Beyerdynamic TG Drum-Set Pro L MKII Review

The Beyerdynamic TG Drum Set Pro L MKII is one of the most impressive drum microphone kits I’ve used recently.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been using the full set here in my studio recording a range of different drum sounds and experimenting with different microphone placements.

The recordings I’ve got with these mics sound incredible, and from a usability standpoint, the mounting system is top-tier.

In this review, I’ll break down the full Beyerdynamic TG Drum Set Pro L MKII package, talk through the individual microphones, discuss the build quality and mounting system, and of course share my thoughts on how these mics actually perform in a real recording environment.

What’s In The Kit

So let’s start with what you actually get with this mic kit.

You get 7 mics – two TGD57s, two TGD58s, a pair of I53c’s for overheads, and the TG D71 boundary kick mic. Everything comes in a padded soft bag, and all the mics feel well-made and solid.

The D57s and D58s are interchangeable and can both be used for either snare or toms. For my setup I used the 57s on the snare and floor tom, and the 58s on the two rack toms.

And the TG D71 is a boundary mic, which means it’s positioned inside the kick drum instead of mounted on a stand outside the porthole like most kick mics.

Now something I didn’t actually realise before getting to grips with these is that all of these mics are condensers. As far as drum mics go, this is quite unusual. 

Typically close mics for snare, toms and kick are all dynamic, but not here. Full condenser drum mic kits are very much the outlier – one of the few others being the Earthworks mics, which is what I use regularly for my recordings. 

Condensers pick up more detail, which is a big part of why these sound the way they do. But we’ll get into that later.

But first, I have to mention the mounting system because it’s the best I’ve ever used. The four snare and tom mics have the mount integrated directly into the unit, so it’s all one solid piece. You just clip them onto the hoop, the spring-loaded mechanism grips on, and they stay completely secure. 

There’s no separate clamps, no extra parts, It’s just incredibly clean and simple to use.

Sound

When I listened back to the raw recordings for the first time, I was taken aback at how good they sounded. The raws sounded just polished and really full of life, even before hitting any EQ. 

The D57s and 58s use a cardioid polar pattern, which means they focus on the drum in front of them and reject sound from the sides. I will say there’s a touch more bleed with these than I get with my Earthworks setup, but it’s nothing that would cause any issues. Everything still sits cleanly in the mix.

The toms sounded fantastic. They’re really punchy but they have good clarity as well, I think a lot of that comes down to the condenser design. They have a faster transient response, and to my ears I hear more detail, more nuance, and just a very full sound overall.

And the D57 on snare also sounded great. You get a lot of attack and body. It’s also really natural sounding.

I’ve actually used the TG D71 a few times and I’ve always really liked it. It has this really attack-y, punchy sound with a lot of low end. There’s a slightly scooped modern character to it that I dig. It’s punchy and almost squidgy in a really satisfying way. With a nice impact tone without sounding overly clicky.

Lastly, the M53c overheads were super clean. They have lots of detail and a really smooth top end. And they captured a really coherent stereo image of the whole kit, with everything sounding glued together and natural. The whole kit image just sounded cohesive.

Mounting System

As mentioned earlier, getting these mics on the kit is effortless, and the mounts are brilliantly designed. In terms of construction, it’s made from this rigid break-proof plastic that is super tough.

And when they’re on the drums there’s no wobbling or slipping, no vibrations, nothing. They grip the hoops firmly and stay put whilst you play.

The TG D57 has a longer gooseneck design which gives you loads of flexibility for placement. The TG D58 has a shorter, more compact gooseneck, and I chose to use these on the rack toms. The adjustment on them is also cool – it locks into place so it’s not gonna swivel or move around.

And the kick mic just goes straight into the drum and rests on the bottom of the shell – it doesn’t get any easier than that. 

So overall, the whole mic set just feels really well thought out and it’s super easy to use.

Verdict

I went into this not expecting to be seriously challenged in terms of my regular setup. The Earthworks DK7 has been my go-to, and those mics are brilliant. 

But these Beyerdynamics are undeniably impressive. The raw recordings sounded so polished and mixing these drums just elevates everything even further. 

Plus the mounting system is without a doubt one of the best I’ve used. I think a lot of drummers and engineers are going to love these. So I would seriously recommend them if you’re in the market for a quality set of drum mics.

These are a genuine challenger to my Earthworks setup, and I’m gonna be using these a lot more.