Kick+Bass mic, torn between choices

T

teddyastuffed

New member
Hey everyone. im lookin into getting a bass mic for recording drums and bass guitars through half-stacks. im torn between three choices. ive read a lot of threads on various forums about all 3 of these, but ive heard a lot of in person recommendations for other mics. pretty much my choices lay between the...

Audio Technica ATM25 - http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--AUTATM25
AKG D112 - http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--AKGD112
Audix D6 - http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--AUDD6

at first i was leaning towards the ATM25, but when i talked to a couple of friends, each of them said the ATM25 would be a waste of money!! i was quite shocked because i heard so many good things about this mic. some of my buddies told me the D112 (which is obviously the most popular kick mic out there for a budget studio) and others told me the D6. i was just wondering the opinions of others on this forum about the three mics. also, keep in consideration that i AM recording bass guitar as well drum kicks, so please comment if you have experience with any of the 3 mics for recording bass guitar as well. Thanks in advance!
 
I use an Audix D-6 on kick and bass. In my opinion it is the best sounding mic for rock kick drums. Lately I have been using a D6 and a D4 at the same time on a bass cab then I blend it with a DI through a sansamp and it sounds killer. I put the D6 right on the 18" and the D4 on a 10". Audix makes very versitile dependable mics. Good luck.
 
They are all good mics, the akg is probably the most used on bass (of the three) the atm on some but mostly on lower toms. You really can't make a bad choice there.
 
teddyastuffed said:
at first i was leaning towards the ATM25, but when i talked to a couple of friends, each of them said the ATM25 would be a waste of money!!
Click to expand...

Your freinds may be thinking of the AT Pro 25, a budget mic. The ATM is excellent. I have one, and a D6. The D6 is incredible if you are looking for an aggressive, clicky up-front sound. The ATM allows much more of the original source's character to show through, and can be EQ-ed for aggressiveness just fine.

The D6 is much less placement-sensitive.
 
Having just a little time on the D112 and none on the D6, I was just going to add that the ATM25 falls into that medium-color range (RE20 being the flat' camp). That could translate into more versatile where there are fewer options.
Then Jeazii mentioned the D4. Check this out. D4 (also which I have not heard) Vs 421. about mid-page
http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/7209/0
Hmm..That makes two Audix mics I need to check out.
There's no end to this is there?
:rolleyes:
 
I disagree with your friends as well. The ATM is a good bass drum mic if you know how to use it. Actually, all the mics you listed will get the job done. As stated before, it depends on what sound you are after.

I'm not a fan of the "clicky" sounding kick, but it does have it's uses.

So far the best mic I've used for bass drum is the Audio Technica AE-2500, It gived you the best of both worlds (condenser and dynamic in one capsule). It's a little on the pricey side, and again, placement is crucial. I found a b-stock for about $270. It faired rather well to the sub kick, which is all the rage now.

If at all possible, I would try to A/B the mics at a local music store if you can.
 
i tried A/Bing the mics at my local guitar center, but they only had the D6 over there -_-. and as for sound, im predominately a big band / jazz producer. so im lookin for something a little more fluffy and warm in the kick. yeah i record hardcore and punk rock every once in a while, but im more looking for a versitile mic, not a BOOMING clicky mic
 
Personally, I think that the D112 is the most versatile at picking up both kick and bass guitar. The D6 is an awesome kick mic, but it has a very pronounced EQ curve which may not be suitable on the bass guitar in your application. I have found that it is easier to get a good kick sound with the D6 than the D112, but the D112 always gives a great bass amp sound. Especially when you combine it with a good DI'd signal. In fact, I bought a D112 specifically for micing the bass guitar amp, but used it for several years on kick drum because I didn't have any other kick mics.

Cheers,
Zach
 
quote:"i tried A/Bing the mics at my local guitar center, but they only had the D6 over there -_-. and as for sound, im predominately a big band / jazz producer. so im lookin for something a little more fluffy and warm in the kick. yeah i record hardcore and punk rock every once in a while, but im more looking for a versitile mic, not a BOOMING clicky mic"


Yer friends have never heard nor used an ATM25. If you produce the music you're talking about here, then the ATM25 is the best choice. It works VERY well on a bass guitar cab as well as heavy de-tuned superdistorted guitar. Of the three, it is the least effected by a particular EQ curve. For the hardcore stuff, you could easily use it in conjunction with a bit of EQ or another mic in on the beater for the 'click'....a 57 will accomplish this task.

I have had all of the mics in question. I like em all. No one mentioned the Shure Beta 52. It works also. I did sell the D112 since I dont need the 'basketball bouncing in an open gym' sound very often.I prefer the D12.The D6 Audix is an instant kik drum sound for rock. Even with a crappy drum. It is not impressive as a bass guitar mic.

