How do you set up mics for drums?
David Craig
Updated on March 30, 2026
Place a stereo mic placed about 6 feet in front of the drum kit at about 6 or 7 feet high. Angle the mic down at a 45 degree angle towards the middle of the kit like the figure on the left. Any mic will work in this position if a stereo mic isn’t available.
How Many mics do you need to record drums?
While standard professional drum-recording scenarios involve at least eight or nine microphones, history has colorfully proven that quite the contrary can also be just as kosher. It is in fact very possible to get great-sounding drum tracks with only a few choice microphones.
How can I make my drum recordings sound better?
10 ways to make better drum recordings
- Skins, sticks and beaters. It’s much easier to get volume, clarity and brightness from a new set of drumheads.
- Tune up.
- Bottom heads on toms.
- Front head on the kick or not?
- Tighten the kick drum.
- Playing to a click.
- Prepare the click for gaps.
- Get a crappy mic.
Where do overhead drum mics go?
Position the mics low above the cymbals to remove emphasis from the rest of the kit. Position them at a higher elevation for a more balanced sound. The farther apart you position the microphones, the wider your stereo image will become.
Do you need to mic drums?
Miking up a drum kit on stage isn’t always necessary or possible in small venues. However, if the size of the room and the PA system can handle it, even a single mic on the kick drum can really contribute to the live mix. As for choice, I would ideally choose dynamic microphones.
What does the third mic do on a drum mix?
The third mic will be positioned as a close mic on the kick drum. The purpose of this mic is to fill in the kick drum so that it is more apparent and punchy in the drum mix. Otherwise, it would get lost underneath everything else in the final mix, making the drums lose a bit of punch.
How far should a microphone be from the drum center?
You can also position mics as far away from the drums as possible, given the size of the room you’re recording in. A pair of LDCs, spaced 90 degrees apart from the drum center, works well.
How do you MIC a live drum set up?
One mic directly over the kit, about 40 inches high, and looking directly down at the snare drum. A second mic at the 3 o’clock position to the floor tom (drummer’s perspective), about 1 or 2 feet above the rim of the tom, looking across the kit to the hi-hat, and 40 inches from the snare drum.
What is the best overhead miking setup for a drum kit?
The most common overhead miking setup is probably two spaced cardioids above the drums over the left and right sides of the kit. I’ve tried using mic pairs in XY or even in M-S (mid-side) over the drums, but I generally go back to a spaced pair.
