makes no difference if the
LevelPad™ is inserted at the microphone, or somewhere in the middle
3
Figure 1-A and 1-B Preamp Input Pads
A.
B.
Whether your kick drum has a front head or not, place the SR30 at a 45 degree
angle to the front of the drum head as indicated in Figure 13-B and 13-C. Do
not place the front of the microphone parallel with the drum head as shown in
Figure 13-A.
If there is a hole in the front head of the kick drum, do not place the mic
directly in front of the hole as there will be a large burst of air hitting the
microphone. In our eld tests, we achieved the best results and the best
sound by miking the drum just o of the rim as shown in Figure 13-B, or you
can mic the center of the kick drum as shown in gure 13-C. Whatever your
approach, if you get any popping from the air bursts, place the enclosed
windscreen on the kick drum mic, and place the mic at a 45º angle to the
drum head.
Figure 13-A, 13-B and 13-C Miking a Kick Drum
We know that when you use the Earthworks Drum FullKit™ System for your
recording and live performances you will be thrilled with the results. We are
pleased to welcome you to the ever-growing family of professionals using
Earthworks High Denition Microphones™.
We hope the suggestions in this manual have been benecial to you. Don’t
be afraid to experiment with mic placement. You can be as creative with
your mic placement as you are with your music. You are the judge of what
works best and sounds best.
If you have any questions, or require any additional information, please do
not hesitate to contact Earthworks using the contact information on the back
cover of this manual.
FIFTEEN-YEAR WARRANTY
All Earthworks
®
products (excluding accessories) carry a fifteen-year limited
warranty (parts and labor). If you have any problems with your Earthworks
products, please contact our warranty/repair department by email at:
[email protected] or by telephone at [phone], ext 19.
16
A. B. C.

We also suggest that you place the microphone approximately 2 to 3 inches
from the edge of the high-hat cymbals (see Fig 12).
Figure 12 Miking a High-hat (top view)
Using the KickPad™
The KickPad is a passive signal processor that requires no phantom power
and will not interfere with the phantom power for your microphone. It can be
inserted directly into the XLR connector on the microphone, or somewhere
in the mic line between the microphone and the mixer input, or, it can be
plugged directly into the microphone input of the mixer.
A good kick drum microphone must be designed and optimized for that
specic purpose, which means that particular microphone is great for kick
drum and little else. Therefore we designed our kick drum optimization in an
external XLR package - the KickPad™. Just plug the KickPad™ into the mic
line going to the SR30 kick drum mic for magnicent results.
With the KickPad™ removed, you can use the same SR30 microphone for
recording most anything. As an added bonus, the KickPad™ will provide
outstanding results on other popular kick drum microphones such as the
E-V RE20, Audix D-6, Shure 57 and others. Simply plug the KickPad™ into
the mic line feeding the kick drum mic and you will be astonished with the
sound.
Important Please Read
Using the SR30 on Kick Drum
The Earthworks SR30 supplied for miking kick drum is a precision condenser
microphone and is sensitive to overly large bursts of air. However, this micro-
phone, when used properly, will produce an incredible kick drum sound. For
optimum results it is crucial to place the SR30 at a 45 degree angle to the
head (which reduces the air burst at the front of the microphone).
15 4
of the mic line, or by plugging the LevelPad directly into the preamplifier
input. The most popular practice is to plug the LevelPad™ into the pre-
amplifier input, which makes it more accessible to switch the attenuation
settings (-15dB or –30dB) if needed. Figures 2-A, 2-B and 2-C show how
the LevelPad can be inserted into the microphone line in one of three
ways as indicated below:
Figure 2-A LevelPad™ inserted at the microphone base
Figure 2-B LevelPad™ inserted in the microphone cable.
Figure 2-C LevelPad™ inserted into mixer mic input
CAUTION: Plugging the LevelPad into the mic input
of a mixer can cause damage to the mixer input con-
nector if the LevelPad receives a hard push to the
side. However, if your are careful, placing the Level-
Pad at the mixer mic input will provide greater ease
of use in changing the LevelPad attenuation switch.

Earthworks Drum Periscope™Microphones
The Earthworks DrumKit™ High Denition Three-Microphone Systems
have had great success because they pick up drum sounds with far more de-
tail and accuracy than conventional microphones. This improved sound qual-
ity is due to proprietary advanced technologies utilized in Earthworks High
Denition Microphones.
Many drummers such as Je Campitelli with Joe Satriani, Keith Carlock
with Steely Dan, and FOH engineers such as Randy Lane with Dream The-
ater, were using Earthworks High Denition Microphones™ for overheads
and kickdrum with exceptional results. They then wanted the same excep-
tional sound quality from their snare and tom mics. With the introduction of
the DP30/C microphone, they were able to get the same pristine, detailed
sound from their toms and snares as they were from their Earthworks High
Denition drum overhead mics.
