The Best Drum Mic Kits in 2024: Mics for Studio and Home For All Budgets

Are you on a noble quest to record drums with the best drum mics known to man? But perhaps you often find yourself bewildered, fearful and alone when sifting through the many options, and wondering which mics are absolutely necessary. 

Cease your quaking, because this Headliner guide is here to bring your search to an end. Whether you’re looking to record for a band, your solo drum performances, or to make live videos for YouTube or elsewhere, let’s go through eight of the best drum mic kits for a variety of budgets, starting with the most affordable. So, with sticks in hand, let’s have a bash.

Shure PGADRUMKIT7

A fantastic set of drum mics, including seven bearing the Shure name, only costing around £/$500. You’d better believe it, and if you do a quick search, there are deals to be found that shave one hundred or two pounds off that price. Because the Shure logo is on each mic, you can trust in the brand’s tough build quality, and the trademark sound quality. You can unleash upon your drum kit the PGA57 (snare), a PGA52 (bass drum), 2 x PGA81 condenser mics and three PGA56 tom mics.

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Audio-Technica ATM-DRUM4

If buying a set of drum mics at the £/$500 mark is what leaves you salivating, then next up is Audio-Technica’s ATM-DRUM4. This kit is also for those who aren’t fussed about the close-mic approach to recording their drums, rather happy with a more natural sound and reinforcement — e.g. two overhead mics, and mics for the snare and kick being what you’re after. The overheads are two pencil condensers, and then dynamic mics for the rest. A great kit at a great price to achieve a nicely balanced drum sound.

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Shure DMK57-52

The idiom ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ also loosely translates to ‘Shure microphones are invincible and immortal.’ Possibly. The point is, buy a set of Shure drum mics, and it might be the last time you ever have to buy a set. Build quality aside, they are also super versatile and flexible for different use cases. This particular set of drum mics only includes four mics and doesn’t include overheads, but you can even use two SM57s as overheads initially, such is their versatility. The fact you get three SM57s, simply one of the greatest mics ever, included in a kit that will cost you less than £/$700, really is something.

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Audix DP7

Audix has plenty of skin in the drum game, with many drummers and engineers appreciating the brand’s ‘pre-EQ’d’ drum sounds — if you don’t love it when your kit produces some gritty frequencies, the Audix sound can really come in handy. These mics for drums set, as the name suggests, provides you with mics from the Audix D-series. The D6, two D2s, D4, two ADX51 condenser mics, and the i5. Wonderful stuff, and you should be able to get them for less than £/$900.

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Audix Studio Elite 8

Excellent sound quality, build quality, and versatility? Check, check, and check for the Studio Elite 8 from Audix. This kit includes a range of dynamic microphones that are designed for elite drum recording (as it says on the tin), including the beastly D6 kick drum mic, the detail-capturing i5 snare mic, and the flexible D4 and D2 tom mics. The included SCX25A and SCX1 microphones are the ones for overhead and hi-hat miking. We mentioned that Audix offer a ‘pre-EQ’ sound, which some drummers and engineers find a little too processed. But this sound excels in the rock and metal genres, in particular.

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Sennheiser E 600 Drum Microphone Kit

This guide for the best mics for drum sets seems to be showcasing the very best in German microphone manufacturing, something you can always count on Sennheiser for. If you’re specifically looking for drum mics in the live, stage scenario, then the E600 Drum Mic Kit is about as good as they come. Including seven mics from Sennheiser’s E series, you get two overheads, four tom and snare mics, and the e602-II kick drum microphone. Engineers who work in venues and clubs love the e604s (tom/snares) as they are clip-on, and have excellent durability. While these will certainly help you also get a good sound in the studio also, there is a reason this kit has been featured on many a live music stage.

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AKG Drum Set Premium 8-piece Microphone Set

Without overdoing the epic introduction to each brand name thus far, be assured that AKG features on lists such as this for a very good reason. The AKG Drum Set Premium 8-piece microphone kit offers a big solution for drum recording and live sound. With a combination of dynamic and condenser microphones, including the D12 VR bass drum mic, C214 overheads, C451 B hi-hat mic, and D40 instrument mics, this is a drum mics kit that will bring you accurate and detailed sound reproduction that covers the full spectrum of your beloved drums. The included aluminium carrying case means you can travel to studios and venues without worrying.

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Earthworks DK7 Drum Kit System

If the idea of dropping almost three grand on drum mics doesn’t make you feel a sudden tightness in your chest, then you could do seriously worse than going with Earthworks. The DK7 is a seven-piece set of drum mics and a firm reason that Earthworks have established themselves as a top choice for drum mics. Enjoy stunning results with 4x DM20s (snare/toms), 2x SR25mp overhead mics and the SR20LS. The DM20s attach to the drum rim, via a gooseneck, so you can get the surgical precision mic placement of your dreams. Sound-wise, expect wonderful clarity coupled with expert avoidance of unwanted sounds. Invest in the Earth, as they say!

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