I also have Audix D4's and D2's. They are superb. I use a D1 for a clear Nashville type of hand-held harmonica sound. You get the 'cupping' tones without the old bluesy distortion.
 
I own (3) ATM25 and would not use them to mic electric bass. Then again, I wouldn't mic electric bass, but would go DI instead.

A typical electric bass has useful harmonics to about 7500 Hz. IMO, this is outside the scope of the ATM25. I've experimented with mine for voice, amps, and find them to be "thuddy" and dull. They are great drum mics.

I'd look more at an Audix D4 for bass cabs, but still wouldn't mic a bass cab with a tweeter. Speaking as a working bassist, I'd much rather go DI to capture the sound of my basses, not the coloring and limitations of a speaker cabinet.
 
Not the budget-minded choice, but the EV RE20 would be great for what you're wanting. You can definitely get that round, poofy sound for jazz and pop with that mic (placed outside the resonant head). Plus, it's great for guitar and bass cabs, and a decent vocal mic to boot. If you're lucky, you can snag one (or a PL20, which is the same mic) for $250-275 on e-bay.
 
EV-RE20 or the Shure SM-7 are both mics that you'll use a LOT for kick, bass, guitars, horns, vocals, etc. Great mics with high resale value if you decide to let them go.

I bought a D112 because I'd seen them used a hundred times and wanted a nice kick mic, but it never really gives the whole picture without a lot of EQ. Now I prefer to use it (or even an SM57) in the kick with an LDC outside the kick to pick up the lower frequencies. I won't record a kick with only one mic again unless there's some limitation to the number of tracks and I NEED to.
 
ryanlikestorock said:
EV-RE20 or the Shure SM-7 are both mics that you'll use a LOT for kick, bass, guitars, horns, vocals, etc. Great mics with high resale value if you decide to let them go.

I bought a D112 because I'd seen them used a hundred times and wanted a nice kick mic, but it never really gives the whole picture without a lot of EQ. Now I prefer to use it (or even an SM57) in the kick with an LDC outside the kick to pick up the lower frequencies. I won't record a kick with only one mic again unless there's some limitation to the number of tracks and I NEED to.
Click to expand...


I tend to prefer ambient over close-mic drum techniques (Fletcher's 3 mic article cured me years ago) but the cheapie CAD KBM412 works great when I need something inside the drum. I also record bass DI, but I have used that same CAD mic close on heavy drop-tuned guitars with good results, basically using it as a fatter SM57. So i suppose if I was gonna stick a dynamic mic on a bass cab, that's what I would reach for. And shit, the thing was less than $50.

It's a problem, isn't it? Convincing the bass player that he really didn't need to bring his amp?
 
Yer friends have never heard nor used an ATM25. If you produce the music you're talking about here, then the ATM25 is the best choice. It works VERY well on a bass guitar cab as well as heavy de-tuned superdistorted guitar. Of the three, it is the least effected by a particular EQ curve. For the hardcore stuff, you could easily use it in conjunction with a bit of EQ or another mic in on the beater for the 'click'....a 57 will accomplish this task.
Click to expand...
This man speaks the truth. In my experience, the D112 is a bit "one sounding". I've found that with placement and a bit of eq there's plenty of click and thud to be had with an ATM25. I've heard they're smooth for vocals, but I haven't had the chance to try that yet.

Willy.
 
im slowly being more pushed towards the ATM25. that was my original choice and id rather have the versatility in a kick mic rather than simply a clicky thumpy kick ;o. i still need to pay the bills, so its probably not gonna come around anytime in the near future, but ive been kinda makin a list of items that i desperately need in a home studio, and mics are one of the more important parts, considering i dont really have very many :o. thanks again everyone for all your replys
 
I second the RE-20 recommendation.

I would not consider any of those other three if I was looking to buy, ESPECIALLY for more "jazzy/bluesy/big band" type of thing. I can't think of a better mic for that application than a RE20! I have used the RE20 on many rock productions, and it sound great there too!

I really think you should look around and consider buying a used RE20 if you can find one.
 
I own a ATM 25, pro25, and B 52. I often go for the B52 on less aggressive stuff, placed just inside the head for a nice pillowy sound. Putting the B-52 anywhere closer to the head just dosen't work for me, it gets that clicky sound, but not with the right punch. The ATM25 I love for more aggressive stuff. I can place it very close to the front head inside, off-axis, and get this nice, heavy sound that you can feel hitting you in the chest. The pro25 sounds like mud on a kick, I do like it for floor toms though. For bass guitar I like the B52 a lot.
 
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