I purchased this after looking at a variety of reviews, as well as some good A/B tests on youtube.Overall, it's an excellent kick drum mic, that creates a big sound without being boomy, which is what you want!

Solid mic, good build quality. Heavy for its size, esp considering a lot of it is aluminium.Bracket initially takes some work to attach but it’s solid enough.Haven’t been able to use for kick drum yet but on a bass cab it was great sound. Does take a reasonable source to get level out of it as you’d expect with a dynamic mic.

"THE BEST MIC I NEVER TRIED TILL NOW"

I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAITED TO TRY THESE MIC'S. I HAVE USED THE SHURE BETA52 AND AKG BASS MIC'S,AND I HAVE HAD TO DO SO MUCH TO GET A GOOD FULL SOUND. BOUGHT 1 MOUNTED IT ON MY KELLY SHU INTERNAL MIC MOUNT INSIDE KICK DRUM. AFTER REMOVING A SHURE BETA52, WHOA!!!! THIS THING IS THE BEST MIC I'VE HEARD IN A KICK.I BOUGHT 2 MORE AND PUT 1 ON EACH FLOOR TOM,AFTER REMOVING MY SHURE BETA56'S.ICAN;T BELIEVE THE LOW END THESE PUT OUT,BLEW ME AWAY. I TRIED ONE ON MY SNARE,IT SOUNDED GREAT ALSO.I WILL OUTFIT MY WHOLE KIT WITH THIS MIC.BUT A D4 ON MY RACK TOMS DUE TO SPACE.THEY SOUND ABSOLUTLEY A CUT ABOVE THE REST. NEVER THOUGHT I'DE BE USING BASS DRUM MIC'S ON MY SNARE.I'DE GO WITH A SHURE BETA 52 OR SM57 IF MICKING A BASS GUITAR CAB,THOUGH YOU CAN GET MORE BOOMY BASS OUT OF ... MoreI CAN'T BELIEVE I WAITED TO TRY THESE MIC'S. I HAVE USED THE SHURE BETA52 AND AKG BASS MIC'S,AND I HAVE HAD TO DO SO MUCH TO GET A GOOD FULL SOUND. BOUGHT 1 MOUNTED IT ON MY KELLY SHU INTERNAL MIC MOUNT INSIDE KICK DRUM. AFTER REMOVING A SHURE BETA52, WHOA!!!! THIS THING IS THE BEST MIC I'VE HEARD IN A KICK.I BOUGHT 2 MORE AND PUT 1 ON EACH FLOOR TOM,AFTER REMOVING MY SHURE BETA56'S.ICAN;T BELIEVE THE LOW END THESE PUT OUT,BLEW ME AWAY. I TRIED ONE ON MY SNARE,IT SOUNDED GREAT ALSO.I WILL OUTFIT MY WHOLE KIT WITH THIS MIC.BUT A D4 ON MY RACK TOMS DUE TO SPACE.THEY SOUND ABSOLUTLEY A CUT ABOVE THE REST. NEVER THOUGHT I'DE BE USING BASS DRUM MIC'S ON MY SNARE.I'DE GO WITH A SHURE BETA 52 OR SM57 IF MICKING A BASS GUITAR CAB,THOUGH YOU CAN GET MORE BOOMY BASS OUT OF THOSE.BUT THESE EVEN SOUND GREAT ON BASS CABS. YOU CAN JUST GET MORE OVER ALL BASS SOUND CHOICES OUT OF THE SHURES ON BASS CABS USING A COMPRESSOR OF COURSE.I GOT A AUDIX OM2 VOCAL MIC,I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEVER TRIED THESE BEFORE.I ENDED UP BUY 2 MORE AND A OM5.I USE THE AUDIX I5'S ON ALOT OF GUITAR CABS,CYMBALS,MY SNARE SOMETIMES.I EVEN USE THE D6 & I5 TOGETHER AND MIX THEM TO GET A GREAT SNARE SOUND,IF YOU HAVE THE ROOM AROUND YOUR SNARE. EVERY MIC I'M USING IS AUDIX NOW EXCEPT SHURE SM57 AT CERTIAN TIMES FOR DIFFERENT INSRUMENTS. BUT MOST ALL MY SHURE BETA 58'D 56'S 52'S ARE IN A BOX JUST AS FOR GUY'S THAT WANT A CERTIAN SOUND. I HAVE A FEW AKG D5 MIC'S FOR CERTIAN VOCALIST VIOCES,AND A SENNHEISER E945 FOR SOME CERTIAN SINGERS.I'VE HAD VOCALIST USE THE OM5 AND PUT THE SENNHEISER E945 BACK UP.THEY EVEN SOUND GOOD ON VOCALS FOR ALOT OF PEOPLE,JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT TYPE OF SOUND YOU LIKE.BUT THIS IS THE MY GO TO MIC. AND SHOULD BE YOURS. GET ONE AND TRY IT. BEST INSIDE A BASS DRUM 3-4" AWAY FROM THE SPOT THE PEDAL BEATERS HIT.YOU'LL BE AMAZED. SO GO GET ONE AND SEE FOR YOUR SELF,HOW GREAT THESE MIC'S ARE. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!

