AKG D112 Kick Drum Mic

Referred by many as the best kick-drum microphone in the world, the AKG D112 Kick Drum Mic's reputation in the music industry is unmatched. It is a large diaphragm dynamic microphone with a very high SPL well able to handle up to 160 dB without having distortion, this kick drum ic can handle the heaviest footed drummer out there. It;s diaphragm is carefully engineered so that the low resonance frequencies handle frequencies below 100Hz very well having a powerful and solid response. There is also a natural rise at around 4kHz (meaning no EQing or very little) which gives out clear punches and presence of sound. So what do you have? A kick drum which delivers powerful, punchy notes which cuts but still maintaining the body needed. When purchased, the AKG D112 Kick Drum Mic comes with the SA 60 stand adapter.

Personally, I've used this mic in studios and many live applications. Now, it is still the one we use for daily abuse in a bar, and night by night it delivers superb sound and performance without a twitch. We've never encountered distortion, booming or feedback ever, and yes, we do play very loud. I use the AKG D112 Kick Drum Mic with a compressor-gate. I set the EQ to a level where the bass will boom and cuts it with the gate almost instantly and add highs at around 12kHz and boost it at 5kHz. The gate cuts of the boom and the highs gives presence so I have a huge drum sound that cuts through and well defined even for fast double bass patterns. But you must be aware that for different venues and conditions, EQing would vary a lot, so what would work for me might not for you. For example, we play in bar where there are mostly mirrors and steel within the interior, this means it will complement a lot of high frequencies. Vice-versa a well padded venue would produce lows. A fully packed venue will sound very different from a venue with very few people. It's knowing the acoustics of your venue, the sound you want and your ears that matter most when it comes to setting the proper equalization.

Technical Features of the AKG D112:

A classic Large-diaphragm dynamic microphone for bass instruments with extremely high SPL capability
Extremely high SPL capability - Handles up to 160 dB SPL with no audible distortion
Classic microphone for stage and studio applications
Frequency Range: 20 Hz to 17 kHz
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Sensitivity: 1.8 mV/Pa (-55 dBV)
Impedanc e: 210 ohms
Size: 150x70x115 mm (5.9x2.8x4.5 in.)
The AKG D 112 has a built in windscreen and SA 60 stand adapter included

For the online price average of US$160, it's well worth it!

***A Gizmo Guerilla Music Gear Review