DrAlienSmith Deluxe Kick Mount: the clamp that replaces your kick drum mic stand

The kick drum mic stand is one of the great recurring annoyances of studio and stage work: it eats the little floor space left in front of the kit, it shifts the moment anyone brushes past it, and on a wooden stage it cheerfully passes every bit of floor rumble straight into the mic. DrAlienSmith, the Australian workshop run by Al “DrAlien” Smith, answers the problem head-on with the Deluxe Kick Mount (DKM): a clamp-and-ball-joint system that grafts onto the drum kit's hardware and makes the stand unnecessary.

Mounted to the hardware, not the drum

This is the fundamental difference from the rim mounts you normally come across. The DKM doesn't clamp to the drum itself — it fixes to the hardware around it. For an internal mic it mounts under the tom mount bar; for an external mic it clamps to the kick drum leg. Nothing constrains the shell, and crucially nothing sits on the floor in front of the kit any more.

The idea doesn't stop at the kick, either: the DKM also takes cymbal stands, so you can use it for a snare or tom mic and keep clearing space around the drummer.

Six points of damping, zero metal-on-metal

A mic fixed directly to a drum kit is a mic that receives every mechanical vibration the kit produces. DrAlienSmith blocks that path in six places: the four ball joints and the two clamp inserts are made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The whole assembly therefore behaves like a shock mount for whatever microphone it holds.

A welcome side effect: there is no metal-to-metal connection anywhere in the mount. The inserts protect both the microphone body and the hardware from scratches and scuffs — which matters when you're clamping a ribbon or a valuable dynamic onto a chromed cymbal stand.

One-inch ball joints so nothing sags

The Achilles heel of ball-joint systems is sag: the position is perfect on the first song, and it has crept three centimetres by the end of the hour. DrAlienSmith uses one-inch ball joints here, with a noticeably larger grip surface than standard rim mounts. Once the two tightening points are locked down, the mic stays exactly where you put it, session after session. Two screws to handle, no more: adjustment stays quick even during soundcheck.

What's in the box

The DKM ships complete. Two clamp inserts in different sizes (25 mm and 22 mm) cover the vast majority of tube diameters and mic bodies, and 1.2 mm rubber strips allow fine adjustment for edge cases. For microphones that don't fit in the clamp — the Shure Beta 52A first among them — a mic stand thread adapter is included as standard. A soft case and a detailed manual round things off.

Specifications

• Clamp and ball joint mounting system for kick drum microphones, internal or external
• 4 one-inch ball joints, larger grip surface than standard rim mounts
• 2 tightening points
• Vibration absorbed at 6 points: 4 ball joints + 2 clamp inserts in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
• No metal-to-metal contact: scratch protection for microphones and hardware
• Fits the tom mount bar (internal mounting), the kick drum leg (external mounting) or a cymbal stand (snare and toms)
• Supplied with: mic stand thread adapter (for mics such as the Shure Beta 52A), soft case, 2 clamp inserts (25 mm and 22 mm), 1.2 mm rubber strips, manual
• Designed and assembled in Australia
• 2-year repair-or-replace warranty

Availability and price

The DrAlienSmith Deluxe Kick Mount is listed at €169.99 at Cool Kids Audio, available to pre-order. The manufacturer states that first shipments go out from 18 August 2026.

Regulars of the brand will note that it complements the Deluxe Mic Mount (€89.99), the more general-purpose ball-joint clamp in the catalogue: the DKM takes the same logic and extends it to the kick drum, with a double arm and reinforced damping.