AKG D112 or Shure Beta 52(a)

I have both and I prefer the AKG D112 over the Shure Beta 52... it's seems I have to EQ the snot out of the 52 to make it sound useable... and hate having to monkey around EQing.... also, IMO the 52 just doesn't capture the attack. Hell, I'll just say it... I think the Beta 52 sucks... but I keep it around because some people like it. My favorite mic for kick drum is the Sennheiser MD421.
 
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I won't trash any of the mics mentioned because they all have their uses for different sounds.
Most drummers will prefer the AKG D112 over the Beta 52 because it doesn't have as much of a biased
personality. The AKG will give more if the sound of the reverberation off of the shell and a distinct click to the pedal as well as the heavy bass undertone of the kick drum(great for blues, folk/rock, some jazz,etc). The Beta 52 gives you a loud thud (perfect for heavy rock). The Sennheiser is $200 more money and is a really good mic (I actually like it on floor toms, wish I could afford 3).
I'm sorry, I know nothing about the Beta 52A but I bet we all will before this thread ends.:)
Check out the Audix D6 for a really great heavy rock kick mic that also works well with all other styles or the ATM25 which is the mic I use and prefer (better for blues and jazz tho).
Also check out a pretty good $50 kick mic, the CAD KBM412. It beats the hell out of the Shure PG52 (at half the price) and works relly well when you want a dominating heavy kick sound behind a "shredder" guitar. (It's a heavily biased personality mic)
It won't be for all tastes, but for $50 it's another good weapon in the arsenal.
 
I Love my Beta 52. I don't have to eq it much to get what I want. I simply position it right and I get a nice punchy sound with enuff bottom for MY STYLE of music.

Bryan
 
DJL, The CAD KBM412 has a very raw open sound. It's very specific and not like any others I've tried. But for times you want that, it's the perfect mic. Certainly not for everything, and it's only $49.99 at Musician's Friend (GC).
Rimshot is Jeff BTW.
 
Shure Beta 52

I really like the Beta 52. It's really good at capturing the "ooomph" of the kick and needs little in terms of EQ in order to get it.

However, I would like to get my hands on a used D112. There is a certain mid frequency it seems to capture better than the Beta 52. It seems to add the right amount of punch especially if you like to lay on the bass guitar heavy (it doesn't compete as much for the lows as the Beta 52).

If you want to hear the difference in Beta 52's and the D112, check out the sounds are our site. Volumes I and IV were made with D112's and Volume II, III and the Alt and Modern Rock CD were made with Beta 52's. Maybe that can serve as some sort of gauge as to what I am trying to describe!

Chris
 
From the Shure website

From Shure website - they are basically the same.
As of October 2002, the Beta 52 and Beta 56 are being replaced by the Beta 52A and Beta 56A.

1) The sound of the microphones are the exact same.

2) The knob and tightening mechansim have been redesigned to be more durable.

3) The mounting base is wider to accommodate a larger range of mic stands. The Beta 56A will work with the LP Claw.
 
Both good mic's but I have and prefer the AKGD112. I just stick 'em in the hole in the front head and record them flat. They are just right for the drums I ususally record. I have an instant good kick sound, which says alot for the mics.
 
What the hell? As long as we're answering 5 year old questions- I like the D112 because of all of the things it does well that *aren't* kick drum. Gee, an RE20 works great on kick, but it isn't a "kick drum" mic. A Sennheiser MD421 works great on kick, but it isn't a "kick drum" mic. The D112 was designed for standup bass, not drums. It is a pretty damn good voiceover mic, and not a real bad vocal mic for some voices. It's good on bass cab, or the back of an open guitar cab, also. If you sing into a Beta 52, you'll find out it *is* a "kick drum" mic. I like D112 because it is a versatile dynamic mic, biased toward low frequencies, which has multiple live and studio applications.-Richie
 
d112 hands down. But only one person mentioned the audix d6. Anyone who tries it for a kick can't knock it. They're roughly 120 used on ebay, and around 200 new.

I prefer that over any kick mic.
 
LOL - I didn't even notice the date!

Funny. I had not noticed the date. It just bugged me no one had answered the original question. I'll check back in a couple of years and see if he responds. I use the Beta 52a but have both. For recording, I like the Beta 52a for Kick - Not sure it make a huge difference as you can tailor the sound post recording - a big difference from years ago with all the software capability today. I like the D112 for live sound because I get better attack to give that chest thumping sound with a bit of click!
 
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