We worked with major artists for nearly two years developing and eld test-
ing our new High Denition tom and snare mics. During the development
phase, we miked a set of drums with nine Earthworks High Denition Mi-
crophones (including our new tom and snare mics) and also nine industry
favored mics. When veteran engineers heard the dierence between these
two recordings, they made the comment that the improvement was so dra-
matic, it didn’t even sound like the same set of drums. They all agreed, “the
increase in detail and sound quality was staggering.”
The DP30/C, designed specifically for use with snare drums and toms.
The DP30/C has a flexible mini-gooseneck for easy positioning and can
handle up to 145 dB SPL. The Earthworks patented polar technology pro-
vides excellent rear rejection and a uniformity of frequency response out
to 90 degrees off-axis. This vastly reduces phase cancellation or other
phasing issues, and minimizes cymbal leakage as well as acoustic feed-
back problems in “live sound” applications.
Earthworks High Definition Microphones™
the New Science in Microphones
David Blackmer, the brilliant engineer who invented the unique technolo-
gies 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 improve the quality and performance of microphones.
In short, Earthworks High Definition Microphones™ will pick up sounds
5
Figure 10-A and 10-B Separated Overhead Miking
Miking the Hi-Hat
There are many various approaches to miking a high-hat. We suggest that
you use the SR30 and place it approximately two inches above the top high-
hat cymbal (see Fig 11-A). You can also place the microphone under the high-
hat in relatively the same position as shown in Figure 11-B. However, if the
microphone is placed near the area where the two cymbals come together,
the bursts of air from the two cymbals coming together may result in an un-
desirable thumping or popping sound (see Fig 11-C).
Figure 11-A, B & C Miking a Hi-hat (front view)
A.
B.
C.
14
A.
Overhead miking
front view
B.
Overhead miking
aiming position

13
Figure 9-A Figure 9-B
Horizontal X/Y Positioning Vertical X/Y Positioning
Figures 9-A and 9-B show two variations of X/Y microphone placement.
For microphone “height” we suggests that you start with the microphone
approximately 2 feet above the drummer’s head. Moving them down will
provide more detail, while moving them higher will capture a wider over-all
image along with more room sound. Both the horizontal and vertical X/Y
positioning will provide excellent results in a drum booth or an acoustically
treated small room as well as a large room. If you are using a drum booth
or a room with a low ceiling, the horizontal X/Y version shown in Figure 9A
may be more ideal, as it requires less height.
Separated Overhead Miking
Another overhead miking approach is called “Separated Overhead Mik-
ing.” This method is ideal for those who do not have a drum room or drum
booth. This method also provides a much more dened stereo image. In
this approach, the microphones are farther apart from each other and can
be positioned closer to the drum set, if desired. Placing the overhead mics
closer to the drum set will reduce the ambient room sound while picking up
more subtle details of the drums. When using Earthworks High Denition
Microphones as overheads, you can bring the microphones down closer
to the drums without fear of hearing cymbal splash or splatter. However,
with conventional microphones you may be restricted in the height of the
overheads due to splashing or splattering of the cymbals in your recording
or sound system.
The Separated Overhead method is shown in Figures 10-A and 10-B. In
Figure 10-A, you can see the positioning of the microphones from a front
view and Figure 10-B shows where the microphones are pointed from an
overhead view.
A.
B.
and detail that other microphones cannot. These dramatic improvements
are in the areas of impulse response, diaphragm settling time and polar
technologies. Those who have heard Earthworks High Definition Micro-
phones™, say that they hear more of attack, more subtle details and a
more pristine quality in the sound than with any other microphones, re-
gardless of price.
Miking Drums
There are many ways to mic drums and it seems that most every recording
or live sound engineer has their own way of doing so. Our objective is not
to indicate which drum miking approach is better, but to make suggestions
and look at advantages and disadvantages of each. Every engineer or pro-
ducer uses their own methods to obtain the results they desire, and that’s
what matters.
Multi-microphone Method
The objective in multi-microphone drum miking is to place a separate
microphone on either most or all the elements of a drum set. Typically,
separate mics are used on snare, toms, high-hat and kick drum with one
or two overhead microphones. The overhead mics pick up the overall
sound of the drums including cymbals, which are typically not miked
separately. With this method, the mixing engineer can control the level,
and signal processing (limiting, EQ, etc.) for each element of the drum set
(toms, snare, hi-hat, etc.). This provides a great deal of control over the
sound of the entire drum set and allows bringing out certain patterns on
sock cymbal, snare, etc. Multi-miked drums may be desirable when you
are recording in a large room with high ambient sound as it will reduce the
amount of unwanted room sound. Multi-miking is also a popular practice
for miking drums in “live sound” applications such as concerts, as it will
provide more gain before feedback in addition to greater control of the
drum mix.
