Best affordable drum mic sets...

[Savantchild]

Hey, right now i am using a Shure Sm57 on the snare and I have two behinger condeser mics. I am looking to make decent demos for my band, you know just recordings that are good enough to get by, so you get your point across and can get shows. I also am looking to start getting into the industrty, it intrests me, but right now i only have $350 to spend.

 

[DJL]

There really isn't any good drum mic packages on the market... you'd be much better off putting together your own drum mic package IMO.

Something like... use your SM57 as your snare mic and pickup two budget SDC mics for overheads (Oktava MC-012's) and get a budget kick drum mic (Audio-technical ATM25)... also, you can save a lot of money if you buy good secondhand (used) mics.

 

[GABritton]

Use some of that $350 and get a nice kick mic. Something like the Shure Beta 52 or AKG D112 you'll like. They cost $200 but worth the pennies you'll pay. There's several other choices for kick mics too, I'm just naming a couple popular ones. Personally I love the AKGD112. Great attack and low end is miced right.

You're snare mic is good enough, and the condensers should get you by. I'm not that familliar with the Behringer condensers.

I wouldn't worry about close-micing your toms. Depending on how you play you should get dcecent response from the consensers. If not, I suggest a little cheapo (but a pretty decent mic), the AKG Pro25. I use it for toms and even the kick drum in a pinch.

 

[Warhead]

The drums in all 3 of these songs were done with the Audix Fusion series:

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2079&alid=1084

The snare was done with an SM57 and we ended up replacing it with Drumagog during mixdown.

The Oktavas DJL mentions are good to have around on any budget. I especially like them on acoustic guitar but they work well on overheads too.

War

 

[Savantchild]

Thanks for the help...

I am gonna check all that out, o and your band is good...me like alot. My group is more punk/metal with alot of clean work guitar wise, we have a female singer who sounds kinda like gwen from no doubt, i just felt like telling you that so you know what kinda stuff i will be micing. Man i really like your songs though, they are killer.

 

[Warhead]

Not my songs, I played keys and drums on them though! Thanks...! He is a great songwriter no doubt and excellent singer.

War

 

[Savantchild]

still rockin

They are still awsome songs, nice drum key work then...Did you realy just use that set? cause it sounds really good.

 

[Warhead]

Like I said, it's the Fusion series except for the snare which was replaced anyhow. Those recordings were done about 2 years ago with an Alesis 32 mixer to a Delta 1010 to Nuendo 1.6. Not a particularly good rig at the time (it was my partner's rig and I'm playing in a small bedroom) but it got a demo done and sounds fine.

Drum kit is an Arbiter maple 9mm series with various Zildjian A series and Sabian signature cymbals.

War

 

[DJL]

The drums in all 3 of these songs were done with the Audix Fusion series:

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2079&alid=1084

The snare was done with an SM57 and we ended up replacing it with Drumagog during mixdown.

The Oktavas DJL mentions are good to have around on any budget. I especially like them on acoustic guitar but they work well on overheads too.

War

The songs sound good... (what are the chances of you being an Audix dealer, one in a million)... anyway, which overhead mics do you prefer most of the time... the Audix's or Oktava's? Thanks

 

[noisedude]

DJL's original suggestion looks good to me ... except I choose not to use SM57s! The AT he said IS a good kick mic - the D112 does not seem to be.

 

[Warhead]

The songs sound good... (what are the chances of you being an Audix dealer, one in a million)... anyway, which overhead mics do you prefer most of the time... the Audix's or Oktava's? Thanks

DJL, nice shot. We recorded that WAY before becoming an Audix dealer if you must know!

Between the Oktavas and the Audix I pick neither on a daily basis for overhead use. I use either CAD M179's or SP C4's or AEA R84's or Beyer M160's....or other things occassionally as well. I have always liked the Oktavas better on acoustic guitar!! Personal preference.

On a budget (as the original poster is on a small one), the Audix are decent mics as you hear in the clips and one of the only drum mic packs worth a sh*t in my experience. There's always something better for more money, the CAD M179's and SP C4's aren't expensive to me but are to someone else I suppose. They both do an admirable job on OH mic'ing at any price, but don't fit his total budget.

