Which drum mics?

So I have finally finished getting all the gear I want. I have a nice kit, a few snares, and a good collection of cymbals. But now I'd like to invest into drum mics for both studio and live playing situations. I want to explore all of the different techniques to mic the kit so I can choose the best one that fits my needs. I'm not too well educated with drum mics. The only mics I am really comfortable with is the bass drum mic setup, but I need help with toms and cymbals etc. I know the most common setup is a couple of overheads, bass mics, snare and tom mics. But didn't John bonham use a different kind of mic setup? Also in the film "the groove is here" by Steve Jorden he also uses a different kind of mic setup for the drums and its sounds pretty good, how is he doing that? Another question that I've had for a while is, if you use condenser mics on the toms do you really need overhead mics, because would the amount of cymbal bleed be enough? Like I said I don't know too much about mics so if you could help me by sharing your experiences, let me know what other guys do and give me suggestions and advice. Thanks

Recording, is a whole 'nother can of worms. With the idea that you have the option to do whatever you want, to get the sound you want, being tantamount. There are some basic ways to get started, of course, you just have to decide how you want to do it.

Yes, when Glyn Johns recorded Bonham, he says he only used three microphones. Turn that around and Steve Gadd would have everything mic'ed up. It's all dependent on how the engineer and producer want to do things.

I look at the learning process to recording, the same way you would look at the learning process of photography, or drumming. Start with less.

Although I have enough mic's for my entire kit, I try to get a really good recorded performance with one to three mics. As a sound engineer with Disneyland, when I mixed bands, I stuck with that three-mic set-up for a lot of things. Other times the venue wouldn't be conducive to that (for instance, being outside) so everything has to be close-mic'ed.

In a lot of cases, like in photography, if you can't get a decent sound one or two mics (akin to one or two lenses), then having more will just mess it up. I've done great recordings with a good large diaphragm condenser mic over the center of the kit, and a mic inside or just out side the bass drum. In fact, a lot of hit records were made with only two mics on the drumset too. So it depends on how you want to do your approach.

Technically, you just want to record a great-sounding set of drums, right? So, make your kit sound great, then just find a way to get that to translate on a recording. In your case, I would start with nice large diaphragm condenser, and a good solid dynamic mic for your bass drum. I have a AKG C214 I use as a mono overhead, and I just put a Shure SM58 in the bass drum. Those two get plugged into my Zoom H6 audio recorder, and I go from there. I also have enough Shure SM57's to cover all three toms and the snare drum as well, so I have that option.

What are you plugging into for your recording?

Matt Bo Eder said:

What are you plugging into for your recording?

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You did that work for Disneyland!? That's pretty crazy, and now I'm pretty sure you know what you're talking about haha. I'll fill you in on the situation I'm in currently and maybe that'll clear some things up.

I'm down in Texas and I've got a pretty good band going. We play blues/country/soul kinda stuff and it sells pretty good here. It's a little too upbeat for bars but it's still pretty southern so we've been getting more and more successful recently and getting quality gigs and festivals and stuff. We are writing songs and we are planning to record an album in about a year or less with a local studio here in town. I'm the singer and drummer for the group, and my guys have really nice instruments and mics and amps etc. and they can play, so I really want to sound the best I can for them, cause they deserve it.

Obviously while I'm in a studio I'll be using whatever mics and board equipment they have on hand, unless I like a few of my mics better, so most of the mics I'll need is going to be for live use.

My kit is an 80s model Yamaha recording custom, and a few different snares

I have a akg 414 mic, and the typical Shure bass mic. That's all.

My friends own some boards we've been using, but I want to invest in a board too, I just figured mics should come first. Most of the time when I play around town or in a studio environment I'm using other people's electric equipment, so I am fairly new to getting into all of this.

Should I invest in another akg 414? I've heard they work well on toms. And what would you suggest I do about my vocals and a mic for that? Thanks for your time and your help, I really appreciate it.

always a brace of SM57s for the snare

I have some basic AKGs for the rest and whilst the condensers are pretty good, the dynamics are pretty muddy. I will be replacing them soon, but I don't know what to either.

All I know is that an AKG mic kit for £250 ish is OK for starters but once you change the snare mics to SM57s, the difference is huge

I'm in the same boat as you. I have very little experience with this stuff. My initial thought is only condensers for the studio, nothing dynamic. That's just my initial thought. Condensers are more sensitive, so in my mind, it should make a more crystalline sound. But I know nothing. The only thing I do know is I really really like my AKG C 414's and how they make my kit sound. The C214's are the same mic with only one polar pattern, cardioid, instead of 9 on the 414. It's less than half the price of the 414.

