Shure is one of the leading microphone brands in the music industry. They have an excellent selection of mics, ranging from affordable to pro-quality. Many of their mics work particularly well for drums, making the brand a good choice for drummers to consider.
If you need a set of mics for your drum set, you should consider checking out the Shure DMK57-52 microphone kit. It’s a small and affordable set of mics that will give you professional sounds and features. Let’s take a look at what exactly this mic kit has to offer.
Unlike most drum microphone packs, you only get 4 mics inside this one. Typically, a mic pack will come with 7 mics. However, the DMK57-52 pack is a much smaller option, saving on a few hundred dollars. You get four of Shure’s best microphones in the pack, though.
Included in the pack are three SM57s. The SM57 is the industry-standard microphone for snare drums. However, it also works incredibly well on toms, guitar amps, and vocals. It’s a total workhorse microphone, so getting three of them in this pack is wildly intriguing.
The other mic that comes in the pack is a Beta 52A. This is one of Shure’s best kick drum mics that has been used in some of the most popular recordings in the world.
The pack also comes with mounts for each microphone that allow you to attach them to the rims of drums.
Summary of the mics that are included:
3x Shure SM57s
1x Shure Beta 52A
SM57s (3)
The Shure SM57 is one of the microphones that every person needs to have in their collection. It’s one of the most versatile mics around, although it works particularly well on snare drums.
This pack has three of them, meaning you can place them on your toms as well. You could also try getting away with using the other two as overhead mics. It’s not the most ideal setup, but it will work fine in many settings.
The SM57 gives a sound from the drums that is very clear and present. The overall tone will be fantastic no matter which drum you’re using the mic for.
These SM57s also seem indestructible. They’re fairly heavy considering how long and slim they are, but that heaviness ensures that they’re highly durable.
Beta 52A with built-in Drum Mount (1)
The Beta 52A is a killer bass drum mic. It also works well on floor toms thanks to its ability to enhance all the low frequencies. So, it’s very common to see drummers using this mic on both bass drums and floor toms.
Even though it says it has a built-in drum mount, take note that you’ll need to buy a dedicated stand to put it on. Otherwise, you’ll need to lay it inside the bass drum after sticking it through the port hole. While that would be an easy solution, you’ll always get a better sound with the mic sitting on a mic stand.
This mic will give you the deep sound that you’re longing for from your bass drum. Tight and thumping tones is what it excels at.
Both types of mics that come in this kit are industry-standard drum microphones, telling you that the quality of the overall kit is excellent. These are pro mics. Although they’re more affordable than some of the fancier mics on the market, they still have that high-quality build that everyone wants.
The main focal point would be the exceptional sounds that all the mics deliver. While the 52A produces tight and thumping bass drum sounds, the SM57s deliver clear tones that sound fairly natural from the drums.
Both types of mics are easy to work with in a mix, making any drummer using them love the quality that they bring.
As we said earlier, the Shure SM57s are fairly heavy. You wouldn’t expect them to have that sort of weight when first looking at them. The Beta 52A shares similar qualities when it comes to weight and sturdiness.
All the mics in the pack are incredibly durable and will last you a long time. They’re built to last, and many drummers have used these mics on long tours. The great thing about the Shure SM57s is that they can handle a few missed drumstick shots very well. They won’t dent or damage too quickly.
With that being said, you should still be cautious with these mics as you will want to preserve their quality for as long as possible. Thankfully, the construction quality will help immensely with that.
The Shure DMK57-52 mic kit costs around $400. Considering the fact that a single SM57 costs about $100 and the Beta 52A costs close to $200, you end up saving $100 with this pack. That $100 wouldn’t be saved if you bought the mics individually. The price-to-value ratio is fairly good in that regard as you save a bit of money.
However, this isn’t a full drum mic kit as it doesn’t come with overhead microphones. You’d need to pay for two of those if you want to get the most complete drum sound. So, the $400 price point can be a bit deceiving for drummers who are looking to buy a full set of mics.
In terms of sound quality, the mics in this kit are excellent for studio recording. You’ll find that most recording engineers have these mics in their microphone locker. However, recording drums in the studio will typically have 7 or more mics placed around the kit.
The fact that this kit only comes with 4 mics means you’ll need a few more to get a good studio recording. A pair of condenser mics is the biggest omission from the set, and those are vitally important in the studio to get a good overall sound.
With that being said, this is an excellent microphone to get if you’re looking to add a few high-quality mics to the studio.
If you’re only using the mics in this kit for your drums, you’d have a better time at live gigs than you would in a studio. You could set two of the SM57s as overheads and have the remaining one on the snare drum. The Beta 52A would then round off the setup on the kick drum.
aSince all the mics are dynamic mics, you’d have to place them very cleverly to get an overall full drum sound. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to get an amazing live drum mix from these mics. Thankfully, they’re very easy to work with!
You need a recording interface, cables, and a Digital Audio Workstation. This is the main way to record drums using microphones. The interface will allow you to connect the microphones to your computer.
The cables go from the mics into the interface. The interface then has a USB cable that connects to your computer.
The DAW is what you use to track all the input from the microphones. This is your workstation where you do all the mixing, EQing, and monitoring. It’s the biggest part of the recording process as it’s where you control everything from. Some popular examples of DAWs would be GarageBand and Ableton Live.
The best position for the Beta 52A would naturally be the bass drum. The SM57s, on the other hand, are much more versatile. One of them would need to go on the snare drum. The others could be placed wherever you need them to be.
Many drummers buy this mic kit as a supplementary kit to the mics they already have. If you already have tom mics and overheads, you could place the remaining two SM57s underneath the snare drum and by the hi-hats.
This would give you a clear sound from the snares along with a tighter and more pronounced hi-hat sound.
Overall, this is a fantastic set of mics to use on your drum kit. You’ll find that the SM57s work best when placed a bit higher above the drums. If they’re too close to the drums, you’ll get a lot of attack with little body. The more you experiment, the better you’ll get at achieving a great tone.
While it’s not the most ideal complete microphone kit as it doesn’t come with overheads, it’s a great supplementary drum mic kit. We’d suggest getting this pack if you’re looking to add some extra microphones to your drum setup.
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.
Find useful lessons, tips and reviews for any drummer. From beginners to professionals there’s always something new to learn and improve. Join our Newsletter for exclusive advice!
11407 SW Amu St Suite #ABM436 Tualatin, OR 97062
There may be affiliate links on this website, which means we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to our readers.
© All rights reserved Copyright 2024
Subscribe to our ninja mailing list and get a Free E-book!
Subscribe to our ninja mailing list and get a Free E-book!
