Audix D6X

Audix’s new drum‑focused dynamic is three mics in one.

At the time of writing, Audix’s vast catalogue includes no fewer than 168 wired microphones. Whether you’re looking for a discreet boundary mic or a specialist clip‑on model for an obscure wind instrument, the American manufacturers are sure to have something to offer. And out of all of these models, perhaps the closest thing they have to an industry standard is the D6. Developed for use with bass drums and other low‑frequency, high‑SPL sources, this stubby dynamic mic is a familiar sight on stages and in studios all over the world.

Rival Schools

There are two schools of thought relating to bass drum mics. In one corner are the purists, who feel that the bass drum is an instrument like any other and should be captured in the most neutral fashion possible. They are likely to gravitate towards something like the DPA 4055, or perhaps to a general‑purpose mic like the Neumann U47 FET or Electro‑Voice RE20. On the opposite side of the room we find the realists, who anticipate that tons of equalisation is going to be needed to make the average bass drum fit into the mix, and feel that this might as well happen in the mic, to save them a job further down the line.

The Audix D6 belongs firmly in the second category, along with models such as the AKG D112 and Shure Beta 91A. It’s deliberately designed to have low sensitivity, so that it won’t overload preamps and converters even when placed inside a loud kick drum. And it has a ferociously ‘scooped’ frequency response that is intended to emphasise the click of the beater and the whoomph of the low end, at the expense of all that nasty midrange you were going to dial out at the mix anyway. To some, the D6 delivers the perfect ‘mix ready’ bass drum sound. But to others, its relatively extreme frequency response takes things a bit too far, and it certainly limits the alternative applications for such a mic. Consequently, Audix have now followed manufacturers such as AKG and Shure in offering a kick drum mic with multiple, switchable tonalities.

Switch It Up

That mic is the D6X, and it’s largely identical to the D6 apart from a recessed three‑position switch located about halfway along the shell. I like the way Audix have implemented this switch: you can adjust it with your finger or thumbnail, but it is immune from accidental operation, and there’s never any doubt as to which position is selected. In every other respect, the D6X is just like the D6, meaning it’s a compact mic that is easy to manouvre into place and lightweight enough to stay put on its supplied swivel clip. The robust aluminium shell and gloss black finish are unchanged apart from the large X that has been carved out of the metalwork.

The D6X is described as being a cardioid mic. Audix’s graphs suggest the pattern errs towards the supercardioid at most frequencies and is not as well controlled as you’d get from something like a small‑diaphragm capacitor mic, but given the applications, that’s hardly likely to be an issue in practice. Sensitivity is listed as 0.8mV/Pa, but for a 75Hz signal rather than the more usual 1kHz tone; again, this reflects the intended role of the mic.

In the centre or Balanced position, the ‘smiley face’ frequency response is dimished but still present, while the third position is described as Natural.

The D6X’s three‑position switch is recessed to prevent accidental operation, but can still be adjusted without a tool.In its first position, the switch introduces exactly the same filtering as is found on the D6, making the two mics to all intents and purposes identical. In the centre or Balanced position, the ‘smiley face’ frequency response is dimished but still present, while the third position is described as Natural. The frequency response plots suggest that this is a somewhat relative interpretation of ‘natural’, with a broad scoop between 100Hz and 2kHz and a gentle presence emphasis between 3 and 7 kHz. The same plot shows that Balanced and D6 modes both have extended high‑ and low‑frequency responses compared with the Natural setting, with D6 mode going a dB or so further in both respects. The mid scoop is another 3dB or so more pronounced in Balanced mode and much more so in D6 mode, bottoming out at 800Hz some 16dB below the nominal zero. Compared with something like AKG’s D12VR, the tonal variations on offer are much more radical here, at least on paper.

Centre Parting

When it comes to drum miking, I have often found myself standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room occupied by the purists and the realists. The times I’ve tried using something like an RE20 for miking a bass drum, I’ve ended up with some pretty extreme EQ settings at the mix. But when I’ve used a mic that’s deliberately tailored for the role, I’ve sometimes wound up with the sense that it’s making every kick drum sound the same, or emphasising the beater attack to an uncomfortable extent. I can’t deny that the D6 is one of those mics that has sometimes produced the latter reaction: perfect for metal drumming and for getting a usable sound fast when time is of the essence, perhaps not something you’d reach for on a jazz session.

If all the click and all the sub is what you want, the D6X absolutely delivers the goods with the switch in the D6 setting. I couldn’t detect any difference between the two mics, not that it’s easy to position them close together inside a bass drum. But if that’s not what you want, the other two settings really do greatly increase the mic’s usefulness. I am not sure that Balanced mode sounds balanced on anything other than a bass drum, but there, it often seems to replicate the EQ moves I’d want to make on a general‑purpose mic such as a beyerdynamic M88. I also found Balanced mode a lot more useful than full‑fat D6 mode on kick‑drum‑adjacent sources such as floor tom. Finally, Natural mode is something of a revelation. It still has plenty to offer on percussive sources, and if it’s not sculpted enough to produce your kick drum sound of choice, it’s very much worth trying out on snare and rack toms. It even turns the D6X into a surprisingly effective vocal mic, as long as you don’t mind its low sensitivity. If the Swiss Army were to issue recruits with an instrument microphone, I imagine they’d come up with something very much like the Audix D6X!