Question for the experienced sound techs: Why would I use a dynamic microphone in the studio when I have enough great condenser mics? I play medium/normal volume, not hard, not soft.

larryace said:

Question for the experienced sound techs: Why would I use a dynamic microphone in the studio when I have enough great condenser mics? I play medium/normal volume, not hard, not soft.

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It's not a matter of "just because you're in the studio", Larry. It's "what sounds better?"

This is why studios own thousands of dollars of all kinds of microphones - so they can pick and choose what they want to use. When clients walk into the studio and see the engineer work so fast at coming to a conclusion about what he's going to use, they assume that's how it works for everybody - but the reality is the engineer has spent the time testing mics and over time, he knows what will work - that's why you hired him.

Is anyone aware that Bonnie Raitt has made a lot of vocal recordings using the Electro Voice RE20 microphone? It's a (relatively cheap) dynamic mic that we would normally see stuck inside a bass drum. While other singers sound best on a $10,000.00 AKG C12 tube condenser mic, or the venerable AKG C414. It all depends on what tools work best for the job.

I had a guy mic my snare drum with a pencil condenser mic (AKG C330), and it sounded great because he wanted to bring out more highs without having to resort to using EQ at the mixing console. I know a saxophone player who's horn only sounds good when you use a Sennheiser MD421 (another dynamic mic). Microphones are important, but you haven't lived until you've heard an excellent microphone plugged into an equally excellent mic pre-amplifier, which is how the big studios work most of the time. I took the lowly Shure SM57 (that cheap dynamic mic) and plugged it into an Manly mic pre-amp, and that mic never sounded so good. Of course, the Manly mic pre-amp costs about $5,000.00!

Probably everybody makes the assumption of using specific mics for specific things, when in reality you use whatever you need to get a great sound recorded. So if that means you're in the studio and the engineer tries several different mics on you, and for some reason ends up using a Shure SM58, that's because that what sounds best at that time, on that day. Tomorrow it could be different. The recording studio exists for experimentation - this is why I say that it depends on what you're going for.

williamsbclontz said:

You did that work for Disneyland!? That's pretty crazy, and now I'm pretty sure you know what you're talking about haha. I'll fill you in on the situation I'm in currently and maybe that'll clear some things up.

I'm down in Texas and I've got a pretty good band going. We play blues/country/soul kinda stuff and it sells pretty good here. It's a little too upbeat for bars but it's still pretty southern so we've been getting more and more successful recently and getting quality gigs and festivals and stuff. We are writing songs and we are planning to record an album in about a year or less with a local studio here in town. I'm the singer and drummer for the group, and my guys have really nice instruments and mics and amps etc. and they can play, so I really want to sound the best I can for them, cause they deserve it.

Obviously while I'm in a studio I'll be using whatever mics and board equipment they have on hand, unless I like a few of my mics better, so most of the mics I'll need is going to be for live use.

My kit is an 80s model Yamaha recording custom, and a few different snares

I have a akg 414 mic, and the typical Shure bass mic. That's all.

My friends own some boards we've been using, but I want to invest in a board too, I just figured mics should come first. Most of the time when I play around town or in a studio environment I'm using other people's electric equipment, so I am fairly new to getting into all of this.

Should I invest in another akg 414? I've heard they work well on toms. And what would you suggest I do about my vocals and a mic for that? Thanks for your time and your help, I really appreciate it.

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Cool. I see you're in an environment where everybody has good stuff!

I see where you're coming from, but do you really want to invest a lot of money in this? You could spend millions on audio gear, or you could use what the studios already have, no? Because the recording studio is built as a system of parts being used all together, I tend to let the studio provide everything you need to sound good. I've never read anything about guys like Steve Gadd or Jeff Porcaro going into the studio with their own microphones.

Unless, of course, you want to open your own recording studio, which a lot of people have done. And it's cool, but like I said, a whole 'nother can o' worms to learn about.

If you're gonna do it, yes, microphones are important, but equally important are your mixing console and your pre-amps. So, if you buy a AKG C414 microphone at $1000, but insist on only plugging it into a $400 Zoom R16 recorder, it'll be 'ok', but it'll be better through a $1000 pre-amplifier, into that $25,000 mixer, on it's way into ProTools - or better - an old Studer 2" tape machine that's about the size of medium closet!

