Pro Tip: Kick Drum Mic Hole Placement

Make the hole at least 4" in diameter. 5-6" is better. Locate the hole at least 10" off of the floor, so it's easier to place the microphone.

Holes smaller than 4" can be difficult for mic placement. With the hole close to the ground, it's nearly impossible to get a stand low enough to allow for inside mic placement.

It’s understandable why drummers might want the hole in the front head of the bass drum to be as small and out of the way as possible. It’s very common for a church sound tech to start placing the inside kick mic only to find that the hole is not large enough to accommodate the mic, and it’s only located a few inches above the floor. 

If you’re miking with a Shure Beta52 or Audix D6 just inside the hole, it may not be a very big deal. However, if you’re using a D112 or any technique that places the microphone inside the drum it can be devastating.

The shortest quality boom stands are around 10” tall, and most are going to be more in the 16”-24” range. That means that any port hole lower than 10” is going to severely limit the microphone’s possible positions inside the drum significantly. 

Making sure that the hole is 5”-6” in diameter and 10” or more above the floor is the best option for ensuring that sound techs can get the best possible sound out of the drum regardless of the available mic type or chosen technique.