How to Mic a Drum Set in 1,2,3,4, and More Mics

Join Sweetwater’s Mitch Gallagher and Nick D’Virgilio as they explore multiple ways to mic up a drum kit using 1, 2, 3, 4, or more microphones!

0:00 - Intro
1:10 - One Mic
2:54 - Two Mics in Stereo
4:04 - One Kick Mic and One Overhead Mic
5:01 - One Kick Mic with Stereo Overhead Mics
6:09 - One Overhead, One Snare Mic, and One Kick Mic
7:43 - Glyn Johns Method
10:24 - Two Overheads, One Snare Mic, and One Kick Mic
11:27 - 2 Overheads, One Snare Mic, One Kick Mic, Two Tom Mics
12:41 - Two Overheads, One Snare Mic, One Kick Mic, Two Tom Mics, Two Room Mics
14:05 - Impressions
15:34 - The Mics We Used
18:29 - Thanks For Watching!

#Sweetwater

[sweetwater]

Got a mic? Then you can record your drum kit! If this video helped you let us know by hitting like and subscribe🔔Thanks for watching!

[jefgirdler]

If I'm miking a set with only one mic, I'm doing it right in the middle of the kit - put it low, right over the kick, in between the high and mid toms, pointed at the snare. It works unbelievably well to pick up everything on the kit and doesn't get much of the room in comparison to the single mic position shown here.

[cloudskatr]

I really appreciate not only how informative this video is, but how positive these two are towards all the methods. I'm working with a four mic setup right now, but hearing how good the mono setups sounded made me much more confident in my abilities and resources currently available to me. At no point did I feel like I was being talked down to. Really appreciate this, guys. Thank you.

[AundreHamilton]

The outro with all the different setups was dope. Good idea to all those involved.

[BenjaminGib]

Pure 5 star video content, guys, thank you to Sweetwater for setting the bar so high and doing this awesome side-by-side video and discussion!

[gwobcke]

The Glyn Johns method all day for me. You could add a room mic to that setup to get control over the “roomy” stuff. Pull down the 300Hz snare boxing - the honk - and increase the tops and you are good to go. Also put the right side mic a bit higher away from right side crashes.

[yikelu]

It's amazing that Nick was able to give such a consistent performance that you could do that final edit with all the setups.

[brandonhalvorsen]

Examples:

1 mic
1:25
2 mics
3:00 4:18
3 mic
5:20 6:31 8:56
4 mics
10:56
6 mics
11:58
8 mics
13:02

[bjorn_moren]

Great of Sweetwater to make these videos. Highly interesting, and builds a lot of goodwill.

[joecoleman]

How valuable! Thanks guys for making this video! I was expecting to go down a confusing rabbit hole, and here you were! Thank you, so much!

[gonzorudeboy]

Putting all snippets at the end is nice way of comparing. Great idea!

[martingregory]

Fantastic video. Thanks, Mitch and Nick! Both superb as always. As drummer since '82, I've tried many mic techniques, with the classic Glyn Johns being my favorite by far for "live" sessions and demos.

[FanaticDrummer]

Editor must have had fun lining that up at the end lol

[rhymeswithdrums]

This is super helpful for guys trying to get into making professional YouTube videos. Thanks Sweetwater🤘🏼

[jonashellborg]

Very thorough, thank you! That was an excellent summary of microphone techniques for drums, and I liked the extra focus around 2 and 3 microphones, for us that like to keep it simple and phase issue free!

[louiscarrillo]

Fantastic job guys! most complete approach on variations ive seen on the capturing drumset sound ive seen . thanks so much.

[mrtaxi]

Ok the sound of that one mic in front of the kit sounds INCREDIBLE, a lot better than some close mic setups I’ve heard

[mikedaknight]

Every gig I've played in the last 17 years I've always had the bass drum mic'd up even in a small pub corner / cafe gig. Due to convenience I think I limit at three: bass, left overhead and right overhead. Any more and it's more gear, cables and time setting up.

But more importantly that is a beautiful looking kit.

[Marrero]

That ocean sunset looking drum finish is GORGEOUS

[calzaondrums]

That Glyn Johns really left me speechless.
Really need to try that with my kits!