I think if you're playing out live a lot and want to cover your drums because the sound people don't have enough mics for everybody, any number of those semi-high-end mic packages will do. Shure, Sennheisers, AKG, etc.,...they all make nice kits. But at home in your personal studio, you can use whatever you can get your hands on to spend the time to get the sounds you want. A lot of it depends your environment too. On Zeppelins "When The Levee Breaks", you had to have the drums in a stairwell foray with one mic at 10 feet up, and another one at 20 feet up to get that sound. I read for some rock recording, they took Gregg Bissonetes' drums and put them out on the studios' underground loading dock to get that sound.

So it's all a matter of how far you want to go to get your mental audio vision out. And at what cost? After playing with the gear we have at the Magic Kingdom, I surmised that I'd never be able to afford it for myself, so at home, I stay on a strict budget since my recordings don't get much farther than the occasional YouTube video. Now if I was thinking I'm writing hit songs, then I'd invest in more - and then find a way for it to make me money (which would definitely take me away from playing the drums, and I'm too lazy for that

williamsbclontz said:

Like I said I don't know too much about mics so if you could help me by sharing your experiences, let me know what other guys do and give me suggestions and advice. Thanks

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If you were to go through everyone's mic box, you'd probably find that most drummers own.

A decent SDC (example P170)
A decent LDC (example AT2020 / P220)
A decent dynamic (example SM57)
A decent BD mic (example Beta52)
A some shit-clip-on-tom-mics (whatever was on sale.. Pyle Pro / Samson)
Two tall booms, two short booms
~Eight 20' shielded mic cables.

For recording, all you really need is a good LDC or stereo pair. Additional mics give you control over specific instruments, and you prioritize depending on what you need control over (usually BD and snare).

For live, it's the same. Go out front, determine what you cannot hear, add mics. Usually BD and snare, followed by toms, and sometimes (but rarely in clubs) an overhead.


FWIW, I only record, and use 2xAT2020, an SM57, and an e602

larryace said:

I'm in the same boat as you. I have very little experience with this stuff. My initial thought is only condensers for the studio, nothing dynamic. That's just my initial thought. Condensers are more sensitive, so in my mind, it should make a more crystalline sound. But I know nothing. The only thing I do know is I really really like my AKG C 414's and how they make my kit sound. The C214's are the same mic with only one polar pattern, cardioid, instead of 9 on the 414. It's less than half the price of the 414.

Click to expand...

If you already have a C414, get another one! The multiple modes and pickup patterns make it a great choice for live, since a tighter pickup pattern will reject other sources. For example, using a pair of 414s in hypercardioid will reject the sound from amps better than cardioid. They're also very good as tom mics, but you wouldn't want to risk them getting hit by a stick. You can try one mic in figure 8 mode, placed between the snare and kick. For recording, they'll work on anything -- acoustic guitar, piano, vocals. And a pair is great because you can get some good stereo setups happening, like Blumlein (both mics in figure 8 mode), which a recording studio might not have the equipment, or even the expertise, to do. A pair of multi-pattern condensers is a great investment.

larryace said:

Question for the experienced sound techs: Why would I use a dynamic microphone in the studio when I have enough great condenser mics? I play medium/normal volume, not hard, not soft.

Click to expand...

Because sound. Sometimes a dynamic will capture the transients more reliably than a condenser, especially when close to the source. The moving coil design inside a dynamic will recover more quickly than the thin diaphragm of a condenser.

Also, because of expense. Most studios don't want a thousand-dollar mic in close proximity to a drum stick. They don't care about your gentle, careful technique -- it's just not worth the risk.

Matt Bo Eder said:

It's not a matter of "just because you're in the studio", Larry. It's "what sounds better?"

This is why studios own thousands of dollars of all kinds of microphones - so they can pick and choose what they want to use. When clients walk into the studio and see the engineer work so fast at coming to a conclusion about what he's going to use, they assume that's how it works for everybody - but the reality is the engineer has spent the time testing mics and over time, he knows what will work - that's why you hired him.

Is anyone aware that Bonnie Raitt has made a lot of vocal recordings using the Electro Voice RE20 microphone? It's a (relatively cheap) dynamic mic that we would normally see stuck inside a bass drum. While other singers sound best on a $10,000.00 AKG C12 tube condenser mic, or the venerable AKG C414. It all depends on what tools work best for the job.

