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JohnWatkins
New member
If you've got another mic like a 57 or something that can get you by for a while, then go with the one more expensive mic. Better to have one mic getting good cymbal sizzle and one mic just helping to create stereo image than to have two mics capturing the same lower quality sound.
Of course, as always, your mic placement, room treatment, and drumming technique will have 1000% more impact on the quality of your sound than this mic choice.
Of course, as always, your mic placement, room treatment, and drumming technique will have 1000% more impact on the quality of your sound than this mic choice.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Having a stereo pair of just about any decent mic is a good thing. You can use them for all sorts of things. Using two different mics, especially two very different kinds, as overheads would bug me, but that might just be my OCD tendencies.
Farview
Well-known member
I would go with the two mics. the expensive mic you are talking about isn't really that much better sounding than the cheaper ones. The stereo spread will make more of an impact on your recording than the minor quality difference between the mics.
JimmyS1969
MOODerator
If I were to have to record a session with either one great OH mic or two lower end ones....I would go with two cheapies. Then I would wonder why someone would really expect a 4041 to be resoundingly better than the two lower end ones. Especially without info as to what the mics in question would be used with.
I am not trying to open a can of worms here, but there are so many more things that come into play when working to get a good recording. Mic upgrade is not the only one.
Please give detail as to what gear you are using, as well as the recording environment you have. I just have a feeling this is not the most important thing you want to address at this point.
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Raymeous
New member
To be honest, I'm just using a cheap($150 for the pair with shockmounts) "for now" set of MXL 840 small diaphragm condensers and they sound pretty darn good. I was really surprised.
I guess my point is this, although gear does make a difference, once you consider things like mic placement, the room your recording in, the heads and tuning of the kit, and the extensive amount of plug-ins we warp our mixes with, how much does the mic itself truly impact the end result. Over the last year or so I've been trying to quit blaming my gear, or lack there of, as to why my recording, or playing sucks.
I like gear.... I love it in fact, but I'm trying to spend more time DOING music than letting myself suffer from analasys paralasys.
Back to your question: I'd rather have a matched pair of something. When I say matched pair, I do not mean spending the extra $100 for a factory matched pair, just two of the same mic.
I guess my point is this, although gear does make a difference, once you consider things like mic placement, the room your recording in, the heads and tuning of the kit, and the extensive amount of plug-ins we warp our mixes with, how much does the mic itself truly impact the end result. Over the last year or so I've been trying to quit blaming my gear, or lack there of, as to why my recording, or playing sucks.
I like gear.... I love it in fact, but I'm trying to spend more time DOING music than letting myself suffer from analasys paralasys.
Back to your question: I'd rather have a matched pair of something. When I say matched pair, I do not mean spending the extra $100 for a factory matched pair, just two of the same mic.
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sam1
New member
I am using a tama superstar with sabian b8's and in a pretty small room (2m x 4m roughly) and i play alot of indie rock stuff
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Raymeous
New member
The MXL mics I was talking about just had a 33% price cut! Two small diaphragm condensers with shock mounts for $100 new! Nice.
My kit is a 5pc Sonor with a half dozen cybals so not too big.
Here's what I'm using:
1) Kick - AKG D112 (get the Beta 52 instead if you want a crisper modern sound)
2) Snare - Shure SM57
3&4) L&R overheads - MXL 840's
That alone is enough for me to get some pretty good recordings if I do say so myself. Hey it worked for Bonham, right?
If I'm really wanting to go to town with recording the kit I'll add these:
5) Room - Rode NT2a
6-8) Toms - 2 Audix F10 and an F12; The Audix mics belong to a friend of mine, but I've been eyeballin' the Sennheiser e604 3 pack so that I can stop borrowing stuff.
8 mics to fill the 8 inputs on my interface. Sweet.
THE TOYS:
While it is very nice to have all of this stuff, you don't really NEED to have this amount of gear to get a good recording of your kit. There are several posts and videos on how to record your kit with only two mics, or even just a single mic. so even if you do not own a bunch of mics or a larger interface, you can still record your drums in a quite convincing manner with a mic or two and a 2 channel interface.
THE KIT:
More important than the mics, is setting up your kit. Invest in some good heads that aren't all worn out (I'm using Evans G2 Coated, and Aquarian Super Kick II). Then make sure things are tuned up and the resonance between toms is uniform, if slightly more resonant on the floor tom. I just helped a friend of mine with his kit, a 7pc Pearl EXP, and he was hating the sound of it. We replaced the heads and tunded everything up, tweaked the ringing "wowowowow" of the toms, and now he's loving it. He now has a whole new kit for much less than $100 and two hours of his day. I call this "practically free" gear.
I hope this helps in some way.
My kit is a 5pc Sonor with a half dozen cybals so not too big.
Here's what I'm using:
1) Kick - AKG D112 (get the Beta 52 instead if you want a crisper modern sound)
2) Snare - Shure SM57
3&4) L&R overheads - MXL 840's
That alone is enough for me to get some pretty good recordings if I do say so myself. Hey it worked for Bonham, right?
If I'm really wanting to go to town with recording the kit I'll add these:
5) Room - Rode NT2a
6-8) Toms - 2 Audix F10 and an F12; The Audix mics belong to a friend of mine, but I've been eyeballin' the Sennheiser e604 3 pack so that I can stop borrowing stuff.
8 mics to fill the 8 inputs on my interface. Sweet.
THE TOYS:
While it is very nice to have all of this stuff, you don't really NEED to have this amount of gear to get a good recording of your kit. There are several posts and videos on how to record your kit with only two mics, or even just a single mic. so even if you do not own a bunch of mics or a larger interface, you can still record your drums in a quite convincing manner with a mic or two and a 2 channel interface.
THE KIT:
More important than the mics, is setting up your kit. Invest in some good heads that aren't all worn out (I'm using Evans G2 Coated, and Aquarian Super Kick II). Then make sure things are tuned up and the resonance between toms is uniform, if slightly more resonant on the floor tom. I just helped a friend of mine with his kit, a 7pc Pearl EXP, and he was hating the sound of it. We replaced the heads and tunded everything up, tweaked the ringing "wowowowow" of the toms, and now he's loving it. He now has a whole new kit for much less than $100 and two hours of his day. I call this "practically free" gear.
I hope this helps in some way.
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