Description
What the A56D Is
The Shure A56D is a microphone mount, not a microphone. It is a clamp that attaches to the rim of a drum and holds a microphone in position, replacing the floor stand that would otherwise be needed for each drum in a kit. Anyone browsing a listing page quickly could easily mistake it for a recording product, so it is worth stating at the outset: this is hardware that positions a microphone, and a microphone must be bought separately.
The problem it solves is specific and real. A drum kit has multiple sound sources within a few feet of each other, and each one ideally wants a microphone within inches of the head. Doing that with conventional stands means a forest of tripod legs around the drummer, all of which are in the way, all of which transmit floor vibration, and all of which get knocked during a performance. A rim clamp removes the stand entirely and fixes the microphone relative to the drum, so the position stays correct even if the kit moves. Drummers building a recording setup should look at the complete Shure DMK57-52 drum microphone kit, which bundles mounts of this type with the microphones themselves.
Compatibility and the 5/8 Inch Standard
Shure states that the A56D accommodates 5/8 inch swivel adapters. That thread size is the American microphone standard, used on stands and clips throughout the industry, and its inclusion here is what makes the mount genuinely universal rather than Shure specific. Any microphone whose clip fits a 5/8 inch thread can be fitted, subject to size and weight, which covers the large majority of dynamic instrument microphones.
Shure names the SM57, Beta 57 and PG57 explicitly as the drum microphones the mount is designed to carry. The SM57 in particular is the most widely used instrument microphone in existence, found on snare drums, guitar cabinets and brass across every kind of studio, so a mount designed around it will fit most of what a drummer is likely to own. Buyers outside the 5/8 inch world, or working in a studio that uses 3/8 inch European threads, will need a thread adapter, and the listing does not state whether one is supplied. Those setting up a broader recording position should also look at the boom arms in the mounts category.
Why Placement Matters
The reason a mount of this kind exists is that microphone placement changes the recorded sound more than the choice of microphone does. Moving a dynamic microphone an inch closer to a drum head changes the low frequency content through proximity effect. Angling it toward the center of the head rather than the edge changes the balance between attack and body. Pointing it away from a nearby cymbal changes how much bleed ends up in the channel. A clamp that holds a chosen position repeatably means that once the sound is right it stays right, which is the whole value of the product.
It also reduces mechanical noise. A stand standing on the same floor as a kick drum picks up structural vibration and passes it up the pole into the microphone. A rim clamp is not immune to that, since it is attached to the drum itself, but it removes the floor from the path. Buyers pairing this with a microphone from the instrument category should think about the whole chain rather than the mount in isolation, and those recording a full kit will want a condenser such as the AKG P120 for overheads.
Highlights
- Clamps directly to a drum rim, eliminating a floor stand for each drum.
- Accepts any 5/8 inch swivel adapter, the standard microphone thread.
- Named by Shure as compatible with the SM57, Beta 57 and PG57.
- Compact enough to position a microphone without crowding the kit.
- Holds a chosen placement repeatably between sessions.
- Removes the floor as a path for mechanical vibration.
Things To Consider
The listing for this product is extremely thin. There are four feature bullets and no specification table at all, which means the weight, the materials, the rim thickness range the clamp accepts, the maximum microphone weight it will hold and the adjustment range are all undocumented. Rim thickness is the one that matters most in practice: drum hoops vary considerably between triple flanged, die cast and wood, and a clamp that grips one may not fit another. A buyer should check the hoop type on their kit against Shure’s documentation before ordering.
It is also worth being clear that this is an accessory sold on its own. No microphone, no cable and no thread adapter is confirmed as included. For a drummer starting from nothing, the mount is the smallest part of the outlay, and buying the complete kit rather than the parts individually is usually the better route.
On limitations, a rim mount is not always the best position. Overhead microphones, room microphones and kick drum microphones all need stands regardless, so this replaces some stands rather than all of them. Clamping to a rim also puts the microphone where a stick can hit it, which is a real hazard on a snare drum; careful angling is required. And because the mount attaches to the drum, it moves when the drum moves, which is an advantage for consistency and a disadvantage if the drum is tuned or replaced mid session. Anyone building a broader studio should also compare studio boom arms such as the RODE PSA1+ for non percussion work.
Who It Suits
The A56D suits a drummer or engineer who already owns SM57 class microphones and wants to mic a kit without filling the space around it with stands. It suits live use particularly well, where setup time and floor space are both constrained, and it suits rehearsal rooms where a kit is miked repeatedly and consistency between sessions saves time.
It is not a purchase for anyone expecting a microphone, for anyone with unusual drum hoops who has not checked compatibility, or for a beginner who would be better served by a complete kit. Buyers recording vocals or spoken word rather than drums should look at the Shure MV7X and a conventional stand instead.
