Audix D Elite Drum Package
Review
Electronic drums, like Roland's V-Drums, have filled a niche in the church/ ministry band market for a few years now. They provide some diverse, arguably
great, quality sounds, without generating allot of racket on stage. Some engineers, like myself, would say that the benefits of electronic drums are also their
curse. Their silence on stage has increased the demands made on existing monitor systems. In some churches, the stage volume has not decreased
drastically, because drums are a staple in the monitor mix. Even those with In Ear Monitors (IEM's) like the conductive feedback of an acoustic kit. Church
sound systems and staff sophistication are at an all time high. Drummers are taking advantage of this. Those drummers, fortunate enough to play in good
sounding rooms, are going back to the dark ages of real, acoustic, drums. I couldn't be more happy. What makes even more happy is that now we engineers
have more choices in drum mics. Today we will look at the Audix D6 Drum Package.
Let's talk about some Audix people. Gene at Audix has been involved in music ministry for some time. He understands the trends in worship services and
facilities. Not many companies have Christians on staff to serve Christians. Their eagerness to support our sector of the market has spawned such products as
the Micro condenser mic line. Consider Audix to be ministry friendly.
Next, let's talk about technology. Audix has given their dynamic mics, condenser-like response, by using Very Low Mass (VLM) elements. The thinner the
diaphragm, the quicker the response. Their mics are going to hold up to your use and abuse, as they have machined aluminum bodies. These mics are "stray-stick
warriors." in the concert touring world.
There are many ways to mic a drum kit. The best, most cost effective way today is to use dedicated drum mics. By that I mean mics that were designed for
specific sizes and timbres of drums. Drum mics now have dedicated drum mounting hardware. Many companies have drum kit mic packages. I have used
nearly every mic available in my career. Until I used the Audix Elite kit, I thought that my set up was easy. My kit is made up of many mics from many
manufacturers, and it does sound great. But it also came in at a higher retail price than the Audix Elite. It also takes a few more minutes to set up and tweak,
due to the fact that the mics are not designed for drums specifically, and the my hardware get's in the way on tight set-ups.
The Elite package consists of three SCX-1 small diaphragm condenser mics, one D6 kick drum mic, one D4 floor tom mic, two D2 tom mics and one D1 snare
mic. I used two SCX-1's for overheads, and one on the hi-hat. One could certainly add an additional SCX-1 under the snare. I don't talk specs much in my
reviews. I talk about the practical issues of sound, built quality and service. some of the most loved mics, and other equipment for that matter, may not have the
best specs. Another reason is so that you will visit the manufacturer's sites and possibly learn something about the company, or find a product that you didn't
know that you needed. To learn more, and to read the published specs, please visit www.audixusa.com.
The Elite package comes in a sturdy case. The mics sit in a foam lined shelf. Under this shelf is the mounting hardware. I could write a whole article on
hardware. There is only one kind to buy, and that is spring loaded, or resilient plastic. Why? Nearly all other types of metal C-clamps or "claw" mounts bend
the rims of drums when over tightened. Audix has taken the stick pelting out of the equation with their D-Vice clips. The D-Vice is simple. There is a spring-loaded
lip that grips under the hoop, and a lip on top that grips around the top of the hoop. The only pressure added is resistance of the internal spring. The D-Vice
can accommodate most hoops, and all mics. Attached to the clip is a small gooseneck, which has a mic clip adapter. A wing nut allows for the gooseneck
to be adjusted vertically.
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