No Phase Cancellation Issues
with Earthworks™Microphones
One of the typical disadvantages in the multi-microphone approach, when
using conventional microphones, is the interactive microphone phasing
problems that result in the cancellation of certain frequencies. These
phasing problems are a result of the poor polar response of conventional
microphones. Conventional microphones have a drastically different fre-
quency response between the front and sides of the microphone. It is
common for conventional microphones to have a loss of 10 to 20 dB at
6

high frequencies on the sides of the microphone. This is why you cannot
place three singers on a conventional microphone, the one in front of the
mic sounds great, but the two on the sides have a dramatic loss of qual-
ity. These drastic changes in high frequency response on the sides of
the microphone cause phase differences, and these are the root cause of
phase cancellations with conventional microphones.
In contrast, Earthworks has a patented polar technology that provides
our microphones with the same frequency response on the sides of the
microphone as it does at the front (no more than a 3dB loss at any fre-
quency out to 90º off-axis). This very uniform frequency response at the
front and sides of the microphone will nearly eliminate any phasing
issues when using Earthworks microphones. In addition, Earthworks
cardioid microphones have a very high rejection of sounds at the rear
(back) of the microphone. This feature will greatly reduce the leakage of
cymbals or other sounds at the rear of Earthworks microphones.
Close Miking Toms and Snares
with Drum Periscope Microphones
Inserting the DP30/C Microphone into the RM1 RimMount
It is suggested that you insert the DP30/C microphone into the RM1 Rim-
Mount™ prior to attaching the RimMount to the drum.
To insert the Drum Periscope microphone into the RM1 RimMount™ just
place the mic head and the mini-gooseneck into the rubber holder from
the bottom of the RimMount. Then push the body of the microphone from
the bottom (XLR connector end) to move the microphone up inside the
rubber holder. The fit will be firm, so you will need to apply a little pres-
sure to move the microphone body up into the rubber holder. The sug-
gested procedure is indicated in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Inserting the Drum Periscope™ Mic into the RimMount™
7
moved closer to the center of the drumhead by changing the position of the
mini-ex gooseneck.
Figure 8-A and 8-B Miking the Top Head of a Tom
The DP30/C High Denition Drum Periscope Microphones™ have been used
successfully by drummers with major recording artists in both recording ses-
sions and for live performance. The Drum Periscope Microphones™ will pro-
vide you with years of exceptional and reliable results and will withstand the
rigors of the road.
Drum Overhead Microphone Placement
For overhead drum miking, we suggest that you use the SR25s from the Drum
FullKit. The low frequency specication of 50Hz for the SR25’s allows them
to pick up less of the kick drum and lower frequencies from the toms. This
will be a help during mixing and provide more control in the mix from the indi-
vidual tom and kick drum mics, rather than ghting having too much of their
low frequency information in the overhead mics. We suggest that the SR30s
be used for high-hat and kick drum (with a KickPad™). If you desire more
low frequencies from your overhead mics, you can instead use the SR30s as
overheads and the SR25s on high-hat and kick drum (with a KickPad).
X/Y Stereo Overhead Miking
There are two basic ways to position overhead drum mics, either by putting
the mics in an X/Y position or by separating the microphones by some pre-
determined distance. The X/Y position will provide less of a stereo image than
the separated microphone method.
12
A. B.

8
Soft Polyolefin® Coated
Metal Bracket
Rubber
Holder
Delrin®
Cushioned Rim-guide
Hook Portion
of Bracket
Thumbscrew
Mounting the RM1 RimMount to the Drum
The RM1 RimMount is designed for metal drum rims, and will not work on
wooden drum rims. While reading this section, please refer to Figure 4-A,
which refers to the various elements of the RimMount™. Mounting the
RimMount to the drum rim is quite easy. First, unscrew the thumbscrew
so there is more than enough space for the Delrin® cushioned rim-guide
to clear the bottom of the drum rim. Then determine where on the drum
rim you want to place the microphone and place the top “hook portion”
of the RimMount bracket over the drum rim.
Figure 4-A. Elements of the RM1 RimMount™
Referring to Figure 4-B, notice that on the cushioned rim-guide there are
two sets of grooves. One set of grooves is in the “center” of the rim-guide,
while the other set of grooves is “off center” (or closer to the edge of the
rim-guide). These two sets of grooves provide you with “three” mounting
options: (1) placing the “off center” rim-guide grooves close to the drum
shell, (2) or rotating the “off center” grooves 180 degrees will place the
rim-guide further away from the drum shell, and (3) the “center” grooves
will allow placement in-between the positions described in 1 and 2.
