help choosing drum mics kit

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KBlair

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These are more for education purposes than actual recording. Here's the choices

1) Audix Fusion6
2) Superlux DRK-F5H3
3) Samson 8 Kit

Mostly, I just want to get some mics to play with but I do need to record drums.

Any thoughts?
 
Save yourself the trouble and buy stuff that you may want to record with in the future. If you're looking at spending $300ish, I'd say an SM57, ATM 25, and either a couple Oktava MC012s or MXL 603 (I like the MC012s better for this job). This recording habit is addictive. I don't know a single person who got stuff just to "experiment" who didn't later want to get serious about recording. Given that reality, I'd say get stuff that you're going to keep. All the above that I suggested, you will want to keep... even if you upgrade later (when you "get serious" ;) ).
 
I bought the superlux kit for my studio. I had zero money and just needed some mics to record with. Overall they have done pretty well. Again they are cheapo mics but they sound pretty good. You can make a lot of mics sound better with eq. They won't give you the best sound, but it's enough mic for the money.

Guitar Center is having a sale on an AT drum mic kit for $99. If I were on a budget and shopping thats what I would buy.
 
Rev E said:
Save yourself the trouble and buy stuff that you may want to record with in the future. If you're looking at spending $300ish, I'd say an SM57, ATM 25, and either a couple Oktava MC012s or MXL 603 (I like the MC012s better for this job). This recording habit is addictive. I don't know a single person who got stuff just to "experiment" who didn't later want to get serious about recording. Given that reality, I'd say get stuff that you're going to keep. All the above that I suggested, you will want to keep... even if you upgrade later (when you "get serious" ;) ).
Click to expand...
I agree with Rev E... the SM57, ATM25, and two Oktava MC012's is a very good recommendation IMO.
 
what websites carry those oktavas...none of my normal websites carry oktava.
 
Rev E/DJL - I've looked into that combo as it's been suggested several times before. Couldn't find any 012's except on Ebay, are they discontinued?

jonhall5446 - That's about all I expected from the Superlux kit, adequate. I also think, from looking at the specs, that the Samson 8 Kit is the same as the Superlux kit with nicer? hardware. Glad someone will admit to having it though. That's what I was really looking for -- user impressions.

ez_willis - thanks for the link but that page doesn't have any info on the mic kits I asked about :D

I was looking for a kit that had a bunch of mics that I could play with positioning, combination, etc. There's the superlux kit on Ebay that comes with 3 cheapo 58 clones + cheapo cbles for $277. That'd give me plenty to play with and I've heard that some are very usable mics. Although, if I go ahead and get the real deal then I don't have to spend as much on mic stands.

BTW, the "A" key on my keyboard doesn't always work. I try to catch them all but sometimes miss some.

Anyone else with user impressions?

TIA
 
DJL said:
I agree with Rev E... the SM57, ATM25, and two Oktava MC012's is a very good recommendation IMO.
Click to expand...


thats my exact setup...but a 57 on every tom but the floor tom which gets another atm25.
 
I picked up a Superlux kit on Ebay about two years ago. It was so ridiculously cheap at the time I was embarrassed to get something like that. But I think I paid about $60 for a kit and I was blown away by what arrived in the mail. Four well-built, perfectly decent microphones well-packed in a sturdy hard plastic case. This was one kick and three regular mics. I've used them ever since them and for a low budget home studio I will swear by these mics.

OK now for the downside. After about 18 months one of the mics died on me (it was mounted on the snare). My theory is it just blew due to the snare volume. I mic a simple drum kit--snare, kick, side and floor tom. So now I put a 57 on the snare, Superluxes on the toms and the kick, and two overheads (AKG condenser mics--C1000s).

Honest, I don't think you can go wrong if you don't have lots of money.
 
KBlair said:
Rev E/DJL - I've looked into that combo as it's been suggested several times before. Couldn't find any 012's except on Ebay, are they discontinued?
Click to expand...

As far as I know, Guitar Center still carries MC 012s ... but I don't go there very often. Maybe someone else could comment. MC 012s are very decent mics and would serve you well as overheads and other duties... Based on what others have said, I'm sure you could find a way to make one of the inexpensive drum mic kits work. But if you can afford to get the setup suggested above, I think you owe it to yourself to save yourself the trouble from the selling/upgrade cycle... But I suppose your wallet will have the final say. ;)
 
PROS
since buying my AUDIX mics ive gotten far better stuff.
But i used those mics regularly for 2 years.
I think they sound great.

CONS
The overheads that are in the package arent so hot.
But what you pay for you certainly get with the audix package.
 
You're generally better off buying the mics separately.

OH's: Red5 Audio RV8, Studio Projects B1, Oktava MK319
Snare: Shure SM57, Studio Projects C1
Kick: Audio-Technica ATM25, Red5 Audio RVD1

We haven't seen any drum mic kit that was worth buying all together. The exception is the Red5 Audio RVK7+ kit that has RV8's for OH mics.
http://www.red5audio.com/acatalog/Drum_Kit_Mics.html
We did not like the less expensive RVK7 kit that has the RV4 SDC's for OH's.

The Samson and Superlux kits are a waste of money, IMO.
 
Our drummer used the Superlux set to record the first 3 songs on this site: http://www.pollutionmusic.nl/media.html. I am very happy with the sound! Nowadays you can digitally improve your sound and the technique of even the cheapest mics have improved in such a way that it doesn't really matter anymore.

If you just think that the beatles made the most fantastic records with just 4-channel recordings!

Greetings from Holland,
Xander
 
I think the OP might have allready bought a set since this is 5 yo...lol.
 
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