Drum Mics-Where to begin!

  • Thread starter Thread starter phlopip
  • Start date Start date
P

phlopip

New member
i have trawled the forums and i just don't know what mics to start with. I want 4- snare, kick, 2 over heads...but i just don't know what to get and i don't really have a music shop close by to try any out.

Help at all?
 
Budget, size of your kit? Drum mic kits are a way to start, I am particular to the CAD mics for studio and a Shure set for live. CAD mics are not as well thought of but they really work well in my room and they are very versatile and I can find other uses for the mics for recording other things (unlike most other drum mics, love multi-taskers).
 
my drum kit is a 5 piece mapex pro-m kit. I have a budget of roughly £300
 
Well you being from the UK what microphones can you get and not get there?
For instance Shure microphones can be expensive, but you can get oktava microphones at a good price.
What else do you know of ?



:cool:
 
well we can get any mics over here...i want to slowly build up a collection of great mics...rather than rush out and get a 7-mic set just because its' cheap. Plus doing it this way means i can learn to get the best out of each mic.
 
Then if you have the money.
I like to do a simple kick,snare and overhead pair. Not to say that we have had 14 microphones on a single drum set before.
With that being said if I were you I would start with a good kick and snare microphone and a good overhead pair.
Kick-go for a shure Beta 52a,or a beyer M88
Snare- try the standard SM57,or an audix I5
Over heads-the Neumann km185s,or Shure SM81s

And if you want to mic the toms try 57s , or Sennheiser md421s or Senn. 604s

These are only suggestions and I'm sure that you will get about a dozen more suggestions per drum.



:cool:
 
Slowly build up great mics? Then spend your £300 on a pair of MC930s, and use whatever you have (live dynamic mics) for kick and snare until you save up enough for an M201 and D112 (or whatever you like on kick). That's twice your initial budget, but you'll never worry about buying mics again.
 
Start collecting old SM57s...the bass drum mic and overheads you dont want to skimp on...if you go with a decent pair of LDCs you have also got your vocal mics...a large diameter Dynamic can be useful on bass drum and male vocals as well...an SM7 or MD421 is what I reccomend...and try to find them used so you wont pay too much.
 
Last edited:
phlopip said:
i have trawled the forums and i just don't know what mics to start with. I want 4- snare, kick, 2 over heads...but i just don't know what to get and i don't really have a music shop close by to try any out.

Help at all?
Click to expand...

You already got some good advice---now narrow it down:

What's your primary use? Recording? Solo/Ensemble? Live reinforcement? What kind of band?

Paj
 
Paj said:
You already got some good advice---now narrow it down:

What's your primary use? Recording? Solo/Ensemble? Live reinforcement? What kind of band?

Paj
Click to expand...

my primary use is for recording. Rock band with influences such as queens of the stone age, Kyuss, Them crooked vultures etc
 
Can't go wrong with Audix. I picked up a set of audix's, a D6, two d2's, a d4 and a i5 for pretty cheap on ebay in a case. Great mics. Love the i5 on snares over a SM57, plus the end of the mic doesn't rattle around like on a 57. Kick and tom mics hold their own too. I personally believe with the right EQ you can make any mic work on drums, I used to use $20 dynamic mics on toms and basically got the same results with more dramatic eq. When I have the extra cash to blow I will get some MD421's.
 
If you can get a pair of Oktava MK-012 (or MC-012), you will likely be happy with them for overheads.

BTW, if you use comparatively heavy mics (like C414s) for overheads, and you have cheap mic stands like me, then you have to use a counterweight on the opposite end of the boom or the mics fall and hit your head or your drums.
 
antichef said:
If you can get a pair of Oktava MK-012 (or MC-012), you will likely be happy with them for overheads.

BTW, if you use comparatively heavy mics (like C414s) for overheads, and you have cheap mic stands like me, then you have to use a counterweight on the opposite end of the boom or the mics fall and hit your head or your drums.
Click to expand...

Studio sand bags or old weights from a weight bench set set on the tripod legs of the microphone stand works great for me!



:cool:
 
I use desk flanges attached to the cielings and flexable goosnecks for a lot of that stuff...more sturdy and more free room in the studio...plus you arent spending too much on stands and booms...I get the same thing for about $8
 
Yeah that would work good in a 1 story room but my studio is 2 stories high!
I always hate the goosenecks during live shows that's all you hear but in a studio after your set that would not be a problem.
Great advice and a good money saver Darrin.;)



:cool:
 
moresound said:
Yeah that would work good in a 1 story room but my studio is 2 stories high!
Click to expand...

Get more goosenecks...lol.

I have an open sofit built over where the drums go that also holds a DLP projector since the tracking room doubles as a theatre...I have the flanges on that...my cielings are 12'...the ones for vocal mics are suspended as well.
 
Seems to work well for ya Darrin.
Our ceiling is 21' high! but we have plenty of room in our live room (100'x100') for all sorts of large microphone stands.
Just wish we had a video screen. well we do have the wall!;)



:cool:
 
moresound said:
Seems to work well for ya Darrin.
Our ceiling is 21' high! but we have plenty of room in our live room (100'x100') for all sorts of large microphone stands.
Just wish we had a video screen. well we do have the wall!;)



:cool:
Click to expand...

The biggest Ive had was 45x100' and that was a movie set before I got it...and in the past it was a factory that made those popcorn poppers you see at the amusement parks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top