Audix D6 Kick Drum Mic

Hey there kick drum thumpers

(Note: After you read this negative post, read on for the addendum added a year later...)

Something I've noticed with reviews on the internet (and in the media, etc.) is that the reviews are usually favorable. I realize that I am not exempt from this as the reviews I've put on here have all been good for the most part. I think sometimes it has to do with purchase validation and in the cases of paid advertising, it's good business not to piss off your customers. But I have no problem writing about a product that I own and falls short of expectations. That is this post in a nutshell.
I'm talking about the Audix D6 Kick Drum Microphone. I've had this piece since June (so about 4 months now) and I've used it numerous times because I'm convinced that I just haven't used it right or something. But now I'm willing to read the writing on the wall. This mic sucks. It's touted as an excellent kick drum micing solution and I've heard nothing but good things about it which is why I tried so hard for so long to like the sound it was giving me. But it's really been nothing but a headache.
The first time I used it, I used only the D6 to mic the kick (inside the shell, no outer head, pointed towards the beater, about three inches away) only to end up having to EQ the hell out of it to get anything but mush. And of course you can't salvage a good sound from mush if you EQ all day so I just ended up with a dull kick. Dull really is the best word to describe it. The mic has no high end response and the low end is just mushy and undefined. I thought that maybe this was just the sound of my kick, so I tried the D6 on a bunch of other things too including a guitar amp, figuring that if the highs don't come through there, they won't come through on anything. Again mush. Bummer.
Maybe I have a defective one. But I doubt it. Maybe I'm just used to the fantastically crisp sound of the AKG D112 (which incidentally costs the same as the D6, about $200). Now I guess I'll try craigslist or ebay and try and trade it for a D112 which I know sounds great. Just another reason to never try new things.
So Audix D6? 0 out of 5 stars. That's right, zero. It has no redeeming qualities in my book.
Alright, that's not true. It seems to be made well. Quality metal casing, cool look, nice adjustable clip. But that don't mean squat if it sounds like crap, and it does.
If you want a more technical description of what it sounds like, email me at ben@javboyrecords.com
I'm too annoyed with it to go into any detail right now.

Listening to a Ray LaMontagne bootleg, 2005-05-05 Queens Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Rock on (but not with the D6).

Ben
www.javboyrecords.com


Addendum added December 4, 2007:
I hadn't thought of this post for a long time, but I just received a comment from a reader about it so I thought I had better update what was written.
The Audix D6 is NOT a terrible mic. Apparently it's just terrible on ME. All of the test I did with it before writing the above post were on projects where I was playing the instruments. Since then, I've used it on other people's kick drums and bass cabs to much better success. I still end up EQing a good bit of low mids out of the kick, but it does sound much better than my previous uses. I should mention I also started using it further away from the beater; just barely inside the shell.
I think I wrote in another post somewhere that I did have better luck with the D6 on people who have a heavy kick foot (mine is pretty light), so that may be part of the difference.
So I hope that sets the record straight. D6 gets 3.5 out of 5 stars. (it's still no D112...)