Microphones are not all built the same, and looking for the best overhead drum mics to meet your specific needs is important. These reviews are designed to help locate products that will accurately record your drum playing.
| Product | Features | Rating | Checkout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Shure SM57-LCCheck price |
Mic purpose (which drum or cymbal): Snare Home or Studio usage: Studio |
5 of 5 | Check price |
| 2 |  AKG C214Check price |
Mic purpose (which drum or cymbal): Toms Home or Studio usage: Studio |
4.9 of 5 | Check price |
| 3 |  Electro Voice RE-20Check price |
Mic purpose (which drum or cymbal): Crash Home or Studio usage: Home |
4.9 of 5 | Check price |
| 4 |  LyxPro SDPC-2 StereoCheck price |
Mic purpose (which drum or cymbal): Snare Home or Studio usage: Home |
4.8 of 5 | Check price |
| 5 |  Rode M5-MPCheck price |
Mic purpose (which drum or cymbal): Floor-Toms Home or Studio usage: Studio |
4.8 of 5 | Check price |
| 6 |  Shure BETA 52ACheck price |
Mic purpose (which drum or cymbal): Kick Home or Studio usage: Studio |
4.8 of 5 | Check price |
Shure SM57-LC - Best Overhead Drum Mics
Key Features:
It won’t distort when used with snare drums.
Popular in studios for recording multiple instruments.
AKG C214 - Best Overhead Drum Mics for Recording
Key Features:
Good with the Toms and most other drumheads.
Offers strong recordings made for the studio.
Electro Voice RE-20 - Best Cymbal Mics
Key Features:
Great for your Crash cymbals.
This is a top-end home device.
LyxPro SDPC-2 Stereo - Best Snare Drum Mics
Key Features:
Captures snare sounds cleanly without error.
Its pencil design great for home uses.
Rode M5-MP - Best Condenser Mic for Drums
Key Features:
Their low-end makes them great with floor-toms.
A price-friendly studio option.
Shure BETA 52A - Best Kick Drum Microphone
Key Features:
It’s designed to work with kick and tom drums
This is made to capture studio-quality recordings.
The best drum mics reviews
We understand your dilemma completely.With the large array of products available today, it can be hard to determine what the product will be better for your kit. While the concept and designs of microphones can be straightforward, it can be difficult when applying those features that are offered for capturing your best sounds.
What follows is actionable information you can use when addressing some of the major issues surrounding overhead microphones, including:
- What microphones do around drum kits
- Determining what sound quality needed
- Matching those needs with a budget
What To Look For In Drum Overhead Mics
At their most basic level, a microphone (also called a “mic” or “mike”) is a transducer that converts sound into electrical energy.
Overhead microphones are used for capturing live recordings, picking up musical blends as well as the instrument sounds themselves. Your best overhead drum microphones are also used for focusing on full kits while recording all drums in stereo instead of mono.
Any mic used for recording live performances needs to have a solid build that can withstand constant adjustments and occasional mishits from drumsticks. These devices should also offer you easy breakdown and transport from different recording locations.
Main Features in Overhead Microphone
Mic Purpose
While the purpose of a microphone is obviously to capture sound, it is the placement of the mike that will determine what is picked up during your jam. You might be able to determine great locations based upon the style of music being recorded.
For example:
- Atmosphere heavy music such as Jazz benefit from locations that gather sounds from all of the pieces at once.
- Styles that emphasize each instrument, such as rock, are captured better from locations that focus on individual
In order to record drumming in stereo, at least two microphones will be needed. Locating these over the set makes for a good placement for cymbal mics, while positioning one more towards your side will convert it into a hi hat mic. Bringing them lower can convert them into bass, snare, or tom mics.
Home or Studio Recording?
Mike features and varieties will help to determine which device may be better suited for home or studio recording sessions. Most microphones used to capture music come in one of two configurations that allow them to thrive in your home or studio environment.
- Condenser designs– Condenser mics for drums require power to operate. This equipment is capable of recording a larger range of sound, including incredibly low or very high frequencies.
Their increased sensitivity allows them to acquire sounds at a greater distance. These features, along with the fact that they are less durable than dynamic gear, makes these better suited as studio recording microphones.
