Recording Drums
How to record drums at home — the mics worth buying first, the audio interface with enough inputs, and the setups from one mic to eight that actually work.
Recording drums has a reputation for being the hardest thing in home recording, and it is — but mostly because people start with eight microphones and no plan. Start with one, in the right place, and a kit that is tuned, and you will be surprised how far that gets you. The gear can grow from there, one piece at a time, each one fixing a problem you can actually hear.
Begin with how to record drums at home, which runs from a phone on a shelf up to a full close-miked kit. Then the first four mics to buy and an interface with enough inputs. Phone videos of your playing are a different job — Drum Filters fixes those in a tap.
Latest in Recording Drums
All Our Buying Guides
Audio interfaces for drums | How many inputs?
Which audio interface to buy for recording drums: how many mic inputs you need, the two- and eight-input standards, ADAT expansion and the e-kit case.
All Our Buying Guides
Drum mics | The first four to buy
The four drum mics to buy first: a kick mic, a snare mic and a pair of overheads, with the standard picks at three budgets and the mic packs worth buying.
How to
How to record drums at home | One mic to eight
How to record drums at home, step by step: the phone-on-a-shelf method, one mic, the two-mic Recorderman, the four-mic Glyn Johns and when eight is worth it.
Not sure what to pick? Ask the Gear Guru — free, honest gear advice for your style and budget.