Best Overhead Drum Mic For Under $250
- Thread starter Everybody
- Start date
It is hard to recommend without knowing what kind of music you are recording and what your recording room is like as well as the drums.
But as a general recommendation, I most often go for a pair of CAD E-100s for drums. They can be found used for about 90 to $100 each, They are a very good sounding mid sized diaphragm mic with tons of headroom. They work really well on acoustic guitar and pretty good as well on many vocal types.
I think they are a very flexible mic.
But as a general recommendation, I most often go for a pair of CAD E-100s for drums. They can be found used for about 90 to $100 each, They are a very good sounding mid sized diaphragm mic with tons of headroom. They work really well on acoustic guitar and pretty good as well on many vocal types.
I think they are a very flexible mic.
Everybody
Hail Santa
Sorry!
Im new to this website haha
Well, right now and for a while, Hardcore/"Death" Metal is very popular around where I live so id say that type. Also my drumset is a 6 peice yamaha. with 6 sabian and zildjian cymbals not including hihats.
As far as the room goes, its about a 10'X18' 12'X18', ceiling is probably around7' high, wooden walls, carpet is short "plush" haha.
and thank you for your suggestion on the CAD's, im looking right now, they look reallll nice, only problem is the cheapest ive seen at quick glance is $180 each.
Im new to this website haha
Well, right now and for a while, Hardcore/"Death" Metal is very popular around where I live so id say that type. Also my drumset is a 6 peice yamaha. with 6 sabian and zildjian cymbals not including hihats.
As far as the room goes, its about a 10'X18' 12'X18', ceiling is probably around7' high, wooden walls, carpet is short "plush" haha.
and thank you for your suggestion on the CAD's, im looking right now, they look reallll nice, only problem is the cheapest ive seen at quick glance is $180 each.
Obi-Wan zenabI
New member
Hi and welcome to HR bbs!
I use MXL 604's, which are about $100 each and easily findable at guitar center. Do a search on the "recorderman" method of micing drums. I position the overheads so that they are both pointed at the snare, and an equal distance from both the kick and the snare. That keeps the kick and the snare centered. I re-jigger it until the floor tom side OH mic is near the drummer's ear so that it isolates the mic from the hi-hats.
I think any cheap pencil condensor is going to be useably good for a newbie. You can probably get a pair of chinese mics from Musicians Friend for $50 now, and they will be sensitive enough to knock your socks off. Spending much more to just start out isn't necessary.
I definitely don't record metal, but the "recorderman" method is worth trying, especially if you're on a budget. If you're a newbie, throwing a million mics on the drums runs the risk of just making a bunch of mud in your recording.
Now go to the Studio Building forum and READ (don't post) about accoustic treatment until you're blue in the face. Then read some more. It is the key to getting good sound, especially out of drums. Read up on it until you feel like you know enough to give a useful answer to a fresh NOOB. Then go see how different your drum tracks sound after you treat your room...
Every sound coming from each drums goes out and bounces off every surface in your room, and eventually bounces back into the mic, at varying later times. In a smallish room, you want to soak up a lot of those sounds. I used moving blankets when first starting.
Good luck. \m/ Rock on.
I use MXL 604's, which are about $100 each and easily findable at guitar center. Do a search on the "recorderman" method of micing drums. I position the overheads so that they are both pointed at the snare, and an equal distance from both the kick and the snare. That keeps the kick and the snare centered. I re-jigger it until the floor tom side OH mic is near the drummer's ear so that it isolates the mic from the hi-hats.
I think any cheap pencil condensor is going to be useably good for a newbie. You can probably get a pair of chinese mics from Musicians Friend for $50 now, and they will be sensitive enough to knock your socks off. Spending much more to just start out isn't necessary.
I definitely don't record metal, but the "recorderman" method is worth trying, especially if you're on a budget. If you're a newbie, throwing a million mics on the drums runs the risk of just making a bunch of mud in your recording.
Now go to the Studio Building forum and READ (don't post) about accoustic treatment until you're blue in the face. Then read some more. It is the key to getting good sound, especially out of drums. Read up on it until you feel like you know enough to give a useful answer to a fresh NOOB. Then go see how different your drum tracks sound after you treat your room...
Every sound coming from each drums goes out and bounces off every surface in your room, and eventually bounces back into the mic, at varying later times. In a smallish room, you want to soak up a lot of those sounds. I used moving blankets when first starting.
Good luck. \m/ Rock on.
Everybody
Hail Santa
Thanks!!
Hey man, thanks for the reply and suggestions. I will deffinatly look into recorderman and studio building! I have one more question I just found an AKG Perception 170 for $150 each BUT they come with a $50 rebate. would this be better in you opinion or still go with the 604s?