Above and Beyond Kick drums

The D6 is a great Kick drum mic, but it's much more versatile! I use them on my kick drums and the gong bass - but, also on my 18 and 16 floor toms and my 15X15 and 14x14 low racks. I use D4s on my 13x13 and 12x12 racks only because I ran out of D6s even though I own eight of them! I replaced 2 SM57s on the guitar cabs with D6s and an SM57 on the bass cabs with a D6 (I also run a Shure KSM353 on the bass Cabs). I use Audix D2s on the 8 and 10 toms and Audix i5s on most everything else (snares/bells/rotos etc.) and ADX51s overhead, I'm totally sold on Audix and would use D6s in place of the D4s and D2s if I had the budget. The D6 is an awesome microphone.

Audix D6

Best kick mic for live and studio especially if you only have one. This can be used inside and outside the kick. It gives the 'snap' of the beater and boom of the body. Just does the job so well and very versatile as a kick mic. Can also be used as a floor tom mic. Very good

Good Base Drum Mic

The Audix D6 is a durable base drum mic for Pro live performance or studio. Im currently using for home studio. I prefer the AKG D112 MkII , when I want to pick up a more complete full deep sound. But the Audix is more than sufficiant for any task. It has plenty of dynamic range to handle aggressive foot work, and easier to mount or extend inside the base drum. The Audix was more affordably obtainable in multi-mic Kits. Because I use double base, and the kits only contain one D6, I bought this second one.

Great mic with specific focus on low end frequencies

First of all, this is not a general purpose microphone. It is designed with a specific purpose: to capture low frequencies. Period. If you are looking for midrange, look elsewhere...or use a second mic and blend them in the mix. Towards that end, I purchased this to mic kick drums, but have also used it on a bass cabs as well. On a rock and roll kick drum this is the only mic you'll need. I've used in inside, outside as well as in the hole. It gives lots of low end thump and a nice, aggressive attack. With a little compression and EQ on the front end, it will punch through a mix with very little processing. When close mic'ing bass cabs the D6 captures tons and tons of low end, but absolutely no midrange. So you'll want to pair it with another mic to capture the ... MoreFirst of all, this is not a general purpose microphone. It is designed with a specific purpose: to capture low frequencies. Period. If you are looking for midrange, look elsewhere...or use a second mic and blend them in the mix. Towards that end, I purchased this to mic kick drums, but have also used it on a bass cabs as well. On a rock and roll kick drum this is the only mic you'll need. I've used in inside, outside as well as in the hole. It gives lots of low end thump and a nice, aggressive attack. With a little compression and EQ on the front end, it will punch through a mix with very little processing. When close mic'ing bass cabs the D6 captures tons and tons of low end, but absolutely no midrange. So you'll want to pair it with another mic to capture the mids. In terms of quality, it's built like a tank which it needs to be in order to capture low frequencies accurately. If you are mic'ing drums or bass this is definitely a good mic to have in your arsenal. Due to it's very specific focus, it's not the only mic you should own. Rather, this is a mic you buy to help bring more low end to whatever it is you are trying to capture.

Jury still out.

