Overhead Drum Mics

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Jwl9brla

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I Know this has been done before but I'm going to try to narrow it down to what will work with what I have. My plan is to mic the bass drum with the beta 52a, the snare with an sm57 and then add two over head Mics which will be kindof the cream of the crop of my drum sound and then maybe expand later by micing each Tom and highhat. But right now I'm just thinking about bass drum, snare, and two overheads. What would be a good pair of overheads that are good for a medium budget?
 
Get some pencil condensers. Like the mxl 991.. I use digital reference dr-hx1 that came with a mic kit. They sound totally fine.
 
Thanks MaVN, but I was thinking more along the lines of a higher end mic. The way that the sm57 and beta 52 will always be accepted no matter where you are is the same idea I'm going for with the overheads. I would like something relatively inexpensive but that will still be with me as I continue to upgrade. Thanks.
 
Rode NT5's are good, and I'm starting to use Fat Head Ribbons too. NT5 for $450, and Fat Head for $350 a pair are both great deals and will be used well into the future. Plus they sound good on acoustic guitars, and the Fat Heads on cabs.

NT5 is a bit dark according to some, but I've liked them on drum OH, and on acoustic guitars (stereo or mono). Fat Heads, like most ribbons, are very natural sounding and, in my experience, require a higher ceiling and pres with plenty of gain.

I use sm57 and Beta 52 as well most of the time. Either set of mics will do well for overheads, my problem is that I suck at drums so the mics are not the limiting factor.
 
What technique are you going to use? Musicman, Glyn Johns, etc etc? Room Mic?
 
I like the studio project c4s, sennheiser e914, e614.

The rodes are nice but I find them harsh.
The fatheads are excellent.
If you have the money:
I like a pair of akg 414 or 214.
and neumann km184
 
I haven't found the NT5's to be too harsh. I have more experience with them as acoustic mics, not so much with OH, but I think they are fine for both. The "harshness" can be eliminated with some cut around 5-7khz, but like I said, I don't find them to be harsh. Different rooms and different technique etc. can probably lead us to different results.
 
aaronmcoleman said:
I haven't found the NT5's to be too harsh. I have more experience with them as acoustic mics, not so much with OH, but I think they are fine for both. The "harshness" can be eliminated with some cut around 5-7khz, but like I said, I don't find them to be harsh. Different rooms and different technique etc. can probably lead us to different results.
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They aren't bad, I own them and use them but as well mostly on acoustic for overheads they aren't my first choice.
 
canada_Rokzz...

Well, I don't know what that means but I saw a video with a guy who sort of toed the two overhead mics away from each other so the two mics didn't create a phasing issue. I think I've heard it referred to as the X/Y pattern. I'll probably do that.
 
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Look up (google) some drum micing techniques. I am by no means an expert, but it is kinda hard to place them and not get too phasey without following some tried and true tips. I like Glyn Johns method, but others may work better. Google it and see what you like.

Also, I agree NT5s are not my first choice anymore for OH.
 
I prefer sm81s over nt5s. sm81s aren't too dear, and they're good to go on acoustic guitars and that kind of thing as well.
 
Regarding overhead choices, my favorite budget OH mic is the CAD M179, a multipattern large-diaphragm condenser. If your room sounds great, try ORTF or mid-side. If you're not sure about your room sound, try Recorderman in Cardioid or even Hypercardioid.

In general, the lower your mics are the less room sound you'll get.

The M179 is a clean, neutral sounding mic with a built-in pad. It needs a full 48V phantom power, so it might not work as well with preamps that cut corners on the phantom supply voltage.

You can pick these up for less than $150 apiece, and they're worth twice that, maybe 3x that. At the moment I see a sale price of $109 apiece. Get 'em while you can!

Specs, details, and sale prices:
CAD Audio M179 | RecordingHacks.com

These mics are great on toms, too. They're a bit big for the application, but if you have the space you'll get a great tone and attack. As an all-purpose studio condenser these just can't be beat for the price.
 
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