AKG Drum Set Session I (7-Piece Microphone Kit)

AKG Drum Set Session I (7-Piece Microphone Kit)

The AKG Drum Set Session I is a complete seven-microphone kit for miking a full drum set on stage, in a rehearsal room or in a home or project studio. Every microphone comes from AKG’s Perception Live series, and the set is voiced to work together: one P2 dynamic microphone for the bass drum, four P4 dynamic microphones for snare and toms, and two P17 small-diaphragm condenser microphones as overheads. The microphones, their mounting hardware and stand adapters travel together in a durable aluminium carrying case, so a complete drum miking setup arrives, and leaves, as one organised package.

Key features

• Seven microphones: 1 x P2 for kick drum, 4 x P4 for snare and toms, 2 x P17 condensers for overheads
• All microphones have cardioid polar patterns to limit spill between kit pieces
• High maximum SPL handling throughout, up to 157 dB for the P2 and 155 dB for the P17 with its pad
• Four H440 adapter plates included to clamp the P4 microphones to drum rims
• Stand adapters included for the overhead microphones
• Metal microphone bodies with rugged spring steel grilles and scratch-resistant finish
• Aluminium carrying case included for transport and storage

The P2 on bass drum

The kick drum is the foundation of most drum recordings, and the P2 is a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone designed for low-frequency, high-impact sources. Its frequency response runs from 20 Hz to 16 kHz, it handles up to 157 dB SPL without distress, and its cardioid pattern focuses on the drum while rejecting sound from behind it, which helps keep cymbal wash out of the kick channel. The same qualities make the P2 useful beyond the kit, on bass guitar cabinets and low brass or wind instruments, so it earns its place in a general microphone collection as well as in this set.

Four P4 microphones for snare and toms

Four matching P4 dynamic microphones cover the snare and up to three toms, or a snare and a larger tom arrangement, with a consistent sound from drum to drum. Each P4 responds from 40 Hz to 18 kHz and handles up to 152 dB SPL, which is what close drum miking demands when a drummer plays hard. The supplied H440 adapter plates clamp these microphones directly to the drum rims, positioning them close to the heads without a forest of extra microphone stands around the kit. That speeds up setup, keeps the stage tidier and holds the microphone positions steady through a performance.

P17 overheads for the whole-kit picture

The two P17 microphones are small-diaphragm true condensers with half-inch diaphragms, technically identical to AKG’s P170 model. Used as a stereo overhead pair they capture the cymbals and the overall balance of the kit, the part of the sound that the close microphones alone cannot give. Their response covers 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, and a switchable 20 dB pre-attenuation pad raises their maximum SPL handling to 155 dB, so they can sit above a loud kit without overloading. As condensers they require phantom power from the mixer or interface, which should be kept in mind when planning the input list.

Beyond drums, and built for the road

Because the microphones are general-purpose designs chosen for drum duties rather than single-purpose novelties, the set also covers percussion, guitar and bass amplifiers, and brass and woodwind instruments when it is not on a drum kit. Perception Live construction, with metal casings, spring steel grilles, scratch-resistant finishes and gold-plated XLR contacts, is intended for regular stage handling, and the aluminium case keeps the seven microphones and their hardware protected and accounted for between sessions.

For drummers, studios, schools and live sound providers who need to mic a complete kit without assembling a collection one microphone at a time, the Drum Set Session I provides matched coverage for kick, snare, toms and overheads in a single case. It is a practical starting point that also remains useful as a general instrument microphone set as a collection grows.