I had a guy mic my snare drum with a pencil condenser mic (AKG C330), and it sounded great because he wanted to bring out more highs without having to resort to using EQ at the mixing console. I know a saxophone player who's horn only sounds good when you use a Sennheiser MD421 (another dynamic mic). Microphones are important, but you haven't lived until you've heard an excellent microphone plugged into an equally excellent mic pre-amplifier, which is how the big studios work most of the time. I took the lowly Shure SM57 (that cheap dynamic mic) and plugged it into an Manly mic pre-amp, and that mic never sounded so good. Of course, the Manly mic pre-amp costs about $5,000.00!

Probably everybody makes the assumption of using specific mics for specific things, when in reality you use whatever you need to get a great sound recorded. So if that means you're in the studio and the engineer tries several different mics on you, and for some reason ends up using a Shure SM58, that's because that what sounds best at that time, on that day. Tomorrow it could be different. The recording studio exists for experimentation - this is why I say that it depends on what you're going for.

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Thanks Bo. I am assuming that all things being equal, a condenser mic will sound more realistic than a dynamic. Maybe I shouldn't assume.

larryace said:

I'm in the same boat as you. I have very little experience with this stuff. My initial thought is only condensers for the studio, nothing dynamic. That's just my initial thought. Condensers are more sensitive, so in my mind, it should make a more crystalline sound. But I know nothing. The only thing I do know is I really really like my AKG C 414's and how they make my kit sound. The C214's are the same mic with only one polar pattern, cardioid, instead of 9 on the 414. It's less than half the price of the 414.

Click to expand...

If you'll be doing some recording, and if you already have a C414 -- get another one! The multiple modes and pickup patterns make it a great choice for live, since a tighter pickup pattern will reject other sources. For example, using a pair of 414s in hypercardioid will reject the sound from amps better than cardioid. They're also very good as tom mics, but you wouldn't want to risk them getting hit by a stick. You can try one mic in figure 8 mode, placed between the snare and kick. For recording, they'll work on anything -- acoustic guitar, piano, vocals, choir, upright bass, etc. And a pair is great because you can get some good stereo setups happening, like Blumlein (both mics in figure 8 mode), which a recording studio might not have the equipment, or even the expertise, to do. A pair of multi-pattern condensers is a great investment.

larryace said:

Question for the experienced sound techs: Why would I use a dynamic microphone in the studio when I have enough great condenser mics? I play medium/normal volume, not hard, not soft.

Click to expand...

Because sound. Sometimes a dynamic will capture the transients more reliably than a condenser, especially when close to the source. The moving coil design inside a dynamic will recover more quickly than the thin diaphragm of a condenser.

Also, because of expense. Most studios don't want a thousand-dollar mic in close proximity to a drum stick. They don't care about your gentle, careful technique -- it's just not worth the risk.

If your focus is live sound -- then one overhead will usually do it. You usually see small diaphragm condensers because they're cheaper and easier to position, but your 414 is much better. You could add a small diaphragm condenser for your hi-hat if you wanted, for bigger rooms and stages.

brentcn said:

If you'll be doing some recording, and if you already have a C414 -- get another one! The multiple modes and pickup patterns make it a great choice for live, since a tighter pickup pattern will reject other sources. For example, using a pair of 414s in hypercardioid will reject the sound from amps better than cardioid. They're also very good as tom mics, but you wouldn't want to risk them getting hit by a stick. You can try one mic in figure 8 mode, placed between the snare and kick. For recording, they'll work on anything -- acoustic guitar, piano, vocals, choir, upright bass, etc. And a pair is great because you can get some good stereo setups happening, like Blumlein (both mics in figure 8 mode), which a recording studio might not have the equipment, or even the expertise, to do. A pair of multi-pattern condensers is a great investment.




Because sound. Sometimes a dynamic will capture the transients more reliably than a condenser, especially when close to the source. The moving coil design inside a dynamic will recover more quickly than the thin diaphragm of a condenser.

Also, because of expense. Most studios don't want a thousand-dollar mic in close proximity to a drum stick. They don't care about your gentle, careful technique -- it's just not worth the risk.

