Earthworks DM20 | Small-Diaphragm Condenser Drum Microphone

The Earthworks DM20 is a cardioid condenser microphone designed for recording or amplifying live drums—specifically your snare or tom-toms. The microphone features a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz in order to capture the full tonal palette of the drum.

Earthworks is a company well-respected for their transparent sound, and the DM20 is no exception. The capsule picks up frequencies evenly around the cardioid polar pattern within 6", ensuring no frequency coloration due to off-axis capture. Furthermore, the microphone offers 32 dB of rejection from the rear, so when you need to make sure your high-hat won't bleed into your snare track, or your snare won't bleed into your tom channel, you can position the mic to cut out the offending sound without changing the tonal characteristic of the intended drum.

The DM20 can handle sound pressure levels of up to 150 dB, which makes it able to stand up to the hardest hitting drummers. Furthermore, the condenser capsule has been fashioned in such a way that the diaphragm's innate vibration has been kept to a minimum; after the transient hits, it settles into its resting state a lot quicker than comparable mics, and thus, does not blur further transients.

The capsule sits on a flexible gooseneck that remains secure no matter how hard the drummer thwacks away. It is fashioned out of stainless steel to better withstand the rigors of the road, and ships with an RM1 RimMount for mounting the mic on your snare or tom.