\
Figure 4-B Positioning the Cushioned Rim-guide
Offset Groove
Positioned
on Left
Offset Groove
Positioned
on Right
Centered
Grooves
Always position the microphone head at an angle to the drumhead. It is also
suggested that the microphone head be positioned between 1.5 inches and
3 inches above the drumhead. All of the previous information in this manual
applies to both toms and snares when using a Drum Periscope Microphone.
The DP30/C SnareMic has been optimized for miking snare drums and toms
and has a low frequency response down to 30Hz. If the DP30/C sounds a
little “tubby” on your snare drum, then use a high-pass lter set somewhere
between 60Hz and 100Hz to reduce the low frequency response or a low
frequency equalizer (EQ) to accomplish the same thing by attenuating/cut-
ting a few dB in the area of 60Hz to 100Hz for the desired results.
The DP30/C SnareMic™ can be used on either the top drumhead, bottom
drumhead or both. Figure 7-A shows a snare drum with a DP30/C micro-
phone placed over the top drumhead, while Figure 7-B shows a share drum
with both the top and bottom heads miked.
Figure 7-A and 7-B Miking the Top or Top & Bottom of a Snare
Close Miking Toms with the DP30/C
DP30/C will provide a rich and full tom sound. You can mike either the top
head of a tom with the DP30/C as indicated in Figure 8 or you can also mike
the bottom, or top and bottom of a tom in a similar fashion as shown on a
snare in Figure 7-B. You will notice in Figure 8-A the microphone head is
placed closer to the drum rim, while in Figure 8-B the microphone head is
11
A. B.

9
The various types of metal drum rims may have the bottom flange of the
rim either closer to the shell or further from the shell. Depending upon
the type of metal drum rim, one of the previously described three posi-
tions will allow the RimMount bracket to be mounted parallel to the drum
shell. The soft protective Polyolefin® coating on the RimMount bracket
will prevent the possibility of scratching the drum shell finish. Position the
rim-guide so the bottom edge “flange” of the drum rim fits comfortably
into one of the rim-guide grooves. This will insure that the cushioned rim-
guide remains securely in place as you tighten the thumbscrew to firmly
secure the RimMount to the drum rim.
Adjusting the Microphone Height
Once the RimMount is mounted securely on the drum rim with the Drum
Periscope microphone housed in the rubber holder, the microphone body
can be moved either up or down in the rubber holder to adjust the desired
height. Then the mini-gooseneck will provide a good amount of latitude
in positioning the microphone head from any pre-set microphone body
height. Adjusting the height of the Drum Periscope microphone body is
shown in Figure 5-A and 5-B.
Figure 5-A and 5-B Adjusting DP Microphone Height
Positioning the Microphone Head
Once the Drum Periscope microphone height has been set, then the mi-
crophone head can be positioned where you desire. However, you should
never place the microphone head “parallel” to the drumhead. The micro-
phone head should always be at “an angle” to the drumhead. This will
prevent any possibility of the diaphragm being forced to the microphone
A. B.
back plate which could cause an unwanted pop or thump in the sound
or recording system. The flexible mini-gooseneck will allow you to move
the microphone head either up or down above the drumhead as well as
in and out from the drum rim. In addition, you can change the angle of
the microphone head for your desired results. Figure 6-A shows how the
microphone head can be rotated while Figure 6-B shows how the micro-
phone head can be moved more toward the center of the drum by chang-
ing the positioning of the mini-gooseneck.
Figure 6-A and 6-B Positioning the Microphone Head
Plug in the LevelPad, if necessary
In close miking drums, one should keep in mind that the peak sound level
at the microphone head is extremely loud. Microphones used for close
miking drums should have a sound pressure handling capability of at
least 140dB SPL with no audible distortion. The Drum Periscope™ micro-
phones will handle up to 145dB SPL without distortion. However, as men-
tioned earlier, with this kind of high sound pressure level, it is possible
for the microphone output to be as much as +24dBV which may overload
some microphone preamplifiers. The use of the Earthworks LevelPad in
the microphone line will prevent any such distortion or overload. So, to be
safe, we suggest that you first plug a LevelPad into the mic line feeding
the Drum Periscope microphone. For full information refer to pages 3 and
4 of this manual.
Close Miking Snare Drums with the DP30/C
As previously mentioned, when close miking drums with a Drum Periscope™
microphone, never position the microphone head parallel to the drumhead.
10
A. B.