Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt with Drum Clamp

Similar to the SM57 (not in terms of frequency response) but for the fact that it can be used on almost everything and sound great. Probably has the best sustain of any mic i have used. I use this for floor toms during live situations but use it for guitar, bass, drums and vocals when recording and it has a clear deliverance in the mix. The build qualty is the only point i would raise a concern with it. It hasnt failed me but i would be careful with it. Overall very happy with how it deliveries. Worth very penney!

This is my live snare top mic.
I loved MD421 on snares because the heaviness it catches from snares and this is just that but without the need for a fuckin' stand... if you work for many years as a sound engineer you just start to get tired of stands :D

I got 3 of these for toms, and found out they're great for sax and even vocals too. The affordable price makes me wonder why I would ever want to get the twice as expensive, full size versions. These are clean and precise dynamic mics.