Best Mics For Metal Drums: From Kick to Cymbals

Getting a massive metal drum sound starts at the source. In an era where production standards are sky-high even for a local band, your raw drum tracks need to be clean, punchy, and ready for some serious processing. A weak recording will crumble under the layers of heavy compression, surgical EQ, and sample blending that modern metal demands.

This isn't just about sticking any mic in front of a drum. It's about choosing the right tool for the job—a tool that captures the specific character needed to cut through a wall of drop-tuned, eight-string guitars and a thunderous bass. Let's break down the go-to mics for each part of the kit that will give you a pro-level starting point.

The Foundation: Kick Drum Mics

For modern metal, the kick drum needs two things: a deep, powerful sub-bass "thud" and a sharp, articulate "click" from the beater to cut through the mix. That’s why most engineers use at least two mics—one inside for the attack and one outside for the low-end body.

Shure Beta 52A

This is an industry workhorse for a reason. The Beta 52A has a "pre-EQ'd" sound with a scooped midrange, a solid low-end thump, and plenty of presence in the top end. Stick it inside the kick, pointing towards the beater an inch or two away, and you already have a usable, punchy modern kick tone.

AKG D112 MKII

The "egg." You've seen it everywhere. Compared to the Beta 52A, the D112 often has a bit more presence in the low-mids (around 200-400Hz) which can give the kick a different kind of body. It’s fantastic for capturing the shell's resonance and provides a thick, powerful sound that blends beautifully with samples.

Audix D6

If you’re recording fast, technical metal with tons of intricate double bass patterns, the Audix D6 is your best friend. It’s arguably the most aggressive of the bunch, with a massive sub-bass presence and a very pronounced click around 4-6kHz. It delivers a mix-ready, aggressive sound that needs very little EQ to slice through the densest arrangements.

Shure Beta 91A

This is the secret weapon for ultimate beater attack. The Beta 91A is a boundary microphone (a condenser in a flat housing) that you can simply lay on the pillow inside your kick drum. It captures a super-clear, snappy "tick" from the beater hitting the head. Blend this underneath a D112 or Beta 52A to add intelligibility to fast kick patterns without having to crank the high-end EQ.

The Centerpiece: Snare Drum Mics

The snare is the heart of your groove. You need to capture the crack of the initial transient, the body of the shell, and the sizzle of the snare wires. A two-mic setup (top and bottom) is standard practice.

Shure SM57

You knew this was coming. The Shure SM57 is the snare mic. Its signature mid-range bump helps the snare pop out of a mix filled with distorted guitars. It can handle insane volume levels and takes EQ like a champ, allowing you to easily carve out any unwanted ring. There is no safer, more reliable choice for a snare top mic. For the bottom, grab another 57, point it at the wires, and don't forget to flip the phase!

Beyerdynamic M 201 TG

Think of the M 201 TG as a more refined, hi-fi version of the SM57. It's a hypercardioid dynamic, meaning it has excellent rejection of sound from the sides—specifically, the hi-hats. If you struggle with hi-hat bleed in your snare mic, a problem that often requires careful snare gating, the M 201 TG is a game-changer. It delivers a full-bodied, natural snare tone with less of the "honk" an SM57 can sometimes have.

Audix i5

Like the D6 for kick, the i5 offers a more "modern" out-of-the-box sound for snare compared to the SM57. It has a bit more high-end sizzle and a tighter low-end, giving you a slightly scooped sound that’s great for metalcore and other contemporary subgenres.

Power and Punch: Tom Mics

For those earth-shattering fills, you need tom mics that can handle high SPLs, reject cymbal bleed, and capture both the stick attack and the deep resonance of the shells.

Sennheiser MD 421-II

The MD 421 is the undisputed classic tom mic. It has a fantastic low-end response that captures the full weight of floor toms and a clear attack that works great for rack toms. Its built-in 5-position bass roll-off switch is incredibly useful for taming excessive boominess right at the source, saving you an EQ move later.

Audix D2 & D4

This is a killer purpose-built combo. The Audix D2 is perfect for rack toms, with a frequency response tailored to bring out their attack and punch. The D4 is designed for floor toms and kick drums, with an extended low-end response to capture all that resonant goodness. They’re also compact and easy to position in tight spaces.

Air and Sizzle: Overheads & Cymbals

In modern metal, overheads often serve mainly as cymbal mics. While they capture a picture of the whole kit, their primary job is to deliver a clean, crisp, and detailed representation of the cymbals that can be processed without turning into a washy mess.

AKG C414 (XLS or XLII)

These are studio swiss army knives. As overheads, these large-diaphragm condensers provide a rich, detailed, and smooth capture of your cymbals. With multiple polar patterns, you can experiment with everything from a wide cardioid to figure-8 to find the perfect balance of kit sound and room ambience.

Neumann KM 184 (Matched Pair)

If you want bright, detailed, and articulate cymbals, the KM 184s are the industry standard. These small-diaphragm condensers have an incredible transient response, making every ping, crash, and china hit sound crisp and clear. They are the sound of countless professional metal records.

Rode NT5 (Matched Pair)

For those on a tighter budget, the Rode NT5s are the go-to alternative to the KM 184s. They deliver a surprisingly detailed and clear high-end that's perfect for metal cymbals. You can get a professional-sounding overhead capture without breaking the bank.

Size and Depth: Room Mics

Even if you heavily sample-replace your drums, a great set of room mics can add the "glue" and sense of space that makes a kit sound huge, even allowing you to make small drum rooms sound massive. This is where you can get creative with heavy processing.

Ribbon Mics (e.g., Royer R-121, Cascade Fat Head II)

Ribbon mics naturally have a darker tone and a smooth high-end roll-off. This makes them perfect for capturing room ambience without the harshness you can sometimes get from condensers. They take EQ beautifully and sound incredible when slammed with heavy parallel compression for that explosive, gated room sound.

Any Large-Diaphragm Condenser

Honestly, you can get great results with just about any decent LDC. An Audio-Technica AT4050, another AKG C414, or even an affordable Rode NT1 can work wonders. Place them a good distance from the kit in a nice-sounding space and crush them with a compressor plugin to bring up the sustain and energy.

From Raw Tracks to a Crushing Mix

Choosing the right mics is the critical first step to getting a professional drum sound. But it's just that—the first step.

The real artistry comes from blending those mic signals, carving out space with EQ, controlling dynamics with compression, and tastefully layering samples to create a drum sound that’s larger than life. Ever wonder how producers from bands like Gojira, Periphery, or Lamb of God do it? Seeing their process is the ultimate shortcut to leveling up your own mixes.

At Nail The Mix, you get to watch the world’s best metal producers mix real songs from the ground up, using the very mics we just talked about. You get the raw multi-tracks so you can mix along and apply their techniques to your own tracks. Check out the full catalog of sessions and see how the pros turn killer raw tracks into a final, polished masterpiece.