All set up again! Ready to track some cool grooves over here…

From what I have researched for dynamic mics, the Shure SM57 is the way to start for anything drums. Everyone recording from the bedroom studio to million dollar facilities have a number of these because of the “papery” familiar sound it gives on snares and guitar amplifier cabinets.

My first dynamic mic setup consisted of one 57 over the ride cymbal pointing at the snare plus a Beta 57 in the kick. Using just these two you can instantly hear the drum sound from all your favorite records. When it came up mic up my toms, I luckily found a KILLER deal on a pair of Sennheiser’s for the rack and floor. 421’s do NOT disappoint when it comes to toms, super full and punchy tones easily.

These Drum Cube’s are the first and last of the MXL mics I used while learning to record, so I’ll keep them forever! I use them for overheads but I typically tame their brightness a bit in the mix. They get a nice spread if you have the room to distance them out, my last rehearsal room had more space which allowed me to experiment a lot with these.

Since my drums are now in a smaller space, I’m considering replacing the Cubes with pencil condensers to focus on the cymbals only, and possibly swapping the Spark for a 47 clone on the outside kick.

Gear List:
Kick In – Shure Beta 52
Kick Out – Blue Spark
Snare Top/Bottom – Shure SM57 (2)
Rack and Floor Toms – Sennheiser MD-421II (2)
Overheads – MXL Drum Cube (2)
Mono Room (Not Shown) – AKG 414XLII