To record or amplify the sound of a drum kit, you need microphones - a lot of microphones. In our range of drum microphone sets, you'll find the right combination of snare-and-tom microphones, kick drum microphones and overheads so you can build a stage, studio or home set-up.
Buying a Drum Mic Kit
To save you the time and fuss, big names in the microphone industry like Shure and Sennheiser offer up complete drum microphone kits. These sets are available in various configurations, where the standard sets include the microphones needed to mike up your kick, snare and maybe two or three toms - so enough for small gigs. More extensive kits usually also include two condenser microphones that can be mounted as overhead microphones to add a little definition to the sound of your hi-hats and ride cymbal.
Microphones for Percussion Instruments
The same microphones you'd use to capture toms and snares can be used to record other percussion instruments fitted with a drumhead, such as congas and bongos. In our range of Microphone Clamps & Extensions, you can find special mounts to help you secure a microphone to a percussion instrument. If you've got a cajon, you'll want to use to a bass drum microphone or a boundary microphone, either of which can be placed on a little pillow and stuck inside of the cajon. For tambourines, headless tambourines, shakers and other small percussion instruments, a condenser microphone is almost always the way to go.
Bass Drum Microphones
To properly record or amplify a bass drum, you're going to need a microphone that offers ample low-end reach and a high maximum sound pressure level. All-rounders like the Electro Voice RE20, the Neumann U 47 FET and the Sennheiser MD 421 have been a popular pick for the job for decades, but you could also get a purpose-made bass drum microphone. Bass drum microphones offer a custom frequency response (a kind of built-in EQ preset), which makes sure that the mid-range frequencies that would normally lend a more hollow character to your sound are reined in, while the low-end 'punch' and the high-end 'click' are boosted.
Overhead Microphones for Sparkling Cymbal Sound
As their name suggests, overhead microphones are suspended above the drum kit for sonic cohesion. For close-miking snares, toms and kick drums, you'll want to use dynamic instrument microphones since these aren't as sensitive and can handle quite a high sound pressure level. Since overheads play a decisive role in the overall sound of your cymbals, the task is usually taken on by a pair of condenser microphones, which sound more natural and are better at registering high frequencies than dynamic microphones.
Drum Microphone Accessories
A case full of drum microphones alone isn't enough to mike up a drum kit, you're also going to need the right microphone stands. For the overheads, you'll need a tall boom mic stand that comes fitted with a stable base, while snare and bass drums typically require an extra-low stand. If you're setting up on stage, you'll also want to grab a few microphone clamps for your toms and snare to avoid littering the stage with stands. Complete drum microphone kits often include these clamps, but you can also pick up what you need in our range of Microphone Clamps & Extensions.
