Finding the best drum mics is a challenge that every drummer has to face.
Just like humans, not all mics are the same.
Some work great while others make you feel like you just wasted your money.
One of the biggest challenges is finding a mic that works best for YOU.
There are several excellent options in the market, and most of them are specifically designed to fit just the right set of drums. Toms, snares, you name it.
But you know what?
I’m going to make the task easy for you.
I have done in-depth research, and by that, I mean GENUINE market research so that I may bring you the ultimate products.
Don’t believe me?
When you’re done reading this article, you will.
Thrilled?
Let’s go. Let’s talk about the best drum mics!.
What Are The Best Drum Mics On The market?
Jumping straight into the topic, I’ll present you the list of the best drum mics.
To make sure there’s no partiality involved, I turned my ear to what the customers are saying about the products I will mention, and why they love them.
Let’s dive into the products. Shall we?
Best Drum Mics For Drum Sets
This category covers the mic that does the job for starters, especially those who wish to record at their home studios using their Drum Recording Interface.
So, you just set it beside your drum set, and it’ll do the job pretty well.
Have a look at our selection
1. Shure Beta 56A
With a frequency response of 50 – 16000 Hz, the Shure Beta 56A is the best option for regular drum sets.
Compact Design, Neodymium Magnet, and Steel Mesh Grille are some of the notable features.
The 56A has an excellent off-axis sound rejection system so you get the perfect punch.
Shure Beta 56A Pros:
- Compact design
- Great noise cancellation
- Easy assembly
Shure Beta 56A Cons:
- Not the best drum mic for a snare drum
Why do the customers love this mic?
The customer believes that it’s a great competitor to the top-end expensive mics.
Besides drums, some people use it for singing too which shows how versatile this mic is.
Have a look at some customer reviews:
2. Sennheiser e 604 Dynamic Cardioid Instrument Microphone
Sennheiser e 604 works great with high SPLs and gives a well-balanced sound with an excellent noise reduction profile.
The transient response is also pretty quick so you have the best experience.
It comes with an integrated mount so you can fit it wherever you want.
Sennheiser e 604 Pros:
- Excellent build quality
- Great for starters
Sennheiser e 604 Cons:
- The drum mic can be difficult to mount
Why do the customers love it?
The customers consider it a great option for those with a tight budget. According to the customers, the sound quality isn’t that great, but it usually does the job.
Have a look at some customer reviews:
Best Drum Mics For Kick Drums
Shure Beta 52A
The beta 52A comes with a wide frequency range between 20 and 10,000 Hz. It is a dynamic supercardiod kick drum mic that adapts well to high-pressure levels.
Please note, you can read our complete guide on the best kick mics.
Shure Beta 52A Pros:
- Excellent build quality
- Great noise cancellation
- Durable
Shure Beta 52A Cons:
- The mic is bulky
- Has some issues with sound without equalization
Why do the customers love it?
The customers consider it a mic of “industry standard” and love the punch it adds.
Have a look at some customer reviews:
Best Drum Mic For Toms Drum Kit
Audix D-2 Drum Microphone
Audix D-2 is one of the most super friendly tom mics as it is an excellent hyperdioid mic with a frequency range from 44 to 18,000 Hz. The excellent built-in noise rejection makes your toms sound just perfect!
Audix D-2 Pros:
- Strong aluminum build
- VLM noise cancellation technology
- Sound clarity
- The best drum mic for a Toms drum kit
Audix D-2 Cons:
- Not very good for low-end frequencies
Why do the customers love the Audix D-2 drum mic?
The customers appreciate the value for money massively especially when it comes to home studios.
However, according to the customers, the D2 is not very good for floor toms.
Have a look at some customer reviews:
Best Drum Mic For Snares
Sennheiser MD 421-II Drum Microphone
Snare drums, guitar amps, bass amps you name it. Sennheiser MD 421-II snare mic has a roll-off switch having 5 positions making it truly versatile.
Sennheiser MD 421-II Pros:
- Very versatile
- Premium build quality
- Excellent audio quality for loud SPL instruments
- The best drum mic for snares
Sennheiser MD 421-II Cons:
- The stand isn’t very user-friendly
Why do the customers love it?
According to the customers, this mic is just great for any drum. The mic is, however, large for some customers to adjust with their snare and toms. Plain and simple: It’s one of the best in the market.
