If you’ve ever been searching for instrument microphones, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Shure. Shure is one of the leading microphone companies when it comes to affordable everyday mics, and the brand is especially popular with drummers.
We’re going to take a look at the paired Shure KSM141 microphones and break down everything that they have on offer. These mics are quite popular amongst drummers, and we’re going to see exactly why.
First and most importantly, these mics come as a pair. When we mentioned one microphone, just know that we’re talking about both as they share the same qualities.
Each KSM141 is a dual-pattern small-diaphragm cardioid condenser. You can switch the pickup pattern to be cardioid or omnidirectional, making these mics fairly versatile in their recording purposes.
The diaphragms of the mic are fairly thin and small. They’re covered with gold-layered Mylar, giving them sturdy and secure bodies that keep them very durable.
One great thing about these mics is that they have transformerless preamplifiers. This gives them a fast transient response and almost no distortion between them.
Each mic has a pad switch that allows you to switch between different SPL settings. When recording louder sources, you can switch the pad to -15dB or -2dB so that there’s no distortion.
Finally, these mics come with a few notable extras. These include a solid carry case, a stereo microphone adapter, and foam windscreens.
The Shure KSM141 microphones have been around in the industry for decades. They’re still being widely used today by drummers and other instrumentalists. That gives you a bit of an idea of the quality that they provide.
They do the job and they do it very well. All the features that are offered boost the overall quality even more, making them a solid pair of condenser microphones to have.
They’re slightly higher-quality compared to the other Shure condensers such as the KSM137s and the SM81s. Those mics have their own unique benefits, though.
At the end of the day, the KSM141s are workhorse microphones that are highly reliable and heavily dependable. They’ll serve you well in both live gigging and studio recording environments.
They’ll also last you a very long time if you take good care of them. Many drummers have been using their Shure KSM141s since the early 2000s, and they’re still performing well today.
You may look at the Shure KSM137s and the SM81s and think that they’re the better options because they’re more affordable. However, the KSM141s make up for the higher price tag with the boosted quality.
They’re easier to work with than those other mics and they also offer much more. The fact that you can switch up the pickup patterns is incredibly useful. So, the price-to-value ratio is quite high with these condensers considering everything that they offer you.
While they’re not as expensive as some of the top-of-the-range microphones, they’re fairly expensive for the general buyer. You’ll need to save up a fair bit of cash to buy them. Look at it as an investment, though. They might be the only drum overheads you’ll ever need.
Once you get accustomed to using them for recording, you’ll be able to utilize them to their full extent, making them well worth the money you spent on them.
Versatility is one of the biggest selling points of the Shure KSM141s. They’re incredibly versatile due to the fact that you can swap the bodies out to get different pickup patterns. You could use a cardioid pickup pattern for one recording and then an omnidirectional for the next.
They struggle a bit in the high-end frequency range compared to other mics, but it’s not incredibly noticeable. This is especially true when using them as drum overhead microphones.
They work quite well as hi-hat microphones as well. So, you can get multiple uses from them on a drum kit setup.
These are great mics to get if you’re a multi-instrumentalist as they work well with so many different instruments. Although we’re a drumming website, we can’t deny how great these mics make a piano sound!
If you’re looking for versatility, you can’t go wrong with the KSM141s.
Studio environments are where the Shure KSM141 microphones thrive. They have a fairly flat frequency response that caters a bit better to low and mid-range frequencies. This makes them easy to mix with which is perfect for studio recording.
They’re also incredibly versatile, so they’re good mics for studio engineers to have in their microphone lockers. They can pull them out whenever they need them to record several different types of instruments.
They work especially well as drum overheads for recording. There’s something about the sound the bring out of a drum kit that is highly desirable.
If you plan on recording drums at some point, these KSM141s are a good option. If you’re going to be recording multiple types of instruments, it can be argued that these mics are a staple option.
One of the biggest benefits that these mics have when it comes to live gigging is their size. The body of each mic is very small, allowing you the freedom to place them anywhere without them getting in the way.
This is especially true for drums. It’s often quite frustrating trying to position overhead mics while competing for space with cymbals, lights, and often a drum shield. Having such small microphones makes that whole process a lot easier.
In terms of actual sound quality, the KSM141s do a great job of bringing out a natural sound in live environments. They work just as well live as they do in the studio.
You typically use condenser microphones for overheads of a drum kit. Condenser mics have wider pickup patterns than dynamic mics do, meaning they get a fuller picture of what your drum kit sounds like.
Dynamic mics have a short pickup range, so they only pick up the sound from what they’re directly pointing at. If you were to use dynamic mics as overheads, you’d only end up hearing whatever they’re directed at. That’s why condensers are always the better option.
Dynamic mics, on the other hand, work excellently as close mics on all the drums. They give depth to whatever the condenser overhead mics aren’t picking up. They also allow more control over the drum tone when you’re working on the mix.
Overhead mics are used to record the entirety of the drum kit. Their main job is to pick up all the cymbal sounds. However, they typically get in the sounds of the drums as well. Your overhead mics and your kick drum mic will always be the most important mics in a drum kit setup.
Once you have those setup, you can focus on the close dynamic mics. Some drum setups only use a 3-mic setup with two overheads and one kick mic. You’ll find this often is the case with jazz drummers in live settings.
It’s a bit different in studio settings. Studio drum kits will always have as many mics as possible in order to get the most full and clear sound picture of the drum set.
Condenser mics are your main option for overheads. If you use any other type of mic, you won’t get as good of a sound from the recording. The reason for this is that condensers are designed to pick up sound from wider sources than other types of mics. This makes them excellent at picking up all the sounds from a drum kit.
It’s not ideal to use dynamic mics as overheads as they won’t be able to pick up the vast range of sound sources that a drum kit has. So, condensers are your only option in most cases.
There are obviously exceptions to this, but it’s not recommended to use dynamic mics as overheads.
If you’re looking for some overhead drum mics, these Shure KSM141s might be your next big investment to make. Although they’re fairly costly, they’re worth every penny you pay for them. They’re versatile, easy to work with, and durable enough to last you years of heavy usage.
You’ll find that you can use them for much more than just drum kits. They’re highly valuable for people who track multiple instruments.
We suggest that you weigh up your options. Compare these with some other similarly priced condenser mics. If these seem like the best option for you, go ahead and buy them. You won’t regret it.
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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