data-object-fit=cover data-lazy-srcset=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog-.jpg 1440w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--300x131.jpg 300w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--1030x451.jpg 1030w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--768x336.jpg 768w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--450x197.jpg 450w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog-.jpg />
Share this article
width=32 height=32 data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/facebook-purple.svg />
width=32 height=32 data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/twitter-purple.svg />
width=32 height=32 data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/linkedin-purple.svg />
How to Record Acoustic Drums With a Compact Setup in 2024
Drums are one of the hardest instruments to record when you consider just how big they are. Unlike a guitar or saxophone, you have multiple components that need to be heard clearly through a mix, so you typically need several microphones.
However, it's easier than you think to get a great drum mix with a compact setup. In this guide, we'll explain how to get a decent drum recording with just two microphones and Symphony Desktop.
Here's everything you need to know.
How to Record Acoustic Drums with Apogee Products (5 Steps)
Space
Before looking at any gear, you need to set your space up optimally. The better position your drums are in, the easier it will be to get a good drum recording.
Our biggest suggestion is to face your drums away from a wall. If they're directed at a wall, the cymbals and shells will project sounds against it. Those sounds will bounce off quite aggressively, causing a bad room sound.
By facing your drums away from the wall, you cut down on the number of ugly frequencies.
You should then do your best to insulate the room. You can do this by hanging sound panels on walls or filling the room with a bit of furniture.
Sound insulation can get really expensive, but the basic principle is that you want to stop sound from bouncing around the room. It could really help to just bring in a couch, as that will absorb a lot of sound.
Microphones
For the sake of having a compact setup, we're just going to use two microphones. Something like an sE Electronics sE7 would work well as an overhead, while a Shure Beta 52A would work well as the kick drum mic.
For the overhead mic, you'll need to set it up above your kit. Position it above the ride cymbal, and make sure it's in a diagonal position from the snare drum.
If the mic is too high, you're going to get more sound from your cymbals. If it's too low, it'll pick up more of the drums. It also may get in the way. So you just need to play around to find the best height.
Set the kick mic up inside your bass drum if it has a port hole. If it doesn't, position it a few inches away from the resonant head, but make sure it's in the middle.
Audio Interface
The Apogee Symphony Desktop is a great audio interface for drummers, as it includes two pre-amps that you can connect the mics two. This will set you up with the two-mic recording setup.
When you've connected the mics to the interface with XLR cables, make sure to get the right gain levels. This means that they should be loud enough, but they shouldn't peak when you strike the drums.
You can then fine-tweak the settings to whatever sound preferences you prefer. Remember that placing the mics and getting good gain settings is more important than how you mix them later. It makes mixing much easier.
One of the big benefits of the Symphony Desktop is that it includes on-board processing with a variety of plugins. This gives you extra tools to shape your recordings.
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
Your next step is to use a Digital Audio Workstation to have control over the recorded sounds being sent through the interface.
The most popular DAWs are Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Pro Tools. Those all cost a bit of money, so you can use Garage Band or Audacity if you want something free.
When using the DAW, you'll need to set the preferences so that the Apogee Symphony interface is the primary sound source. You can then create two tracks for the overhead and kick drum mic.
You should be able to record the drums and hear what they sound like.
For example, if you're struggling to get good low-end from your mic positioning, you can add the Pultec EQP-1A plugin to better shape the recording.
Mixing
Mixing is incredibly subjective, and some drummers prefer certain sounds over others. However, there are a few things to do when you start mixing the sounds.
The base sounds coming through the microphones aren't optimized well, so you can use the interface to edit them to sound a lot better.
You basically just want to clean up any frequencies that make your kit sound bad. You can then boost certain frequencies to get louder and more powerful sounds. Add a bit of reverb to really spark up the sound quality and you're golden.
From there, you have your recording setup sorted. Just save all of your settings to use as a template. You can then record your drums in the same way every time you go through the motions.
FAQ
Do You Need a Mixer to Record Drums?
No, you don't need to use a mixer. Most drum recording setups just use an audio interface, which channels the signals from your microphones through to your computer. You can use a mixer as an extra step to control those sounds, but it's not essential by any means.
How Do You Get High-Quality Drum Recordings?
There are a few vital things needed f
Europe Stories
18/12/2025
Canada's largest indoor arena has transformed its live production capabilities with a full ST 2110 infrastructure and Calrec's compact Argo S console. S...
18/12/2025
Long-term agreement includes the SES SCORE platform and hybrid distribution worldwide to deliver more than 5,000 hours of golf tournaments annually featuring th...
18/12/2025
18 Dec 2025
VEON Upgraded to Nasdaq Global Select Market, Enhancing Investor Visibility Dubai, December 18, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital o...
18/12/2025
Thursday 18 December 2025
Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the Masters ...
18/12/2025
Using the additive process of 3D printing, layer after layer gets printed until an object is as close to the final shape needed as possible. Historically, machi...
18/12/2025
In 2025, RT proudly supported 185 arts and cultural events across the island of Ireland, reflecting significant growth since the scheme was re-launched in 2014...
18/12/2025
RT Sports Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
18/12/2025
RT lyric fm presents a very special Winter Solstice edition of Ambient Orbit, l...
18/12/2025
At 7.45pm on 1st January 1926, the precursor to RT , then 2RN, delivered the fledgling new Irish state's first public radio transmission. From those first c...
18/12/2025
December 18 2025, 05:30 (PST) The Movie Experience SLO Becomes First U.S. Exhib...
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Wuppertal December 17, 2025
Riedel Builds Global Communication and Commentary ...
17/12/2025
December 17 2025, 17:00 (PST) Dolby and LG Unveil a New Era of Home Audio With ...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Cape Town, November 13, 2025 - SES and International artist and humanitarian, Fo...
15/12/2025
Luxembourg, December 15, 2025 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Abra Group launched fast and reliable multi-orbit inflight connectivity service on t...
15/12/2025
15 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Delivers First Starlink Direct to Cel...
15/12/2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself the topic of year's cracker jokes
Oasis, David Harbour, Celebrity Traitors and Angela Rayner all feature in this y...
15/12/2025
Comscore Expands Cross-Platform Campaign Measurement to Include Audio and Social New capabilities strengthen cross-platform campaign reporting suite; CCR rebran...
15/12/2025
RT .ie has reached one billion page views this year and is on track to finish 2025 2% ahead of last year. Average time spent on the site is up 3% on 2024, with ...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
Friday 12 December 2025
Ted is back! Seth MacFarlane's live-action comedic ...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
11 Dec 2025
VEON's Banglalink Receives Regulatory Approval to Launch Digita...
11/12/2025
Thursday 11 December 2025
Sky Arts paints a picture of Britain's beauty as ...
11/12/2025
It's not every day we're asked to create a website for a classical musician!
So, we were delighted to help pianist Georgina Duncan as she embarks on he...
11/12/2025
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Irish golfing hero Shane Lowry...
11/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier ti...
11/12/2025
Sash is ready to samba as Fair City star Stephanie Kelly is revealed as the late...
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
10/12/2025
For the first time, Spotify is giving users the power to steer the algorithm. Gustav S derstr m, Spotify's Co-President, CPO, and CTO, shares the vision beh...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON's Rising Capital Markets Profile Strengthened by Inclusion...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON Recognized for JazzCash, Kyivstar and Jazz at the World Commun...
data-object-fit=cover data-lazy-srcset=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog-.jpg 1440w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--300x131.jpg 300w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--1030x451.jpg 1030w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--768x336.jpg 768w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog--450x197.jpg 450w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Drums-Blog-.jpg /> 
