mic make & model suggestions for recording drums with one mic

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_brian_

_brian_

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hello everyone, i've had descant success recording drums with just the one mic, i'm not too interested in miking every part of the kit for now. i only have an sm-57 & a sm-57 beta for the moment. although i'm skint i'm looking for a new microphone for an overall picture of the kit. i was thinking about getting a ribbon or condenser mic but i can only stretch to £150. please don't suggest second hand mics, it's the only thing i wouldn't buy second hand. i would quite like the mic to be pretty flat with no real colouration because i will have to use it for recording other sources as well. bear in mind it's a small project studio i've got, the drums aren't world class, i'm just wanting to expand my mic collection and mabye get a better recording. i don't know why i'm attracted to ribbon mics but if any of you have experiance with the newer cheaper models please load me up with what ever information you're willing to part with, they may be worthless at this price range. mic selection aint my forté.

cheers, everyone i hate myself:p
 
Get a pair of condensers for overheads, and put the 57's on the kick n' snare. Thank me later.
 
You can make do with a single condensor, but room sound and placement will be critical. By reputation, a CAD M179 would be a good choice. I've heard them favorably compared to AT4050s, which I have and heartily recommend, which, in turn, are sometimes described as "poor man's 414s." I've used Studio Projects B1s, which are OK, but a little bright in this application. If you're super-extra cheap, you could try one of those Behringer measurement mics people were all excited about a couple years back, but again, the room can get you into a lot of trouble here.

Try either a single overhead, or well in front of the kit, at roughly tom batter level, or just walk around until you find a spot that sounds good, and put the mic there.
 
steve, i'm not too keen on the sound when the kit is split up in that way i also want to eliminate polarity problems, plus i just like the sound of a kit recorded with one mic in mono. i think you kind of cheat when you record with so many mics around the kit, because you can then later go in and adjust levels of each part of the kit. i'd rather perfect my performance and record with one mic - put it this way i'm a glutton for punishment:D

ermghoti, sounds like you know what i'm after. thanks for pointing toward the CAD M179, i'd never even heard of cad before!! do you think it's a better buy than these

rode m3, nt1a
cad trion 7000

sorry about this lads but i have no experiance with mic models and manufacturors and have no way of trying before buying.
 
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I at a disadvantage in that I haven't played with any of these personally. I based my recommendation of the M179 on a volume of clips, and repected forumites that praise it. That said, it is a three-pattern mic, which makes it arguably more flexible than the NT1a. The NT1a got hyperbolic praise when it came out, but at the time, there were very few options for affordable LDCs, and the buzz has quieted. The M3 might well be fine, but you'll save a little money with the 179. The Trion is a ribbon, my very limited experience with ribbons as drum room mics have been unsatisfying. Either they need too much gain, or I suck.
 
minimalist = x/y overheads... anyone? althogh oldschool 3 mic setups sound pretty organic
 
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