If your focus is live sound -- then one overhead will usually do it. You usually see small diaphragm condensers because they're cheaper and easier to position, but your 414 is much better. You could add a small diaphragm condenser for your hi-hat if you wanted, for bigger rooms and stages.

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My focus is recording only. I'm never miced in my present band. Right now I'm focused on getting the best dry sound I can in my studio only. I like the C 414's so much that I got a bunch. I don't close mic toms, mics are 18" away from toms, snaremic like 10" away. The bass drum is unported and is close miced just above center. The mics are positioned so they are out of my stick realm, and I keep the windscreens on all mics because I'm hoping they will keep any dust out of the capsule. I'm using 2 Neumann KM 184 SD pencil OH's, 2 - 414's covering 4 toms, a C 414 on the snare, NT5 pencil condenser on the hi hat, D6 on the kick and a I have a U87 that I'm waiting on a shock mount for as a room mic.

Matt Bo Eder said:

Unless, of course, you want to open your own recording studio, which a lot of people have done. And it's cool, but like I said, a whole 'nother can o' worms to learn about.

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The mics I'm looking to investing in would really be only for live performances. The studio I'm going to be working with has plenty of mics and equipment and I probably won't have to bring any of my own stuff. I'm also not really interested in home recording, while it would be cool it's too expensive and I imagine it would take years to learn that craft. Also, the money I spend on mics and equipment alone would be better spent on studio time.

I do however want higher quality mics though, and I've got a little money now to spend. A lot of the venues around my area don't have super nice mics, except for the festivals and stuff. And hopefully one day I'd like to maybe record a live album or something, so good quality and sound is important to me. What would you recommend or how would you suggest I go about this?

brentcn said:

If you already have a C414, get another one! The multiple modes and pickup patterns make it a great choice for live, since a tighter pickup pattern will reject other sources. For example, using a pair of 414s in hypercardioid will reject the sound from amps better than cardioid. They're also very good as tom mics, but you wouldn't want to risk them getting hit by a stick. You can try one mic in figure 8 mode, placed between the snare and kick. For recording, they'll work on anything -- acoustic guitar, piano, vocals. And a pair is great because you can get some good stereo setups happening, like Blumlein (both mics in figure 8 mode), which a recording studio might not have the equipment, or even the expertise, to do. A pair of multi-pattern condensers is a great investment.

Click to expand...

Yea I love that mic, I got a good price on the one I have. I want to get another one, I just need to make sure i plan out my expenses because it ain't cheap and I have to buy other mics too. The reason I bought it is because it's so versatile, for vocals or drums or amps or really almost anything. I have heard them used on toms and I do think they are my favorite for the tom sound I'd like to get, would I be able to use them on toms in a live situation or would the bleed from the other instruments be too much? I am aware of the dangers of hitting them though, and it is something I'll have to seriously consider.

williamsbclontz said:

The mics I'm looking to investing in would really be only for live performances. The studio I'm going to be working with has plenty of mics and equipment and I probably won't have to bring any of my own stuff. I'm also not really interested in home recording, while it would be cool it's too expensive and I imagine it would take years to learn that craft. Also, the money I spend on mics and equipment alone would be better spent on studio time.

I do however want higher quality mics though, and I've got a little money now to spend. A lot of the venues around my area don't have super nice mics, except for the festivals and stuff. And hopefully one day I'd like to maybe record a live album or something, so good quality and sound is important to me. What would you recommend or how would you suggest I go about this?

Click to expand...

Oh, well that's different! If you're just bringing microphones with you to plug into the house, just get a basic set to cover your entire kit, then you'd have the option of using all, or just a few, depending on how you want to go about. What I've been doing when I go out to play, is I'll bring my microphones, and a small mixing board to plug those into, and then send a stereo feed to the house. For instance, I have three mixers: a Mackie 1604VLZ3 (most options and channels), a Yamaha MG16FX (less channels, but built-in effects), and a smaller Yamaha MG with only 4-channels and built-in effects. I can plug however many mics I bring with me, and then give the stereo outputs (or just one if the sound guy only has one channel to spare) to the sound people then they can put my sub-mix into the house.

My choices are pretty generic for microphones: a Shure Beta 52 for the bass drum, and Shure SM57's for each drum (I have four drums). I'll also put up a pair of Audio Technica pencil condenser microphones for stereo overheads, and, if necessary, an AKG SE330 pencil condenser on the hi-hat.

