Pack it Up, Pack it In! – Drum Microphone Packages

Setting up mics for one vocalist, or one guitar rig – pretty straightforward, yes? Not so when attempting to effectively capture the sound of one entire acoustic drum kit!

With truly effective live and studio applications requiring that each drum kit component be mic’d (at least once!), depending on the scope of the set and style of the player, engineers are looking at a need to set up many appropriate microphones to best capture to tape (or hard drive, virtual/cloud drive, or wherever else) what’s being performed in real-time. Not surprisingly, pre-packaged Drum Microphone Packages (kits, sets, packs, et cetera) represent a hassle-free solution with, typically, good ROI.

With nearly 95 percent (94.2%) of participants in this month’s survey on Drum Mic Packages (kits, packs, et cetera) – sent out to over 900 folks – reporting sales to be up or level, when compared to 2023, this is clearly a bright spot within MI. Moreover, with the vast majority (64.3%) of customers for these packages opting for gear within the $301-$1,000 price-range, these aren’t bargain-basement hunters!

When compared to 2023, sales of Drum Microphone Packages) at your store are…

Up: 5.8%

Down: 39.8%

Level: 54.4%

What are your customers using these Drum Microphone Packs/Kits for, primarily?

Live Sound: 47.5%

Recording & Mixing: 29.7%

Evenly split between both live sound reinforcement and studio applications: 23%

What price-points for these Microphone Packages are moving the most units for your business?

Under $250: 11%

$251-$300: 12.5%

$301-$500: 39.5%

$501-$1,000: 24.8%

$1,001-$1,500: 4.9%

$1,501-$3,000: 6%

Over $3,000: 1.3%

What brands of Drum Microphone Kits are selling best for your business?

Shure: 67.4%

AKG: 42.9%

Audix: 42.9%

CAD: 29.3%

PreSonus: 29.3%

Sennheiser: 29.3%

Samson: 21.1%

RODE: 16%

DPA: 12.8%

Earthworks: 12.8%

Heil Sound: 12.8%

Yamaha: 5.6%

Peavey: 5.6%

KickTone Microphones: 4.3%

Barton: 4.3%

“Other”: 3.2%

Have you been observing any trends regarding Drum Microphone Packages – buying habits, in-demand features, et cetera?

“Drummers must have pictures! Big, colorful pictures that show what is in the box. Nothing snazzy or subtle: PICTURES!”

Anthony Mantova

Mantova’s Two Street Music

Eureka, California

“All-in-one kits are popular”

Clancy Ferrill

Clancy’s Music

Stockton, CA

“Drummers have definitely become more discriminate in choosing drum mics. More of them are putting quality above price and look for packs that will work well for both live and recording.”

David St. John

Music & Arts

Glendora, California