Audix
D6
Dynamic · Cardioid · 30–15,000 Hz · a rider regular
- Audix's graph shows a deep low-mid scoop — about 8 dB down around 600 Hz — and a lift of about 8 dB near 5 kHz: either exactly the kick sound you wanted or nothing like it.
- Sensitivity is quoted at 80 Hz rather than 1 kHz, because 1 kHz is the part of the spectrum this microphone is designed to throw away.
- Reaches for none of the EQ you would normally spend on a kick; engineers either patch it flat or replace it.
Frequency response
Redrawn from Audix’s published response graph (approximate, ±2 dB) on the fixed MicSense scale — 20 Hz–20 kHz, −20 to +15 dB — so two microphones can be compared at a glance. No image is copied; it is a guide to the shape, not a measurement. The maker’s graph (Frequency response, spec sheet p.2).
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for cardioid. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Audix |
|---|---|
| Model | D6 |
| Type | Dynamic |
| Form factor | End-address |
| Polar pattern | Cardioid |
| Frequency range | 30–15,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 0.8 mV/Pa · ≈ -61.9 dBV/Pa (at 80 Hz) |
| Max SPL | 144 dB SPL (THD not stated; ≥ 144 dB) |
| Self-noise | — none (passive capsule) |
| Impedance | 280 Ω (output impedance) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | None (dynamic) |
| Weight | 254 g |
Specifications: Audix datasheet · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Mid |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 2001 |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Kick in
- Kick out
- Bass cab
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
D6 alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the Audix D6’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
-
AKG
D112 MkII
- Same job: kick in, kick out, bass cab
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: end-address
- Max SPL as high or higher (160 vs 144 dB SPL)
- Different published response shape (≈ 4.6 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- ≈ 7 dB more output — about 7 dB less gain
-
Shure
Beta 52A
- Same job: kick in, kick out, bass cab
- Same type: dynamic
- Same form: end-address
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (174 vs 144 dB SPL)
- Supercardioid instead of cardioid — deepest rejection at ±126°, not 180°: check where the wedge sits
- Different published response shape (≈ 6.7 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
-
Sennheiser
e 602-II
- Same job: kick in, kick out, bass cab
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: end-address
- ≈ 10 dB less output — add about 10 dB gain
Not comparable: response curve not redrawn yet · max SPL not published by the maker
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.