I also have two AKG Perception 420 mics, and a AKG C214 mic, that I can also use. But the only specialized mic I have is the Shure Beta 52, having been built for bass drum, or other low frequency things, but all other mics I can use on other things too - so if I ever do open up a studio, I have the basics covered if I need microphones.

For live performance here's a few other mic options to consider:

Bass Drum: Telefunken M82, Heil PR48, Audio-Technica ATM-25

Snare: Shure SM-57, Telefunken M81, Audio-Technica ATM-23HE

Rack Toms: Shure SM-57, Audio-Technica ATM-25, Audio-Technica AE3000

Floor Toms: Audio-Technica ATM-25, Audio-Technica AE3000, AKG D112

Overheads: Aston Origin, Audio-Technica AE3000, Audio-Technica AE5100

Hi-hats: Audio-Technica AE5100, Shure SM81

There's plenty of great mic options out there. Set your budget and then trust your ears.

I bought a C414 about 3 weeks ago, just bought my second one today (both on ebay for about half off new). Can't wait for them to come in, I've been using Rode NT2-a's for my overhead mics for ten years, been looking forward to an upgrade!

Also about two months ago upgraded from a Shure Beta 52 (perfectly good/high end bass mic) to the Re20, which is a really nice dynamic!

WHICH DRUM

Mulling over recording drums on the cheap. Ive got a Yamaha DTX , but I took all my cymbals off and play my L80s. Im wondering about close micing the L80s and triggering from the audio in my DAW. Anyone had success triggering off micd cymbals? Mics, placement, processing... Any examples? Позвольте размыть профессиональную пресность, профессиональным юмором Муж с женой лежат в постели. Мужу хочется, он кладет руку на бедро жены. Жена: — Сегодня не могу. Мне завтра утром к гинекологу, надо быть чистой. Муж ворочается, никак не может заснуть — очень хочется. Трогает жену за плечо: — А к стоматологу тебе завтра не надо?

Just an update, you guys gave me some good advice and I think I've finally found the right setup for myself. I recently just rented 2 AKG 414s to go with the one I already have, and I set up on a stage a venue let me borrow to mess around with mic placement and sound etc. I used the mics as tom mics and I've found that the cymbal bleed into the mics were good enough that I don't need to use an overhead. Dynamic mics on the snare and I'm still figuring out the bass drum but I'm very close. I also took matts suggestion and ran all my mics through a separate board that I control. I don't think the sound guys at all the gigs will appreciate it, but I don't care because it's really convenient and I'm getting a really good feel for it and am able to get the exact live sound I want. Im probably going to jump on the next good priced 414 I can find. Thanks everyone for the help!

My 2 cents:


SM57s are great and worthwhile BUT I don't care for them on toms and there are more choices now than ever. I got a pair of Blue 100i's (I think they still have 100s on sale) at Musician's Friend, 2 for 1. They're in no way inferior to the 57, both are good. I paid $89/pair. Plenty of good snare mics out there, I got an Audio Technica ATM63 and Audix D3 used, both under $50.

Kick drum mics, there's a lot of good stuff out there. I don't care for the Shure Beta 52, but it will do the work. The ATM230 and some Beyerdynamics have my attention. The Heil PR30 and PR40 are both on my list.

Toms, I'm fond of the clip on condensers, I just got a Beyer, but Shure SM98s are well respected, and AKG and others make them as well. Audix D2s are well loved, and for floor tom, or a small kick, the D4 is popular. Beyerdynamic TG D50d is awesome for FT or kick, I got mine new on eBay for $130. CAD M179s are VERY well loved for toms. IMO none of these can fail, they'll all do the job very, very well.

I got Blue Hummingbirds to use as overheads, again 2 for 1. Lots and lots of good choices here, all of which you can ignore since you have two 414s. Are they the same series? If you decide the 414s need to live on your toms, my first choice for OHs that won't make you broke are the Shure KSM32 and KSM141.

An omni or multipattern should be fun for a room mic, either a 414, or any number of cheap condensers or dynamics: EV 635A OR PL5, Shure Radio Shack 33-1070, any number of discontinued AT mics go for cheap. 12 gauge does a $35 omni condenser, PZMs sell for nothing used, and the Rodes NT5/NT55/NT6/NT4 all take the same omni capsule that I hear is supposed to be fantastic. Even the Behringer $60 measurement mic has its fans.

Whoever said that dynamics are faster than condensers: nope, other way around.