Have a look at some customer reviews:
Best Clip Mic For Drums
Shure Beta 98AD/C Drum Mic
The Beta 98AD/C is the best compact solution for your drums if you want it all light.
It gives you high output and with the installed cardioid pattern, it picks up sound more readily than similar clip mics in the market.
Shure Beta 98AD/C Pros:
- Works well for both snares and toms
- Flexibility
- Compactness
- Goes great with high SPL settings
- The best clip mic for drums
Shure Beta 98AD/C Cons:
- Not great for hit-hats
Why do the customers love it?
The customers appear to love the compactness and easy assembly. It gave customers great output when they established it with snares especially.
Have a look at some customer reviews:
Best Drum Mic Kits
Done with the individual mics, now let’s switch to full drum mic kits.
Confused when to go for a full kit and when for individual mics?
Well, there is no hard and fast rule here.
Generally, people like to start with full kits.
When one of the mics stops working or say they don’t like the output for a particular mic, they go for individual ones.
So, if you are just starting out you may want to start with a full-fledged kit.
Let’s look at the best options in the market.
Which Drum Mic Kit Is The Best For Starters?
To find the best drum mic kit for beginners, besides great performance, we carefully looked at the “price tags”.
Have a look at what I believe to be the best option out there:
Shure DMK57-52 Drum Mic Kit
Shure DMK57-52 kit comes with 4 mics; a beta 52A for your kick drum and three SM57s for your toms and snare.
The beta 52A is great for a low-end punch and comes with a built-in shock pneumatic mount so you just let it sit beside your kick drum, and it will do the job.
Looking at the SM57s, these are great for picking up those low frequencies and give you a crispy sound.
Besides the mics, you get three A56D drum mounts to help you adjust your mics the way you want.
Shure DMK57-52 Pros:
- Set-up is easy
- Affordable
- High-quality sound
- The best complete drum mic kit for beginners
Shure DMK57-52 Cons:
- Clamps aren’t that great
Why do the customers love it?
The customers look awed at the value they get for the price since this kit is a pretty affordable option.
However, the clamps were disturbing for some of them.
Have a look at some customer reviews:
Which Drum Mic Kit Is The Best For Professional Drummers?
Now comes the turn for the ultimate drum microphone kit.
You have the budget, but finding the kit that doesn’t die out during a rocking performance is a challenge with so many options.
Don’t worry, we got your back.
Have a look at our pick:
Audix DP7 Drum Microphone Kit
This 7-mic professional kit is the monster when it comes to long-lasting performance and premium quality. The kit containsone D6 mic for kick drum, one I5 for snare drum, two D2 for rack Toms and one D4 for floor tom.
The kit also contains two ADX51 for overheads, four dvice gooseneck rim mount clips, one clip for D6 and one aluminum road case. All the stuff comes in a solid professional looking case.
All the mics come with strong dynamic elements and wide frequency ranges that cater to all your needs.
The aluminum finish gives each mic a premium feel.
Audix DP7 Pros:
- Lots of quality checks
- Suitability for high SPL instruments
- Very versatile
Audix DP7 Cons:
- This microphone is more expensive
Why do the customers love it?
We could not find many customer reviews for the product to give a genuine verdict. From what we found, this kit is the go-to for all the pros out there.
Have a look at the customer review that we found:
How Many Drum Mics Do You Need?
This is the question you must have heard many times without a clear answer.
The thing is: It depends on certain factors.
One of these factors is the size of the room or studio where you perform. If it’s like a teeny tiny room, you may do well with just ‘one’.
However, when it comes to a live performance you’ll need somewhere from four to eight mics.
Usually eight is the standard number of mics you’ll need if you have separate mics for your snare, toms, kick, cymbals and hi-hat.
But there are drum artists who can get similar results using just four mics positioned in a certain way.
So, how many mics do you really need?
Well, that’s for you to decide.
What works for others should not necessarily work for you. So, you may need to experiment a little.
Final Thoughts On The Best Drum Mics
Congratulations!
You now have a good idea about the best mics for your drum set. Be it your toms, your snare or your kick drum, you know what to go for.
There’s a wide variety of options in the market. You don’t get to replace the mics every week. So, make the right choice today.
Did you find the perfect mics for your drum sets on our list?
Have you tried any of them before? How was your experience?
Let’s talk about them in the comments.