Which mics to record drums

Features include nine polar patterns, a peak LED, lock mode, and three hi-pass filters. It ships with a carrying case, both shock and stand mounts, and pop filter for use as a vocal mic.

It comes with a stand mount and soft protective pouch. Hi-Hat Along with the other cymbals, the hi-hat sizzles at the top of the mix providing much needed off-beat support to the rest of the kit. Because of its high SPL capacity dB , it can be used to record snare, hi-hat, and overheads as well hand percussion and acoustic instruments.

It comes with a stereo bar, flight case, and two sE5 shock mounts. It sounds great on a hi-hat, as a drum overhead, on hand percussion, acoustic guitar, and as a room mic.

Toms Essential for bringing the boom and definition to Tom hits, these mics need to be both focused and full range to bring the best results. It includes an integral selectable, five position high-pass filter, and built-in stand mount. Not only can it handle high SPL around a drum kit, but it also sounds fantastic on acoustic guitar, vocals, on guitar amps, upright bass and many, many more applications.

More Info…. Using these to record your drum overheads will give you a much fuller image of the kit than Behringer C-2s. Read More…. Many prefer using large diaphragm condensers on the overheads when recording drums.

The downside of going this route is that the cost can go way up for the overheads. However, there are plenty of affordable options out there and one of the leading examples is the Audio Technica AT These are much higher budget microphones than other options in this section.

In the interest of showing both sides of the spectrum I wanted to include them in the list. As previously mentioned, you get what you pay for. In this case that means a high quality, versatile mic that will give you a beautiful image of your drum kit. Both are nice options for higher end entry level equipment. The kick drum is the foundation of the entire kit and an important element to get right.

Depending on the song it can have an aggressive sound or a more mellow tone. Either way the kick is integral for keeping all other musical elements locked into the tempo of a track. Aside from the overheads the kick should be the first thing that you mic and there are plenty of ways you can go about doing so.

The problem with these mics for home studios is:. Just like with toms…. However, if you do decide to mic them separately…. The standard option is a small diaphragm condenser mic. Add up the cost of each one, and the total price tag is more than most home studios prefer to spend.

So one way to save money as well as time , is to buy a drum mic bundle instead. And if those are too pricey, here are 3 more options :. However, for the lucky few with enough space , and enough gear … A well recorded track of acoustic drums can be the difference between a song that sounds like it was done… Well… at home … …and one that sounds like it came from a real studio.

But first… Prioritizing… To cover a standard kit, an engineer could use anywhere from two to a dozen-or-so mics depending on: how many are available how many are needed to achieve a desired sound And since most home studios have far less mics that they would prefer… My plan today is to help you prioritize them by introducing each one in-order of importance. First up… 1. So for us average guys on a working-class budget, this article offers some great alternatives: The Ultimate Guide to Condenser Microphones for Home Recording Up next… 2.

The large size of the diaphragm tends to require higher sound-pressure levels SPLs in order to begin to move and pick up signals, but drums easily meet this requirement. Condenser microphones are quickly catching up to dynamics in terms of drumset use, and most setups will be a mix of the two types. They not only have nice performance characteristics, but they are very low profile and discreet. Condensers operate via the electrostatic principle a stationary electric charge and consist of two charge plates: one fixed backplate and another movable plate.

There are no coils involved, making condensers more lightweight than other microphones, but these mics generally require an outside power source referred to as phantom power to charge the plates and boost the output signal. In terms of picking up a signal, condensers are also much more sensitive than dynamic microphones. Like dynamics, ribbon microphones work via electromagnetic induction.

Instead of a diaphragm, they use a thin aluminum ribbon suspended between the poles of a magnet. Ribbon mics generate a very smooth response but tend to be extremely fragile. That said, newer ribbon models have become much more rugged.

If the ribbon is built to withstand the SPL, it produces a very warm sound. Miking drums, whether for live sound or studio recording, is a very subjective process.