Sarah Kim records drums for online sessions and shared her streamlined approach that cuts equipment costs dramatically.

Why only four microphones?

More mics mean more phase problems and longer setup. I use a kick mic, snare mic, and two overheads. This covers the entire kit with natural balance. My entire mic package costs $580 total.

Which models specifically?

Shure Beta 52A on kick, SM57 on snare, and two Rode M5 condensers as overheads positioned about three feet above the kit in an XY pattern. Nothing fancy.

How do you position the overheads?

Directly above the snare, angled down. This captures cymbals naturally while keeping the snare centered in the stereo image. I measure the distance from each overhead to the snare with a tape measure so they're equidistant.

What surprised you about this method?

Tom sound comes through the overheads perfectly without close mics. The whole kit feels cohesive because there's less individual processing pulling things apart.