Live session drums have to sound big on camera and stay controlled in a room full of amplifiers. This is the setup our crew starts with every time.

Kick and snare

We pair a dynamic mic inside the kick with a condenser outside for body. On snare, a dynamic on top and a small condenser underneath capture both crack and rattle.

Overheads and the room

Spaced overheads give width, but the secret is one mono room mic placed low and compressed hard. Blended in quietly, it makes the kit feel like it is in the room with you.

Every drummer hits differently, so we treat this as a starting point and move mics until the kit sounds like the player.