- Dynamic designs– Dynamic microphones do not require power to work, making them nice for recording drums at home. While their frequency range isn’t as great, this type of mike does color sounds in the 5 – 10 KHz range nicely.
These products can withstand higher sound levels, making them ideal for placing close to drum pieces. The dynamic design also tends to be more durable. These features make them good room mics for drums with limited spaces that may occasionally get hit or require frequent handling.
Condenser Microphones Make Better Overhead Gear
Due to their capabilities of capturing a wider frequency range and increased sensitivity levels, condenser mics work better in overhead positions then dynamic equipment can. Drummers will also appreciate the higher frequency rating as well as flatter response of condenser equipment that can pick up more details. This includes quick strikes from a drummer’s sticks.
This style of mike is also more versatile, depending upon the diaphragm size. The sensitivity of larger diaphragms can pick up kick and toms, while smaller diaphragms will sense higher frequency cymbals more effectively.
Consider Your Budget
Drummers, as well as aspiring producers or sound engineers, may wonder if decent live recording microphones need to cost a lot? The answer is, probably not as much as you might think.
A good quality microphone will start at about 100 dollars per mic. Anything below this will not be worth it. While you may find products as low as 50 bucks, these items will lack durability and you will need to replace them much sooner than they should need to be.
Another consideration is sensitivity on extremely cheap mikes. They tend to lack a decent range and signals may even be intermittent to some extent. Even bargain-priced items listing great features will be cheaply assembled with inferior components.
Prices ranging from 100 – 200 dollars will provide you with a quality microphone that is made to last while providing you with good sound capture capabilities. Remember that recording drums in stereo will require at least two mics, so that means that your budget should be at least a couple of hundred dollars at the minimum.
Dynamic designs offer more durability with fewer components, making these decent budget drum mics. Their lower price point is necessary, however, as your recording set-up will probably need more than two (especially with music driven by the individual instruments such as hard rock).
That being said, condenser designs do make the best cheap overhead mics. Their range and sensitivity make them a better choice for overhead positions, and that allows you to build great recording ability with just two devices. Highlighting specific pieces in the kit can be aided by selecting the proper diaphragm size.
These features could push the price up a bit but you should still be able to grab a couple of quality condenser microphones for roughly 300 – 400 dollars! You won’t need to break the bank!
Their frequency range, ability to work with external devices such as pre-amps, as well as their overall design are worth consideration. Pairings these to recording assignments will help.
Best overhead mics for drums
Even the best microphones will not capture quality recordings unless they are properly used. We have observed that two questions come up more often than any other in regards to mics for drum kits and have included their answers below.
It is important to select the best devices for the job they are performing. Proper selections provide cleaner sounds that represent your musicianship.
What are the best drum mics?
Often, units used to record drums are categorized as either of the following:
Drum mic kits – Attached to various points on the kit.
Overhead mics – Attached away from the drums.
In many instances, overhead can be more desirable. The best overhead microphones for drums need to capture a wide range of sound frequencies in multiple patterns.
What type of microphone is best for recording drums?
Two favored microphones for recording drums are the:
Condenser mic – Use two plates for recording, with sounds moving them.
Dynamic mic – Use induction coils and electro-magnetics to capture sounds through them.
For those at home recording drums, multiple devices will be needed to capture their drum kit’s full sound without rattling or rumbling.
The best overhead drum mics – who sounds better?
We rate the best overhead drum mics reviewed above to be the Shure SM57-LC. This item generates studio quality sounds over your kit. Mid to high frequencies, like the snare, are grabbed without distorting the recording.
You’ll be able to use it on a wide range of instruments effectively. It can also help to eliminate background noises when concentrating on a single audible source is required.
We suggest that you also look into the other microphones, all of which offer benefits that include:
AKG C214 – A studio option for those needing all but very low-frequency drum sounds.
Electro Voice RE-20 – For those needing to capture higher frequencies associated with cymbals.
LyxPro SDPC-2 Stereo – Suggested if you want to record your snare play clearly.
Rode M5 Compact 1/2″ – Recommended for those looking for a cost-friendly workhorse.
Shure BETA 52A – Highly recommended if you’ll be focusing on your bass drums and floor toms.
In the intervals between recordings, do not forget to practice. In this case, we have prepared for you a selection of the 4 best drum pads.