You won’t spend too much, and you’ll get a good feel for how they work with your kit.

sE Electronics

sE Electronics is the final brand to mention that drummers tend to love.

Earthworks have taken the world by storm in recent years, and these mics have become extremely popular as overhead options.

The most impressive thing about them is the accuracy that they deliver. Overheads do not have to have insanely high levels, but higher does tend to be better and just give that extra bit of protection to ensure that your mic won’t distort if you do have a loud drummer playing.

Overloading microphones is a sure fire way to ruin recordings, so be sure to avoid this by getting a mic with a high SPL rating.

Frequency response

The range of human hearing is, in theory, 40 Hz to 20 kHz.

Some matched pairs don’t cost much more than a good t-shirt, while other matched pairs cost as much as an entire professional drum set.

If you’re a beginner player, you’ll have no problem with the most affordable overhead mic options. Over 16,700 rating sources were then processed using the Gearank Algorithm to produce a rating score out of 100 for each set of mics.

There’s nothing worse than buying an expensive piece of gear just to have it break after.

So, make sure that you’re getting solid microphones. We took into account all these data, and selected the highest rated options to recommend above. It makes them easy to work with, but you’ll also find that they have a bit of a low-frequency dip in certain areas.

It’s the safest bet to go with.

Build Quality

Build quality is another aspect of microphones that you should always look into before buying them. By recording from above, these microphones inevitably get a bit of everything when they pick up the hi-hats. You’ll get dedicated kick, tom/snare, and overhead condenser mics with mounting hardware, covering your entire kit’s frequency spectrum from 15 KHz down to those satisfying low-end thumps.

Speaking of size, being a small condenser mic means that it doesn’t capture deep bass as much as large condenser mics would.

The sE Electronics sE7 is another excellent choice for capturing a balanced and clear drum sound. So why do some people still opt for dynamic mics? A solid pair of drum overhead mics can give you a better reference point when mixing and save you a lot of EQ headaches down the line.

Even if you’re using a multi-mic setup, a great matched pair of overhead drum mics makes a difference.

The high-frequency sensitivity up to 20 kHz becomes essential for recording cymbal brightness and drum attack transients accurately, while balanced mid and high-frequency emphasis enhances overall clarity. The supercardioid pickup pattern provides excellent gain before feedback while rejecting unwanted stage noise, and the universal drum mounts work with most rim configurations using standard XLR connections you already own.

Best For: Drummers and recording enthusiasts seeking a complete, budget-friendly microphone solution that covers their entire drum kit with professional-grade metal construction and versatile mounting options.

Pros:

• Complete 7-piece kit includes everything needed for full drum coverage from kick to overheads with all mounting hardware included
• High-performance supercardioid pickup pattern delivers excellent gain before feedback and superior noise rejection for stage use
• Versatile compatibility with standard XLR connections and universal drum mounts that work with most rim configurations

Cons:

• Some users reported compatibility issues with certain drum rim clips despite universal design claims
• At 6.34 pounds total weight, the kit may add noticeable bulk when fully mounted on a drum set
• 15 KHz frequency response ceiling is lower than some premium microphones that extend into higher frequencies

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7-Piece Drum Microphone Kit for Stage & Studio Recording

Budget-conscious drummers who need extensive microphone coverage for their entire kit will find exceptional value in this 7-piece drum microphone collection, which delivers professional-grade recording capabilities without the premium price tag that typically accompanies studio-quality equipment.

It gives unique sounds from your bass drum and floor tom if you don’t close-mic them.

The other thing to mention about these mics is that they’re very small.