Shure Beta52 vs. Audix D6 vs. AKG D112

[blackcom]

Anyone tried all of these mics? Wich ones do you favour the most and why?

And wich one has the most/punchiest "click" for bassdrum?

[audioalchemy]

the shure beta52 is one of my favorite mics for a outside kick mic. it's boomy, not alot of "click" even when placed inside. gets that nice round kick sound. the d112 gets a good mix between the beater and the resonance inside the kick, and the D6 is great for getting primarily a beater sound.

if i'm forced to pick just one mic i'd pick the D112, followed by a combination of D6 for kick in and beta52 for Kick Out.

However, my favorite mic to use on a kick drum ever is an MD421 2 inches off the batter head 1 1/2 inches below the batter 1 inch to the left or right. that the best IMHO.

AudioAlchemy

[Frugaljr]

Audix D6 for me. Of course, it depends on the drum, style of music, etc. One of the others might be preferencial for some styles, drums. I have heard them all and the D6 while being heavily pre-eq'd had the cleanest top and bottom. Audix seems to accel at making mics that can handle high spl and still stay clean. I got a really great tone once with a D4 inside and a D6 on the front head. That being said, the pre-EQ dumps everything around 400hz, which you often do anyway, but if you need that for a certain drum to sound right, it won't be there.

Mic placement within a kick drum is paramount. Moving it 2" can make all the difference.

I don't use any of the above for recording, if I have to use a dynamic, I use an EV ND-868. I have used an RE-20 and 421. Both interesting and good for certain music styles and drums.

Right now I am setting up for a session tomorrow and the mic of choice will probably be a Lawson L251. Big, rich tube bottom. Handles hard hits effortlessly. Won't be damaged by Kick mic'ing according to Gene Lawson. I asked him first. Didn't wan't shove that much money in front of a 24" membrane and have it break down.

I have had good results with the Rode K2 as well. If you use a condensor, it has to handle high spl. Those are fairly rare for kick drum use. Many sound distorted when the drum is really smacked. I think I put the K2 at a 30-45 degree angle to the head.

[InjuredEar]

I have put so many different mics on so many different bass drums that my opinion is that it has so much more to do with the drum and the drummer than anything else.
What's your situation? Do you have a specific drum kit you're trying to mic, or do you need to be able to deal with different styles for different drummmers at different kits?
Sometimes it helps if you're just working with 1 kit to experiment with head choice/beater choice and tuning and damping than to change out the mic.

I've not used the Audix, but I've tried most of the others out there.
I like the Sennheiser 602 for click and boom. It has plenty of both. It imparts its own sound on the kick and is less prone to tonal variations from being placed in different drums..
I like the D-112 for something like the 602 but not as pronounced with the click/boom
I like the D-12 for something a little more neutral than the D-112
I like the RE-20 if I want a throaty/thumpy jazzy bass drum.
I never ever ever want to use a Beta 52, but once it was just the perfect mic for the job so damn.. even that works sometimes. The rest of the time I hate the sound
I have used the Shure sm-91 and much like the Beta 52, it usually sounds like hell for me.. and then one day on one bass drum.. it was the perfect mic.
I certainly can't disagree with AudioAlchemy's recommendation for the 421. It's the right tool for the job most of the time and it can be eq'ed to fit many different musical styles. Depending on what's available at the studio, it's my first or second choice to place in the bass drum.

Does that help? I didn't think so.
Greg Thompson
Greg@InjuredEar.com

[blackcom]

Well, I record mostly metal, so I need all the click I can get......so you guyes say D6 has the most click then....??

[cookiekixx]

for metal kicks probably a d112 would be the best bet although i wouldn't use a d112 on any other kind of music than metal

cc

[Benmrx]

I own all three, and the only one I like for kick is the Beta52. But I don't record that much metal, and I'm not looking for alot of click. I would suggest the D6 for metal click, maybe tape a quarter to the drum head. I use my D6 for floor tom, which is what I used to use the D112 for. I only keep the D112 around now cause there's another engineer that tracks here alot, and that's what he uses for kick.

[audioalchemy]

Originally Posted by blackcom

Well, I record mostly metal, so I need all the click I can get......so you guyes say D6 has the most click then....??

i record mostly hard rock, alt rock, and metal, and again i keep going back to the 421. alot of the time it's because i know it'll work, and like someone else said up there you can eq it to fit most anything. you can dial in alot of that beater slap or "click" in the 6kHz area. if you really really want to emphasize the click then go with the d6 or 421 and the something on the outside to round out the sound, and blend 'em. i've also had some pretty decent results using those DANMAR click pad things. They are these metal dohickeys that you place on the batter head so when the beater hits it, it clicks

you have to remember that micing is only going to affect the sound so much. that metal drum sound has alot to do with what type of beater the drummer is using on his/her kick.

lesson of the day... try a few different options and pick what you like best.

good luck
AudioAlchemy

[warhead]

Click?

