Quote:
Originally Posted by
tablatom
➡️
SE Electronics SE5.
I have been gigging with Tabla's for 25 years.
If you know what Tabla's sound like, their about the most expressive pair of drums on the planet in terms of tones.
Especially the way i play with the bass drum (Baya) tuned way low like F 43hz and i play bass notes with my left hand.
I have tried many many mics for Tabla, but the SE Electronics SE5 is the best i have used.
It captures ALL the huge array of tones coming from a good pair of Tabla's like nothing else, in perfect balance.
Highly recommend it for instruments.
And like all SE mics, they are cheap for their quality.
SE make all their own components. Including the valves in their valve mics.
Nice to hear regarding the SE5.
It seems that most people who have tried the newer SE8 like them even more...the same fine detail and musicality with a bit smoother top end. Have you tried or compared them?
And while they are quite a bit more expensive, if you ever have the opportunity to try the Audio-Technica AT5045 on your Tablas I think you would be in heaven.
I use a pair combined with the AEA RPQ2 mic pre's and the sound is simply stunning on any percussion instrument.
But they are truly fantastic on just about everything...AMAZING on strings, from upright double bass, to cello, violin, ac gtr, and beautiful on piano...just extremely versatile mics.
They have extremely low self-noise as well which produces a very silent, black background that allows every minute detail even in very quiet passages to be captured and
felt.
I currently have the AT5045P on duty as my drum kit OH's, and for life-like realism (transients, dynamics, detail), they are the absolute best I've used other than the AEA KU4.
And while the AT5045 are fantastic on Toms, for most they are probably a bit overkill, but I would certainly use them if I could afford 2 or 3 more. :p Their side-address pickup is nice in this regard as well.