Drum mics?

[Newsboy]

So, what does everyone use for drum mics? Like, what kind of mic do you use for snare, tom-toms, kick, hats, cymbals, etc.
I just want to compare because I noticed almost everyone here gets a better drum recording than I do and I wonder if at least half of it isn't my mic selection.

[ferguson66]

Kick - Audix D-6
Snare Top - Shure SM57
Snare Bottom - Audix F10
Stereo Overheads - pair of Shure KSM32's or pair of Audix F15's
Toms - Audix F10
Floor Tom - Audix F14

I started with the Audix Fusion pack (the F series mics) and they sounded fine. What I really learned however was not which mics I was using but rather mic placement and drum tuning. I spent a LOT of time just moving mics around and playing with each drums tuning then recording to see how the sound changed.

The room you are recording in also has a great impact, especially for the stereo overheads or if you are going to use room mics.

Then I spent an equal amount of time researching and playing with compression and EQ plug-ins. shelving lows off the overheads, shelving highs off the kick, fattening the kick, tweaking the snare, etc. What I learned here is that less is more. I don't really plug-in the hell out of my drums but this exercise really taught me a lot about drum sounds and frequencies.

I would suggest you take the mics you have and start experimenting with mic placement. Get the best sound you can and then start playing around with EQ. Just get crazy and do a lot of "what if I..." stuff. You will learn a lot about drum sounds, what sounds good at what frequency and what sounds bad.

Then borrow a good kick mic and a Shure SM57 for the snare, swap em with your mics and listen for the differences.

[Newsboy]

Admittedly, the only place I can record my drums is in a garage which has your typical garage stuff in it. It's a horrible room but it's what I've got. As far as mics go I have a Peavey PVM DMS-5 kit which I DON'T recommend for recording...at least not my drums. The kick drum mic in particular does not handle spl the way I expect a kick drum mic to. I will get either the Audix D-6 or the AKG D112 shortly. For snare I already use an SM57 cuz to hell with the supposed snare mic that came in the Peavey kit. I've only ever mic'd the top of my snare but I'll see what happens if I mic the bottom too.
I've heard micing both sides of the kick drum can be good too if you've got two good kick drum mics?
As far as overheads go, that's pretty much out of the question in the room I'm working with. The ambience is disgusting. I've found my best bet is using dynamics to mic individual cymbals. I lose A LOT by doing this but it sounds better than hanging a pair of condensers to pick up that beautiful room boom.

[Newsboy]

Buy Audix DP 5A 5-Piece Drum Mic Kit online at Musician's Friend

What if I just got this kit?

[ferguson66]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Buy Audix DP 5A 5-Piece Drum Mic Kit online at Musician's Friend

What if I just got this kit?

That would definitely be a good mic setup, although I have never tried to record without overheads. I started with this kit and it works out great and the D series mics are a good step up in quality from the F series. Maybe you could try the I-5 on the snare bottom or switch the SM57 to the bottom and try it on top. Just be sure to reverse the phase on one in the mix.

Buy Audix Fusion 7 7-PieceDrum Mic Kit online at Musician's Friend

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by ferguson66

That would definitely be a good mic setup, although I have never tried to record without overheads. I started with this kit and it works out great and the D series mics are a good step up in quality from the F series. Maybe you could try the I-5 on the snare bottom or switch the SM57 to the bottom and try it on top. Just be sure to reverse the phase on one in the mix.

Buy Audix Fusion 7 7-PieceDrum Mic Kit online at Musician's Friend

Cool, I'll definately try recording snare with two mics because the biggest difference I noticed between my recordings and most others on this sight is how much fuller others' snare sound is.
I also know I am losing so much by recording without overheads but there are so many issues right now pertaining to me recording drums with condensers (room is only one issue) that it just isn't possible.

[magno]

What I use
Kick-Audio-Technica ATM41a
Snare-AKG D125
Tom tom-Audio-Technica ATM41a
floor tom-Audio-Technica ATM41a
Overheads-Behringer C-2 x2
But maybe I need new drums, or maybe learn to play.
Here's a sample to make you feel/sound better.
Maybe just a new kick drum mic?
You should post a sample of yours so we can compare, and maybe others can too.

[Newsboy]

Okay, this recording was made using a Peavey PVM-321 kick drum mic, a SM57 on top of the snare and a Peavey PVM-325 under the snare, and two Peavey Diamond 22s as makeshift "overheads"
Hmm, I guess it's not my usual setup but it's what I used to record my last song and I think until I figure out something better I'm sticking with it.

One thing that should be noted is this is a piccallo snare.

[thesilentdrummer]

My setup:

Sm57 on snare
Audix D6 on Kick
Shure PG57 on toms (x3)
No OH's at this time/this recording


The name of the game is tuning. Then comes mic placement, the mic choice. Tune up your drums good. Listen to the recorded sound, and move the mics accordingly.

If you have to "fix it in the mix", you are failing as a drummer. The drums need to sound good where ever you record them or you're screwed. Raw drum tracks, with exception of maybe the kick, should sound pretty usable in a final mix. However, things like compression, limiting, and EQ should be used to make the drums sound better if necessary/possible.

[Ryan D]

Hmm, interesting sounds I'm hearing here.

My setup is an SM57 on the snare, and 3 Nady SP-5 microphones I got as a pack of 3 for $20 on the kick, high, and middle toms. Yeah, it's strange, but it seems to work out alright for me.

Terrible playing on my side, but I think the toms sound pretty good, at least for a $20 microphone on two.