What drum mics to choose?

Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:15 pm

Im trying to buy some budget gear to get me started, and my main thing right now is drum mics. Im getting the presonus firepod as a preamp and interface, and ive already got software and everything for my comp.

Anyways i cant figure out what mics to get! Can someone just give me a few pointers as to what mics i should buy that will get me the best sound?

I was thinking of buying a package deal like a 7 piece set from NADY or CAD, and then maybe getting an SM57 for the snare (every review i read said that the budget mics sound terrible on the snare) and another condenser for the hihats. Is this a good idea?

Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:44 pm

Any quality mic can find a place on the drum kit.

So it really comes down to (and it always comes down to) your budget.
An SM57 is a great place to start. This little versatile mic can be used on every part of a drum kit. And not just drums, but pretty much anything. We musicians and engineers must be doing a great job keeping the popularity of this mic from Shure, because it's just as affordable now as ever before.

The 2 places where the 57 starts to fall short would be kik drum and overheads.

Everyone has their fav kik mic. but for my money I would suggest a Hypercardiod mic. Brand doesn't matter much, price doesn't matter too much. It can be a dynamic mic for $100.00 or a Condenser mic for $3K. They all can work fine.

Overheads - Condensers probably work better here. And again, Pick something that can do double duty.
Use it for overheads, later use them for background vocals, or an acoustic gtr.

I'm not really much of a fan for the drum mic kits. They usually are just not useable for other things. So once the drum tracks are done, they sit around doing nothing.

Just my 2bits

Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:45 pm

check out Equation Audio. My friend has the four piece set, and they are plastic, but they sound very decent. For two bills you can get a 7 piece set I believe. Give them a look.

Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:21 pm

ok so a drum microphone pack doesnt seem like the way to go. But what budget condesors are there that will work great for both overheads/hihats and vocals?

Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 3:33 am

AT3035. They go for pretty cheap used which makes them an amazing mic for the price (mine was $100 shipped).

Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:18 am

4033's are a nice choice IMHO.

Rode NT2's are a decent choice if you can find anyone willing to give em' up.

Do a standard XY in front of the kit... you won't regret it in a smaller room.

The obligatory sm57 on a snare... good to go.

Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 3:04 pm

When it comes to overheads... You really only have a few viable choices. Large capsule condenser microphones. Or, small capsule condenser microphones. Expensive dynamics. Or, cheap dynamics. Expensive ribbons. Or, cheap ribbons. So you really don't have many choices. As there are only about 300 viable microphone manufacturers make microphones for drum kits.

I myself loved a smorgasbord choice of microphones for drums. But not always. It really depends upon the music, the musicians, the instruments and whether you have a headache or not before you start. If I have a headache? I'll generally use Sennheiser MD 421's on all of the drums and, call my Doctor in the morning. Otherwise, I use just about anything & everything that costs more than $100 per microphone. So when recording drums, but your conscience be your guide.

Microphones like drums are better hit than ignored..... NOT.
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 1:40 am

I just got a new set of 3 SM57's, a Beta52 kick mic, 4 cables, and a stand for the kick mic for $389 after shipping.

Best deal i could find! I suggest checking there.

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:37 am

I'd avoid mic kits. It's better (and more fun) to patch together your own drum mics. 57s are an affordable way to get fairly true sound (with good placement). Also, the Beta 58a is really flying under the radar right now but it sounds great. I personally like using MD421s on all toms and sm81s as overheads (although I'd rather have some KM184s). Since just about all the kick drum mics are priced the same, you should use your ear to pick one. Keep an eye on eBay and don't skimp out on cheap mic cables and you'll get some great sounding drums in no time!

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:41 am

I have the SHURE kit with 3 SM57s and the Beta52. It comes with nice clamps for the 57s. At the time I was wanting some additional 57s, wanted to be equipped for drums, but also wanted mics that would be versatile enough for other applications. Money was also an issue.

One thing with using 57s for drums, is they can be a tight fit under the cymbals. I made up some cables with right-angle connectors to help with that issue. The Beta52 makes a good THUMP, but doesn't SPLAT - so depending on what you're looking for in a kick sound, that may or may not be your ticket.

I've had the SHURE kit for years, but picked it up for $360 at the time. Compared to a few 57s, the extra for the kit was less than the cost of the Beta52 and I got a case and the clamps too. The Shure clamps are pretty nice.

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:13 pm

The Audix DP5a is like a sore pecker....you cant beat it! Here is a good deal on a new set.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Audix-DP5A-BRAND-NEW-Microphones-FREE-SHIPPING-DP-5a_W0QQitemZ220320718890QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item220320718890&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A570|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

This set only got better when they included the I5, the previous D1 snare mic wasnt as good....you would have many people tell you the SM57 isnt as good as the I5.

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:17 pm

I have gone to the i5 on the snare top vs my old and very trusty 25 year old SM57's. Why? A bit more 'crack' to the hit.

And heres a little secret......That D1 Audix you got in the DP5 kit is a GREAT under snare mic.

Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:02 am

Hello Again,
I have a suggestion for drums. Find a pair of Oktava mk 319's for overheads. They sound very good!

jammster

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