Hey man, thanks for the reply and suggestions. I will deffinatly look into recorderman and studio building! I have one more question I just found an AKG Perception 170 for $150 each BUT they come with a $50 rebate. would this be better in you opinion or still go with the 604s?
dgatwood
is out. Leave a message.
I would caution against the 604s, at least if you are even considering doing X/Y recording. With the cardioid capsule, those are, AFAICT, basically the same basic guts (with an added high-pass filter) as the mics I used to use for overheads. The stereo separation in X/Y use was very poor, it had very poor bass response, and the high end was both harsh and muddy. The result was that I found it nearly impossible to EQ recordings made with them into anything approaching a usable track. Moved to Oktava MK-012s in the exact same spot and suddenly I had OH tracks that sounded reasonable with no EQ at all.
Using the omni capsule on the 604 (as two of the four mics in the Recorderman method, for example) will probably fix the bass response problem, but the high end noise comes mainly from the electronics. I'd pick even a completely unknown AKG over those any day. As best I can tell from the reviews, the AKG Perception 170 capsules are a lot nicer than the 603/604 cardioid caps.
Using the omni capsule on the 604 (as two of the four mics in the Recorderman method, for example) will probably fix the bass response problem, but the high end noise comes mainly from the electronics. I'd pick even a completely unknown AKG over those any day. As best I can tell from the reviews, the AKG Perception 170 capsules are a lot nicer than the 603/604 cardioid caps.
You MAY be able to score a pair of MK-012s for somewhere close to that. Those are some of the best you'll find (at any price).
Down the road, you can upgrade them for another $150 or so and you'd have some world class SDCs that you'll never grow out of.
Great on OHs, ac guit, anything.
Down the road, you can upgrade them for another $150 or so and you'd have some world class SDCs that you'll never grow out of.
Great on OHs, ac guit, anything.
Everybody
Hail Santa
Thank you guys so much!
Thank you all so much for responding so quickly to my post, with great suggestions and information, I really appreciate it! Im deffinatly going to sleep on some of those mics and prices. Keep in touch you guys, Ill have many more questions down the road!
Much appreciated,
Zach
Thank you all so much for responding so quickly to my post, with great suggestions and information, I really appreciate it! Im deffinatly going to sleep on some of those mics and prices. Keep in touch you guys, Ill have many more questions down the road!
Much appreciated,
Zach
thajeremy
registered abuser
where are you in Cola? I have several of the mic's that these guys mentioned...CAD M177's, MK-012's and, MXL 603's....I live in Spartanburg, but my wife's mom lives in Columbia and Im sure we will be spending some time ther this month and next for the holidays....I could come over with a DMP3 and a few pairs of mics and let you check them out....
um...this isnt one of those Dateline stings is it????
um...this isnt one of those Dateline stings is it????
Everybody
Hail Santa
Lol
Hahaha, I dont know if your just trying to be friendly or want to audition for that Dateline show! But I think im just going to take my chances with the AKG Perception 170 deal or Rode NT5s.
Thanks for the offer though man.
Hahaha, I dont know if your just trying to be friendly or want to audition for that Dateline show! But I think im just going to take my chances with the AKG Perception 170 deal or Rode NT5s.
Thanks for the offer though man.
AndrewClaycomb
New member
Check out a matched pair of Naiant X-M's. I've been using mine as overhead mics with great results.
Only $160 includes the matching charge!
http://www.naiant.com/studiostore/microphones.html
Only $160 includes the matching charge!
http://www.naiant.com/studiostore/microphones.html
thajeremy
registered abuser
The Naiants are well known around here... and they are Great mics on their own...this only compliments the fact that they are dirt cheap....the guy who makes them is a member of HR.com as well....I wouldnt be so quick to count them out....I used a pair of MSH1-a's for overheads for quite some time and they are no doubt my pick over my M177's....I actually started to mention them in my offer earlier...
second skin
BEAT IT!
i would say rode nt5s in that price range. you should be able to pick up a used set in a reasonable amount of time.
Everybody
Hail Santa
Ahhh
Man, I was wrong, I thought I saw Rode NT5 (Pair) for 220....but it was for the single =[
so the Rode is out for now. Now I am between the AKG Perception 170s or this mysterious (to me haha) Naiant....which does look really nice and the price is incredible btw.
Decisions decisions!!!!!
Man, I was wrong, I thought I saw Rode NT5 (Pair) for 220....but it was for the single =[
so the Rode is out for now. Now I am between the AKG Perception 170s or this mysterious (to me haha) Naiant....which does look really nice and the price is incredible btw.
Decisions decisions!!!!!
thajeremy
registered abuser
look at it like this....grab the Naiants....I can guarantee that they will be used in your studio....they are great for accoustic guitars...which you mentioned, and they are great for drum OH's. If you dont like them for something...then buy something else and since you didnt have to spend much on the Naiants, you really havent lost anything....and I will promise that you can sell the Naiants to someone on here...