D6.

War

[maq]

Since you're doing Rock, I'd also suggest considering the Sennheiser E 602.

[aussie_techie]

Originally Posted by blackcom

I need all the click I can get

Beta91, more click than you know what to do with

beta52a has a nice responce, pull out a bit more 250 boots the click a little and you have a great metal kick sound. so simple.
dont know the D6 well enough to comment on it.

[mltamisin]

I've only used the D6 and D112 for studio. I've used the 52 live but it's not a good indicator of how it'll perform in the studio. The D112 is way more mellow than the D6 and is good for slower songs. The D6 has that aggressive scooped sound with like 20dB boost in the highs. Great for rockin. The D112 requires a little more EQ than the D6 and both have good uses. I'd say the D112 is far less scooped.

[Suda Badri]

D112 Staple food for recording kick...

D550 lots of clickyness...

SM7B AWESOME...

Neumann U87 outside a kick with a SM57 pointing at the beater like 5cms away (very low gain) was my best kick sound (but I cant afford a U87, so now I think I will stick with D112 inside with a D550 outside...) very smotth bass with lots of click...

All my metal recording mates love the D6.

Cheers

Suda

[tapehiss]

because the d6 and d112 are cheap, you can buy both...

they both are great, but i prefer and use more the d6.


i found the sure to be too boomy with no attack or punch...

like a d112, but not really good sounding...

[siznake]

Own all 3 and say D112 all the way!!!! the D6 is the most overrated mic out there (in my opinion at least) the D6 has a one dimensional sound that sounds like ass to my ears! reminds me of the smiley face eq a cheap stereo has to compensate for the lack quality sound.

[AnthonyRochester]

For metal, D6 is great. I find it has a thick tight bottom end and lots of click, and scooped out mids. Like an already EQ'd metal kick sound..

[softcopymusic]

+1 for the e902.

Frequently overlooked. Sounds good, right out of the box.

A.

[Slikjmuzik]

If you want that really clicky Pantera click, do what they did back then, glue 4 quarters where you'd normal put the patch and use a hard plastic beater or wood beater. I guarantee you'll actually want to dial down the click.

[tenderboy]

for rock and metal the audix d6! period!

(and btw: i haaaate the akg d112 sound)

[tenderboy]

Kick drum mic shootout - 11 mics head to head!

[ARIEL]

Originally Posted by blackcom

Anyone tried all of these mics? Wich ones do you favour the most and why?

And wich one has the most/punchiest "click" for bassdrum?

Sounds like your looking for a mic for hardrock or metal . I have tried over half a dozen and the one i dig the most is D6 for metal which and then the other I like=D112, 421 and Beta 52 for hard rock but can also be used for metal . You end up just getting different tonality vibes with these mics .I found the Beta 52 had a good amount of click to it . Where as the D6 just sounds much different in a good way . Best way is to throw them both in the Kick at the same time and record them to see which one you like best for your productions .

[ARIEL]

Originally Posted by tenderboy

for rock and metal the audix d6! period!

(and btw: i haaaate the akg d112 sound)

I agree , but I find the D112 a bit more sensitive to bad sounding Bass drums , with D6 can be easier get to sound good . I have used the D112 on tons of metal recordings with great success .

I don't dig the D6 on more natural lighter rock funk stuff - This where the D112 or 421/re20 come in good .

[tenderboy]

yeah, i guess i just don´t like the d112 because i heard it too often and am borded a bit by its sound by now

[Jerrick]

D6 can be really clicky, but it can sound like a lot of things depending where you place it.

Right now I have it 2-3" outside of the port hole, pointing towards the beaters. Very natural sound, close to how the actual kick sounds when youre in the room listening to it.

[James Lugo]

Own all 3, for kick Beta52 all the way. The D112 is meh on kick. The D6 is cool but sounds very heavy metal to me, we use it for outside kick, the Beta52 is perfect. A great balance of modern tone with fatness and punch. Great sounding mic on kick. We had a rental company bring over 10 different kick mics lat year and I still likes the Beta52 best.

[Tom Hakala]

beta52 is good. I use MD421 inside / sm7 outside

[Aisle 6]

I have all three as well as some other classic kick drum mics. I tend to gravitate to the Beta 52, although it does depend on the kit and the drummer. But for metal I would usually go for the D6.

[jrod9900]

I'm considering the Audix. I use the Beta 52 a lot. This week I actually used a Beta 91 for click, Beta 52 in hole, and Mojave 201 on head. Man, huge sound. 91 gives you as much click as you could ever want.

I really want to try the D-6. Not a huge D-112 fan, but it has its place.

Jrod

[octave]

ev nd868 for a punchy vintage kick