AKG D 3800

Advantages: Industry standard bass drum mic. Versatile.
Disadvantages: Lacks the natural 'boom' of some other bass drum mics.

...The AKG D112 is generally a very sensible purchase. It has a home in almost all studios, from the small time musicians project bedroom studio, to the pro's studio. With a retail price of around £110, it's hardly breaking the bank either. However, you may still need to pair this mic up with another companies bass drum mic, as it can be a bit 'extreme' in it's sound. The AKG really catches to slap and punch of the kick drum. Similar to a basketball bouncing on a laminate wood floor. It's not devoid of all 'boom' and warmth but in some cases, you may need to use two microphones, one to get the boom and ambience of the bass drum, and the AKG to get the punch and presence. For bands using a double bass pedal, the AKG allows the bass drum to really cut through the rest of the instruments where a more 'boomy' bass drum mic may not have... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Brilliant bass drum mic
Disadvantages: Quite bulky, and not the best on the market.

...On my many times of using this microphone in recording, and live environments, don't get me wrong, it has been an excellent microphone, and although it seems to be industry standard at the moment, and has been for a while, i have found a cheaper, and BETTER alternative ... The SE Electronics bass mic ... i think it is the se1a ... but it produces a lovely wet kick sound, and is FAR superior to the D112 ... but this microphone is still an absolute blinder of a microphone, and is standard in most studio set-ups. It is quite an expensive microphone, and one of the best places to buy from would be: Digital village, or dolphin music ... they are both friendly, competetive prices, and helpful, should you have a problem! This mic has a good frequency response and is reasonable at not picking up too much spill. Altogether a great mic, but i... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Incredible Value
Disadvantages: None (unless you need a "name" to make you play better!)

...I'd been needing to buy a new acoustic guitar for some time, thanks to the long term adoption of my old one by my daughter! Recently I happened to notice an advert for the new Crafter D-8 acoustic in one of my son's guitar mags. It was hand made, used solid wood all round, looked great and, best of all, the recommended price was just £189, so I was hooked. Without having actually seen the real thing, I ordered one from my local dealer - actually I ordered the D-8EQ, which is the electro-acoustic version which he was able to supply for £199 (apparently there's a special deal on this model - should be around £259 normally). I was certainly not disappointed when the instrument arrived - this is one time when a magazine ad failed to do justice to the real quality of the product! The guitar is beautifully finished throughout, has great... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful