Drumset Mic'ing On A Budget!

Are you on a seriously tight budget, but really need to mic your drums?  Here is an inexpensive but very effective way:

All you need are 2 microphones and a couple of stands.

• A kick drum mic
• A condenser mic
• A boom stand
• A kick drum mic stand

Mic the kick drum with your kick drum mic, and then place your boom stand where the condenser microphone is over the right shoulder of the drummer; the microphone should be pointing towards the center of the kit.  That's it!  The above illustration is a good starting point. Adjust from there.  Play around with different mic positions, but this will get you going pretty fast most of the time.  Pointing the condenser microphone from the back of the kit towards the front, gives a much better representation of the entire kit without having to overcome the placement of the cymbals.

Things to keep in mind: 
a.  Your drummer needs to be consistent in how he/she plays.
b.  Make sure the condenser is high enough so that it can capture the entire audio "image" of the kit, but not so high where the drumset loses its sonic impact!
c.  Remind the drummer where the boom stand is so that when they get up, they don't accidentally knock it over.  
d.  Make sure the microphone isn't pointing towards the drummer's head (if they have in-ears), and if they are using a stage wedge for monitoring, make sure the wedge isn't firing into the overhead mic!
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"What Microphones Do You Recommend Because We Don't Have A Lot Of Money"

I'm going to list some inexpensive microphones as suggestions.  All prices are as if you bought them new.  Remember, you can purchase used microphones for usually half of their price new!

Here are some great budget-friendly options (with prices) for decent kick drum microphones:
Sennheiser e902 - $199.95
Shure Beta 91 (you don't even need a stand for this one) - $239
Audio Technica ATM250 - $179 (this model replaced the ATM25 which was a great kick mic).
Peavey 520i (yes I said the "P" word, but it's a killer kick drum mic) - Used Market.  Price Varies.
Shure Beta52 - $189
EV RE320 - $299 (more expensive option, but well respected for multiple sources).

There's a ton of other great choices out there as well from companies such as Audix, Heil, AKG, etc


Here are some great budget-friendly options (with prices) for condenser microphones as well:
Audio Technica Pro37 - $169 (this mic is so incredibly good for just about any source)
Shure KSM27 - $299 (although I saw one in decent condition at guitar center, used, for $139).
Audio Technica 3035 - No longer made, but you can find it for a song on the used market.
Audio Technica 2020 - $99 Cheapo with decent results that came after the 3035.
sE Electronics X1 - $199 great mic for the money with some surprising results.
CAD m179 - $199 Well respected budget-friendly microphone that's very versatile.

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