Drum overhead mics

[Promkingdrummer]

What does everybody recomend to use as drum overheads that would sound good picking up both cymbals and toms? I play more of a rock style, not too hard, but not really soft either. I have a sure sm57 for snare and an akg d112 for bass. Thanks in advance for the replies.

 

[jonnyc]

How much do you wanna spend?

Low End: Pair MXL 993's 170.00
Pair Behringer B5's 180.00
Pair Nady CM95 120.00

Mid Level: Pair AKG C 1000S 299.00
Pair Sennheiser e614 399.00
Pair Shure KSM109 349.00

Higher End: Pair Shure SM81 700.00
Pair AKG C 451 B 1000.00
Pair Neumann km184 1400.00

These are just a few examples of some different overheads. I unfortunately own the Nady cm95's and hate them but thats just my opinion. I've heard the c1000s used many times and thought it sounded great however most don't seem to agree. I own the shure ksm109's and think they're great overheads. And pretty much any one of the higher end ones I'd love to own.

 

[drummerdude666]

You forgot Oktava MC-012 in the cheap section.

If you don't want to spend much get these. Seach of them on this BBS and you'll hear good things. There are some issues with them, like QC, but generally its good. There have been millions of threads about them, so happy searching.

 

[noisedude]

Super-cheap:
- SP B1
- MXL603 / JoeMeek JM27 / SE Electronics SE1

Mid:
- SP C4
- Røde NT5
- Oktava MK012

A pair of AT4050s or C414s will work fine of course .... The nicest OHs I've used are a pair of quite old Calrecs. At some point in the next 12 months I'll get a chance to try out some Earthworks too ... should be interesting.

 

[richardsorr]

I picked up a pair of the OKtava MC012s awhile ago. for the price they were more then worth it.

 

[funkydrummer]

when recording rock/loud drums, i use two studio projects b3's overhead, shure sm57 on the snare, and akg d112 on the kick.

 

[chocky3000]

RE: overheads

Thought I'd jump in here with another question: Whenever I see threads about drum overheads, I see mostly suggestions of small-diaphragm condensers. What are your thoughts on large-diaphragm condensers. I mean, I see a lot of people complaining that their overhead mics are too tinny or don't capture enough range, so wouldn't a large diaphragm mic (which you could EQ however you wanted) be a more versatile choice? I'm no mic pro, so I'm just wondering...

 

[noisedude]

If you run a search under the username 'Dot', you will see that Dan Richards in fact makes many recommendations for LDC overheads, including the B1. And the AT4050 and AKG C414 I mentioned are obviously LDCs too ...

If it sounds good, it is good. For a lot of in-depth info on the relationships between diaphragm size and response (and to see a debunking of the many myths), read the sticky thread at the top of this forum. I know it's long!!!!

 

[mrface2112]

What are your thoughts on large-diaphragm condensers.

i love the sound of an MXL V67 as an overhead. i need a second one for a stereo pair. nice and woody--gives a great drum-oriented sound without harshing out the cymbals. none of that upper-mid bump that a lot of the chinese mics have, and the "midrange hashiness" that the V67 has seems to help the drums.

i like the SP B1 as an OH too, but just not as much as the V67. the BLUE dragonfly is also a very nice OH, but it's not exactly "budget".


cheers,
wade

 

[leddy]

If you have a so-so room, try the Oktava MC012's. If you have a good room, I've had great results with the Oktava MK319's.

 

[chessrock]

...wouldn't a large diaphragm mic (which you could EQ however you wanted) be a more versatile choice?

You can use EQ with any mic. You can use EQ with no mic at all. The reason many prefer SDCs for overhead duties is (mostly) due to quicker transient response. Thickness of the diaphragm also plays a role, so LDC's shouldn't be totally ruled out if that's a consideration (some LDC's have very thin / responsive diaphragms).

Sometimes, you might not even like what a more responsive diaphragm brings to the table ... or maybe you just like the sound of a LDC -- in which case, you use what works for you.

 

[Promkingdrummer]

Thanks for all the help so far, I think I want to stay in the mid-range price range, I dont have a whole lot of money but I think I can round up enough to stay in the mid range comfortably (hopefully). So what does everybody think the best mic in the mid price range is? Again, thanks for all of the help.

 

[Dot]

PKD, check out this thread... https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=75145

I'd recommend any of those mics for OH's. And they're all LDC's. We did that test over 2 1/2 years ago – and all those mics still hold up. And we've found even more that budget LDC's hold up much better on OH's than budget SDC's. For price vs performance, I'd recommend the Red5 Audio RV8's – which you could also use for vox, acoustic gtrs, amps and other applications.