Hey everyone! I wanted to ask how safe it is to mic a Kick Drum with an LDC. I have a Rode NT1s,s which I plan on using for this purpose (at least for now). It is my main microphone for recording vocals and guitars right now. I have to SE7's for overheads and an SM57 for the snare.
It doesn't bother me to add triggers to the kick drum to get a fuller sound, but I'd still like to get some detail and good low end from the recording stage. Can I break the mic if I put it too close?

 

You will not break it. Placement and eq are your friends. With the right settings you can get a sound equal to a good sample (if you have the right gear) and it's much more fun to do it as well as being a way to learn proper micing and mixing techniques

 

The Rode NT1 Signature has a high SPL handling capabilities (142dB). So you will break your bassdrum before your mic for sure.

This is not true, if you are using your mic as a bassdrum.

 

Last edited: Nov 26, 2025 at 6:56 AM

People use multi thousand dollar Neumann U47 FET large diaphragm condenser mics all the time on kick. Don't worry about a thing.