I am comparing the D6 to the beta 52, D112 for context. Compared to the other two the D6 is a very easy mic to place in a kick drum due to it's compact size. I selected this for my latest recording after performing a side by side comparison with the other two. I found it to have more low end and just seemed beefier.During mixdown I started to notice that it was very hard to EQ and it's presence in the mix was elusive. Most people refer to the "click" or "punch" of kick drum for note articulation or definition. That was also very hard to obtain. I had to perform some drastic boosts at 60 Hz (around 10dB at a Q of 1.4) and 5.4 KHz (around 13dB at a Q of 1.0). This was way more than the other two mics require and I had to change a huge chunk of my process to get ... MoreI am comparing the D6 to the beta 52, D112 for context. Compared to the other two the D6 is a very easy mic to place in a kick drum due to it's compact size. I selected this for my latest recording after performing a side by side comparison with the other two. I found it to have more low end and just seemed beefier.During mixdown I started to notice that it was very hard to EQ and it's presence in the mix was elusive. Most people refer to the "click" or "punch" of kick drum for note articulation or definition. That was also very hard to obtain. I had to perform some drastic boosts at 60 Hz (around 10dB at a Q of 1.4) and 5.4 KHz (around 13dB at a Q of 1.0). This was way more than the other two mics require and I had to change a huge chunk of my process to get there.Eventually I was able to get the kick to fall into place and it sounds pretty good. Tight low end and a nice subtle articulation that isn't too "clicky" and allows for decent definition between strokes.The bottom line for me is that it was good, not great. I was expecting more after all of the "rave reviews" i read before purchace. The hype is just that, hype. I suggest you try one before you buy one. I have been doing this for 30 years and have always used what i could afford and what a studio has. I have used $3000.00 Neuman tube condensers and an SM57 to mic and record. It's all about placement and tuning. The Neuman was garbage in the kick. The SM57 blew it away.Be cautious.

Mixed feelings after 5 years

Looking for a professional kick mic back in 2007, I explored my options within the ~$200 range. I was leaning towards a D112 and a youtube video inspired my confidence in the D6.Since then I've used the D6 on two albums and several applications within the studio. After five years here are my thoughts for you :If you are looking for a set-and-forget mic for the kick drum, this should be your go-to. It is pre-EQ'ed and (in the proper position) has a very snappy and thick sound. The EQ curvature (without looking at a chart) seems to cut the mids and gives you a great hard rock/metal kick sound. A lot of beater. Some folks hate this mic for that reason. It almost seems like a preset. Granted if you do not use your head at all and expect that sound out of the box you ... MoreLooking for a professional kick mic back in 2007, I explored my options within the ~$200 range. I was leaning towards a D112 and a youtube video inspired my confidence in the D6.Since then I've used the D6 on two albums and several applications within the studio. After five years here are my thoughts for you :If you are looking for a set-and-forget mic for the kick drum, this should be your go-to. It is pre-EQ'ed and (in the proper position) has a very snappy and thick sound. The EQ curvature (without looking at a chart) seems to cut the mids and gives you a great hard rock/metal kick sound. A lot of beater. Some folks hate this mic for that reason. It almost seems like a preset. Granted if you do not use your head at all and expect that sound out of the box you are mistaken. There is some thinking and proper placement required; although not much experimentation is required to achieve a useable sound.Unfortunately this is also its downfall. It seems to have one sound, which it does well, but versatility is not one of its strong capabilities. BECAUSE it is Pre-EQ'ed out of the box, it makes changing the tonality in recordings or on the board especially difficult. If you are looking for a mic to shape and EQ, DEFINITELY look elsewhere.For what it is, it's a good application mic. It is not versatile, but it does one thing very well. I have grown tired of the 'one sound' that I get out of the mic, and may soon be looking elsewhere. I may have to put some thought in since my D6 and I have bonded well.One thing is for sure - nobody has complained about their kick sound from the recording booth. :-)

My go to for bass drum and large Floor Toms...

You can debate the merits of many bass drum mics out there. Lot's of variables come into play and everyone has their opinions and experiences. If I were to taker all of the options on the market and try them on any of my specific bass drums/Floor Toms; would this reign supreme? I don't know. Why am I rating it 5 stars? Simple! While I cannot definitively say that this would be the absolute best sounding mic for brand X bass drum with these specific heads tuned this certain way what I DO know is that these are going to sound great on any bass drum or floor tom. Trued and true. Plus they are American made, highly reliable and rugged. There are mics out there that are better suited for reproducing the character of the wood in your bass drum, or menacing a specific band ... MoreYou can debate the merits of many bass drum mics out there. Lot's of variables come into play and everyone has their opinions and experiences. If I were to taker all of the options on the market and try them on any of my specific bass drums/Floor Toms; would this reign supreme? I don't know. Why am I rating it 5 stars? Simple! While I cannot definitively say that this would be the absolute best sounding mic for brand X bass drum with these specific heads tuned this certain way what I DO know is that these are going to sound great on any bass drum or floor tom. Trued and true. Plus they are American made, highly reliable and rugged. There are mics out there that are better suited for reproducing the character of the wood in your bass drum, or menacing a specific band of frequencies or whatever. But, if you are looking for a mic to put in a big drum and easily get a BIG sound... look no further and rock the house.