I agree with you that the ATM25 is a good kick mic, I've used it on kick and toms with good success. My E/V ND868 edges it out slightly most times though on my own 22" kick.

War

 

[Harvey Gerst]

I've often found that really good dealers stock (and recommend) products because they believe in them; that's probably why they took on the line. Just because a dealer recommends a product he happens to sell doesn't necessarily make it any more biased than someone here recommending a product they happen to own.

 

[DJL]

DJL, nice shot. We recorded that WAY before becoming an Audix dealer if you must know!

Between the Oktavas and the Audix I pick neither on a daily basis for overhead use. I use either CAD M179's or SP C4's or AEA R84's or Beyer M160's....or other things occassionally as well. I have always liked the Oktavas better on acoustic guitar!! Personal preference.

On a budget (as the original poster is on a small one), the Audix are decent mics as you hear in the clips and one of the only drum mic packs worth a sh*t in my experience. There's always something better for more money, the CAD M179's and SP C4's aren't expensive to me but are to someone else I suppose. They both do an admirable job on OH mic'ing at any price, but don't fit his total budget.

I agree with you that the ATM25 is a good kick mic, I've used it on kick and toms with good success. My E/V ND868 edges it out slightl y most times though on my own 22" kick.

War

Hey War, thanks for the reply... and I know what you mean about having your favorites... some of my favorites are Josephson C42s, AKG C451s, and Neumann U-87s... anyway, if you only had a pair of the Audix or Oktava mics for drum overheads, which ones do you think you'd most likely use the most... in other words, (cost aside) which ones do you recommend to Savantchild for O.H's.?

I recommended the ATM25 because it's cheap and sounds good, and that would give him more money for O.H's.... one of my favorite KK mics is the MD421. Anyway, he can get secondhand ATM25's really cheap on ebay and etc.

 

[Warhead]

I dunno DJL, go ahead and buy some Fusions and you tell us. There are advantages to both, but the Audix quality is consistent while Oktava is a crap shoot in many cases. There are times when one may outperform the other, they are both worthy mics. The Audix have somewhat better high end detail but less low end response. The Oktava have a much woodier / natural / strong pick sound on acoustic guitar.

When suggesting an Audix mic I can tell you from experience that it will sound a certain way upon receipt due to consistent QC. With Oktava on the other hand, buying on eBay or at Guitar Center can get you anything from a stellar to dead, I mean literally non-functioning mic.

War

 

[DJL]

Hmm, did most hr.com members with Oktava MC-012's just get lucky then? I mean, I've only read a few (very few) post from hr.com memebers who didn't like the Oktava's.

EDIT: Also, I haven't had any QC problems with my Oktava's.

 

[Warhead]

DJL, there are known quality issues with Oktava mics. I have experienced it myself. If you don't believe me, search around the web forums and go to Guitar Center and ask them to let you demo dozens of mics at a time. I have...and have found some pretty wild variations, as well as dead mics in a batch.

You're trying to prove some kind of point so just go ahead and say what's on your mind. You've successfully derailed another thread entitled "Best affordable drum mic sets" into DJL's agenda of who's right and who should be able to comment about whatever you want to morph things into. Yay, you're the center of attention again...congrats!

The guy asked a question, I provided clips to back up my statements, didn't ask or force anyone to buy mics from me or eBay or anyone else and now you're riding me and changing the subject into something aggravating as usual.

War

 

[DJL]

No, no... I'm not trying to prove anything... but I was hoping to open the door for better communication. Away, sorry. Later.

 

[Warhead]

Whatever bro, like this hasn't happened before.

Have a nice night.

War

 

[DJL]

Thank you, I will... and I wish you the best too. Later

 

[noisedude]

Sorry to pick a slight tangent from Warhead's post - is the CAD M179 that good? I've heard great things about vocals from it but how about those drum overheads? I guess what I'm asking is if it is as good on many sources?

I'm thinking in the direction of a pair of something or other for OHs, acoustics, perhaps vocals if it suits, but something versatile. In that price range there are so many mics ... AT 4033, SP C4, AKG C2000, M-Audio Solaris, it's too many for me to ever really hope to try properly before making a purchase.