Avis de Joe Shambro

quote
The Bottom Line
The KAM ST2 is one of the best drum microphones I've ever tried, especially on toms. With a value price of $44, they're affordable enough to keep a few in your microphone kit for recording drum sets of all types. The ST2 works well as a utility mic, working decently on guitar amp as well as all modes of percussion. For the price, the ST2 can't be beat -- and you'll be very surprised how good the ST2 sounds when compared to the (more expensive) competition.
Pros
Excellent sound quality on toms, snare
Good build quality
Value-priced at $44
Cons
Finish showed some minor damage due to stick hits
Description
Dynamic microphone with proprietary internal shockmounting
136db maximum SPL
30hz-15kHz frequency response, perfect EQ curve for drums with fine attack and decay
Guide Review - KAM ST2 Drum Microphone
Finding really good microphones for drums -- especially if you're using them both live and in the studio -- is always a careful balancing act, with lots of microphones on both ends of the budget spectrum.

The KAM ST2 is one of the best value-priced microphones I've ever tried. The manufacturer -- KAM Instruments of Roselle, Illinois -- produces high-quality microphones for working musicians, designed to do double duty between live shows and studio recording. The ST2 is part of their drum microphone line, which also includes the BD2, designed for kick drum.

The KAM ST2 is a small, unobtrusive dynamic microphone, designed for tight spaces such as toms and snares. It has a sleek black finish, with a strong cage around the capsule, allowing for powerful stick hits without much blemish. A small clamp can be ordered separately, allowing the ST2 to be clamped directly to the drum.

Sleek appearance aside, the ST2 sounds really, really good. On snare, it's got a very distinct, firm sound, with lots of attach and mid-range presence. It doesn't work as well on snare bottom -- it picked up a lot of resonance in the high-mids, allowing for lots of unpleasant leakage without heavy gating. On toms, the ST2 shines. Toms have a tight attack, plenty of body, and respond very well to compression and EQ. On toms, the ST2 met or exceeded the performance of many competitors I A/B'ed -- only the Beta 98 offering a substantially better performance, and even then, naturally, drum tuning played a factor in which mics sounded better.

The ST2 is an unbeatable bargain at $44, available direct from KAM Instruments' website.