There are hundreds of good microphones available on the market. Some work better for drums, while others work better for other instruments.
We’ve reviewed countless options, so it’s rare that we get really impressed by something. However, the MXL Revelation Mini FET condenser mic was an exception to this.
We loved this mic, and we’re about to tell you why in our review.
This microphone is essentially a smaller version of MXL’s top microphone. It’s more affordable, but it offers many of the same performance qualities.
It has a frequency response between 20Hz and 20kHz. It has switchable pads of -10dB and -20dB.
The max sound pressure level is 158dB, which is massive compared to many other mic options.
All of these features come packaged in a gold-sputtered capsule.
You also get a high-quality carry case with the mic, along with a shock mount.
While this is a budget condenser microphone, we were really impressed with the tonal quality that it offered.
The sounds of the drums and cymbals were picked up very clearly and accurately. The sounds were especially good when we used two of these in conjunction as overhead mics.
The mic was also easy to mix with and control and EQ.
This is definitely the most luxurious mic that we’ve tried in this price range. All the other condenser mics have standard designs, but there was something about this one that just made it feel more premium.
We also loved the purple/blue casing, and we thought it had a lot of personality.
One big thing to mention is the switchable dB pads. They can be very useful with loud sound sources so that you don’t get any distortion, making the mic even more catered to drumming.
As we said earlier, the mic is quite accurate. It tends to easily pick up all the small details of your drumming, no matter how it’s positioned above your kit.
The only thing we didn’t enjoy was its larger casing. Pencil mics are always easier to use with drum kits, as they’re easier to position.
This mic took a bit of work to get into the right place before we could play comfortably without worrying about it.
However, it performed brilliantly once it was there!
The price-to-value of this mic was the best part about it, in our opinion. You could consider this a budget condenser, as it costs a few hundred dollars less than most of the popular options on the market.
However, the performance quality was amazing, and it easily compared to the sounds you get from those other mics.
So, this mic is well worth the money you spend on it. We also suggest that you get two so that you can have a good overhead mic setup.
Condenser microphones have wider pickup directions than dynamic mics, so they do a better job of picking up the entire sound of your drums and cymbals.
They also tend to have richer sound quality, so you get superior sounds from the drums compared to if you were to use dynamic mics.
Yes, all condenser microphones need phantom power to work. So, when you’re planning on getting condensers to use as overhead microphones, just make sure that you have phantom power available on whatever mixer or interface you’re using.
Overall, we were big fans of the MXL Revelation Mini FET microphone. We thought it did a great job of condensing the qualities of MXL’s main microphone, and it was a fantastic mic to use on a drum set.
Again, we recommend getting two of these to use as overheads to get the best drum mix. With the mic being quite affordable, getting two won’t set you back by much.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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