Drum Mic Packs for Live Play

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tmix

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I have a friend who needs the cheapest decent drum mic package for a 5 piece tama rock kit.
No overheads are needed but are ok if present.

Ive seen the Cad mic packs, any good?
I've looked at the Red5 Audio packs which look excellent but have'nt been able to figure US pricing yet to see if affordable.

Any suggestions helpful! Not too interested in Samson or Nady unless they are better than the crap I think them to be.
He would rather spend under$250.
 
For less than $250, you could try the triangle technique using two condensers as stereo overheads (the Marshall/MXLs and Oktavas go for beans at Musiciansfriend) to capture most of the kit, and a dynamic as a kick mic.
 
Ooops, sorry. You said "live play", and I described a recording setup.
 
For live I would recommend the Shure PG kit without condensers.
 
for $250 and just for live, Id go with the PG kit also......

but for more flexible mics id get a used sm57 (~$60), a used at atm25pro for kick (~$60), and dig up some of the RadioShack 33-3032's for tom's.....theres still some out there for $14.97.......or even a few more Pro25's for toms......
 
I think Gidge has the ticket here. A cheap mic kit is ... a cheap mic kit. The sm57 is a proven workhorse on snare. I've used the RS mics on toms and they are especially good on the higher toms. For floor tom either another 57 or and ATM25pro would work fine. Your friend could just add overheads later or may want to consider 1 or 2 Behringer ECM8000s ($40) for overhead.

Also, I don't really see a distinction in "live" mics versus "recording" mics. The same mics that make a drum set sound good in the studio is the same thing that makes 'em sound good live. In every drum situation I've come across, the same mics were used live as were used recording. Quite a few manufactures have been selling this falsehood in an attempt to sell you cheaper "starter" mics for "live" work presumably to get you to buy again when you get more serious and want to record. Stop the madness.

Get the best useable mics upfront so that if you buy in the future it won't be to replace but to add to what you presently have. Any investment in the ATM25 Pro is worthwhile, because even if you got another (better) kick mic that ATM25pro would be a workhorse on the lower toms (no replacement here). The sm57 stays (you'll never replace this one... although you may find other useable flavors ... plus it's great on guitar cabs and may find use for some flavors of vocals in a recording environment). You may replace the Radio Shack tom mics in the future ... but you will have only spent $15 for each. Even if you got 3, that's just $45 down the drain... Plus these mics are pretty good for the money.

Don't buy junk that you'll have to replace. Better to get minimal good stuff than tons of junk that you'll have to replace when you get more experience and realize that the "buy good upfront" advice is bank. Don't be another victim... and DOn't let your friends become victims of this nonesense either!
 
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Forgot to add, just think multiple use. Even that Behringer ECM8000 would be useable on other sources. As cheap as it is, it is useable on choirs or group vocals. It may fare some minor use on acoustic guitars or as an audience mic when you finish using it as an overhead. Get stuff that will have uses on other things if and when you replace it's use on drums or whatever you're micing.
 
Humm, cheap mics and cheap sound or good mics and good sound... only $250 to mic the whole kit... heck, just get the cheapest drum mic package you can find and move on.
 
As stated before have a look at the Superlux range of drum mic kits.

I have only used them only once but found the sound to be very good considering that they are pretty cheap.

Also the build quality seems fine.
 
Re: Re: Drum Mic Packs for Live Play

DJL said:
Humm, cheap mics and cheap sound or good mics and good sound... only $250 to mic the whole kit... heck, just get the cheapest drum mic package you can find and move on.
Click to expand...

This used to be the case but not now, some inexpensive items really can mix-it with the big guys.

And now as most pepes are quite happy with MP3s (Big Yawn) Who seems to care about real quality?
 
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