Need inexpensive drum mics. HELP!!

N

nbffan

New member
I'm setting up a small studio at my house and need advice on which mics to purchase for drum kit. My mixer has four preamp mic inserts and I'm planning on using all of them for the purpose of mic'ing the drums. The problem is, I have no experience in this area and I'm on a limited budget. Can any of you suggest a decent inexpensive mic set (say $200)? AND, what's the best way to mic using 4 mics? Thanks in advance for your help!!!!
 
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What's your budget? Best plan is dynamic on snare, bass dynamic(don't know the terminology)on kick, and 2 condenser overheards.
 
While I know nothing about the C2s and they seem to be the only affordable thing for you I'd have to suggest against them. In this application, overheads are going most likely become your most needed source, although this may not fully be true. I can't find much info about them or too many trustable reviews but I am already turned off by the fact that the Behringer site doesn't give a frequency response chart for them, or many details in general. I will just have to guess to say that they are probably hyped up high which will get very anoying if you are basing your recordings on the 4 mics and using some closer overhead techniques such as recorderman which tend to be the best stereo representation of drums for ony 4 mics. This means if you want your toms to get heard, you probably want to use a closer overheading technique. The hyped high end is going to make the cymbals very overpowering, especially on non-studio cymbal sets, and will become very very irritating to the ear. You said yourself that you may have some more money to drop on studio stuff later. Well my suggestion is that if you don't need them right at this minute for a life or death reason, and you are willing to get some more money, to save up 200 bux for a decent set of overheads that you wont upgrade in a matter of months. You can get MXL 603s for 200 as a pair if you bargin with the guys at guitar center (they'll do it for commission), or you could get the KEL HM-1s for 100 each. I've only heard great about these mics, and am getting a pair myself to try out once they get their january shipment in. This is just what I suggest and although you probably don't want to hear it, I think many people would agree with me on these points. But hey the C2s are only 50 bux for two, why not just try them I guess? By the way, you can probably get a 57 used for 60 bux on ebay.

Ben
 
emergencyexit said:
While I know nothing about the C2s and they seem to be the only affordable thing for you I'd have to suggest against them. In this application, overheads are going most likely become your most needed source, although this may not fully be true. I can't find much info about them or too many trustable reviews but I am already turned off by the fact that the Behringer site doesn't give a frequency response chart for them, or many details in general.
Click to expand...
Here is the frequency response/polar pattern of these mics. (page 6 of 6)
 
And yeh, i choose them because of the price, as nbffan has a budget of $200-$250. I would be wary of these mics, BUT at $50, they wont be too much of a loss, and they may end up suiting your needs just as good as any other, more expensive, budget mic.
 
pandamonk,
Thank you for the chart, and never mind to all others about my comment about them being hyped up hi, the chart seems to prove that they are actually relatively flat up high and can easily be used for this situation. I would be worried normally about the roll of bellow 400 but for 50 bux this looks fine. Only thing I'd worry about is the noise factor. I'd say get 'em if you don't want to spend a little more to be safe, but who are we kidding its not like 50 bux is unsafe and who knows when a mic will turn out as handy in w/e situation.

Ben
 
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