AKG D112... Why???

M

Matt Vivlamore

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Jan 11, 2011
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So lately I've come a cross a lot of drummers with the AKG D112 mounted internally in their bass drum. Why? What's your fascination with this sound? To me, it sounds like the beater is smacking a sheet of plywood.

Lately I've been going to the Sennheiser e901 dropped inside the bass drum; if not I place the Audix D6 just inside the front hole pointed at the beater contact point.

Just my thoughts sitting at this gig after a long day of work.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

Matt Vivlamore said:
So lately I've come a cross a lot of drummers with the AKG D112 mounted internally in their bass drum. Why? What's your fascination with this sound? To me, it sounds like the beater is smacking a sheet of plywood.

Lately I've been going to the Sennheiser e901 dropped inside the bass drum; if not I place the Audix D6 just inside the front hole pointed at the beater contact point.

Just my thoughts sitting at this gig after a long day of work.
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You are obviously not old enough to remember the original love affair with D112, back in the mid-1980s. It was every soundman's dream to make the kick sound like Herman Rarebell playing for Scorpions. /feeble reminiscences

I still own one, the last time I recall it being used was on a bodhran about 8 years ago.

It's an interesting mic to apply EQ to. IIRC there about 4 flavors of the same thing.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

I've never liked the d112 while others swears about it... I think that maybe the drums must be tuned in some specific way(s) to make it sound good? I.e tuning sweetspots.

I'm currently testing a d12vr that I think I'm gonna keep. Works great on kick drum, guitar amp and vox so far. It seems very versatile and is also easy to put into some small ported holes on a front skin due to its design.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

Tim McCulloch said:
You are obviously not old enough to remember the original love affair with D112, back in the mid-1980s. It was every soundman's dream to make the kick sound like Herman Rarebell playing for Scorpions. /feeble reminiscences
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So I am the exception of that rule for sure;-) I never understood ehy somebody use this microphone for other music than hairmetal. But I am in the lucky situation to own an old D12.
 
Matt Vivlamore said:
So lately I've come a cross a lot of drummers with the AKG D112 mounted internally in their bass drum. Why? What's your fascination with this sound? To me, it sounds like the beater is smacking a sheet of plywood.

Lately I've been going to the Sennheiser e901 dropped inside the bass drum; if not I place the Audix D6 just inside the front hole pointed at the beater contact point.

Just my thoughts sitting at this gig after a long day of work.
Click to expand...

I'd say you've come across a bunch of drummers that don't know how to place a mic in a kick drum.

The d112 is still favored in recording studios. Lots of drummers hear the good results from that and go buy one of their own I think.

I still love and use my d112. I get all manor of tones out of it by changing position in the kick. For rock kick, move it waaay up inside about an inch off the beater and slightly off center. Killer rock sound.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

Klaus Mock said:
So I am the exception of that rule for sure;-) I never understood ehy somebody use this microphone for other music than hairmetal. But I am in the lucky situation to own an old D12.
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I thought I'd "arrived" the day I purchased my first D12E in the mid eighties. After years of second hand 57 and 58s, some of which have still refused to die, and various other off brand and no-name mics, this was probably the start of the "I just need this one thing and I'll be set" mantra which has yet to be true twenty-five years later. As far as the D112 goes; at one point it was basically the SM58 of the kick drum to the average drummer. The Beta52 seems to be replacing it these days though.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

To me, it's still about what sounds good with the drum. My go-to mic these days is the Audix D6. And that's fine most of the time, with some placement experimentation.

But sometimes, it's not doing the trick, then I"ll work my way around a Beta 52 (which I've come to hate, but it's the most asked for), a D112, and an EV RE20, which does work well at times.

A 58 doesn't sound good on every voice, either. It IS amazing how well a 57 seems to work on nearly every snare drum, though.

Geri O
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

Matt Vivlamore said:
So lately I've come a cross a lot of drummers with the AKG D112 mounted internally in their bass drum. Why? What's your fascination with this sound? To me, it sounds like the beater is smacking a sheet of plywood.

Lately I've been going to the Sennheiser e901 dropped inside the bass drum; if not I place the Audix D6 just inside the front hole pointed at the beater contact point.

Just my thoughts sitting at this gig after a long day of work.
Click to expand...

I have never liked the D112 either (although I do have one). I love my Audix D6 though. I place it full inside the kick about 6" from the skin and 4" off center of the beater. Sounds fantastic.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

Geri O'Neil said:
I"ll work my way around a Beta 52 (which I've come to hate, but it's the most asked for)
Geri O
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I don't know how people get anything useful out of a 52. Half the audio signal coming from it is vibrations from the floor coming up through the stand. It might be good installed in the kick in a Kelly Shu mount, but I haven't heard that version yet.

(And micing a bass guitar cab with it? Ugh.)
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

I can't stand the sound of a D112 on my kick. Not to mention, its hard as all get out to get through the hole in my EQ3 reso head. I love my D6 though...just inside the hole & done. I also use a D6 on my 2nd floor tom, again, love it.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

I could never find a good use for a D112, until I stuck it on a bass cabinet. The mid-range character that I've hated it for on kick drum sounds awesome on bass guitar, it's a good way to make a rock bass sit well in a mix.
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

It works good as a hammer if you don't have a crescent wrench around and need to pound something in ;)
 
Re: AKG D112... Why???

Because the one I bought in the 80's still works like new. It gets used on the B rig when the A rig is out with the better mics. As much EQ as I use on the kik drum who knows what the mic actually sounds like flat in a mix.
 
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