welcome to the forums!

I will just say, I'm working on my own home studio also. Slowly grabbing equipment as I go along, recording my own stuff, for friends, and whatnot. In this recording studio section there is a sticky post titled "mic closet recommendations." I dont know if you have taken a looked at it, but there is a HUGE talk about mics, especially for those who can't afford Neumann's that are hundreds, or thousands just for one mic. I'm still a n00b when it comes to mics, but there are plenty of helpful people around here =) The search button is also your friend.

I will tell you right now, I use Oktava overhead mics, you can grab a whole Oktava matched pair set for $700 I think. It comes with omni/cardiod heads, and a -10db adapter. $700 may be over your budget but you may want to think about what kind of overheads you want. And I know it's kind of hard because maybe not everyone uses these mics, and you might get them and think, eh, I don't like this sound... So whatever you prefer. As for someone on a budget, I'd get 2 overheads, a nice kick mic, and an SM57 for the snare. I'm using a CAD bass/kick mic, I personally don't like it, but I trigger my kick sounds anyway. They make those kits that come with 4 toms mics, kick, overheads, and whatever. But I don't know how great those are. Shure and CAD make those kind of kits but I haven't heard those being "preferred."

So anyway, more expensive does not mean better at all, but just look around this forum for mic packages, or perhaps throwing together 2 good overheads, a kick, snare, and maybe a room mic. Whatever, I was always told there is no right way to record so I just do what sounds best within my limit. Hope thats somewhat of a helpful start. I'm sure someone else will jump in and throw in their 2 cents :)

With your budget of $650, I would just direct you to purchase a BagO SM57's. They work and sound great on absolutely everything! They work just fine in bass drums and as overheads. And are quite a de facto standard on snare drum and tom's. I really don't like most of those "drum microphone packages". They generally have limited usefulness for other instruments whereas the SM57/58 are the Swiss Army knives of the recording and audio industry and require no phantom power. As you may have guessed, the 58 is the same as a 57 but with a better integral pop filter that also provides a little more distance between lips and diaphragm which also helps to keep proximity effect in check. Don't want to pay the extra money for a metal ball on the end of your microphone? Buy some foam pop filter's.

Remember foam pop filters will not prevent pregnancy but they will prevent POPS! Remember always put a condom on your microphone.
Ms. Remy Ann David

Skylar20 wrote: This is my first post here, hi!

I am currently working on a home recording studio in my basement. I know I have a small recording area, so I'm looking for the best 7-8 drum mic package that will probably give me the best sounding rock drums I can get for less than $650. The dimensions of my recording area are 13 ft. x 16 ft. and 7 ft. high. Yes, I know it's not exactly professionally ideal, but it is all I have to work with. Please help!

Thanks and I look forward to learning a lot through this forum.

-Skylar

You can manage this with OKtava MK-219/MK-012 and MK-105
Look at the site of http://

I'll second Remy's recommendation of 57's. (Though six 57's with mic stands may run you over your budget.) I'm assuming you have not done much acoustic treatment in your basement. If that's the case, the best sounds will be from the close miced drums - the worst from overheads and the like. That plays to the strength of the 57s. Money speant on overheads won't show up in a recording unless you record in a good sounding room. Better to get a top quality mic at a cheap price and use it for something it is not ideal for than to buy a mic that's slightly better for the purpose that you know you will replace in a year or two. You will keeps some of the 57s forever, and even if you decide you only need two or three in the future, they have a relatively high resale value.

Just as a side question - what other pieces of serious, industry-standard pro-quality musical gear are there for less than $100?

First on that comes to mind is a Honer Marine Band Harmonica. Other recording gear nomination other than the 57 and 58?

thanks for all the help so far! I am going to take pictures of the unfinished recording area and control room because I need an idea of where my auralex sound treatment should go generally. Pictures will be up with the dimensions of each of the 2 rooms within the next few days for examination. (I think I'll repost in the acoustics section as well)

By the way, I have more money now, so I think I am going to go with the audix dp6 mic package. Every place I looked I have heard just about all positive things about it.