Wil 2 sm57s sound good as overhead drum mics for recording?

Question

Wil 2 sm57s sound good as overhead drum mics for recording?

Answer 1

No.

Normal overhead mic's are condenser mic's, which tend to get better treble response and capture transients better, which is exactly what you want when you're talking about recording cymbals, especially.

SM57's, while not bad microphones at all, are dynamic microphones, which are less responsive to higher frequencies, ie above 3 khz, which is where the bulk of the cymbal shimmer and sparkle, drum "presence", and various cymbal and snare overtones are going to lie. Dynamic mic's tend to have a "rounder" tone, while condenser mic's tend to have a "sharper" or even "drier" tone depending on the mic and how it's used.

You can use them, but you won't get the definition or clarity from the SM57's that you would from a condenser mic.

Saul