Do a search through the archives and you'll find many opinions on kick drum mic selection. No one mic is going to be best or prefered every single time. Other variables come into play in selecting a mic for kick drum or any other instrument.

I would say look at a D6 or RE-20. Of course many variables come into play, but the D6 is cheap and does a great job, easy to place, good for anything that needs good low end reproduction, and its great for sound reinforment in live shows. The RE-20 also is a good rugged vocal mic, works great on bass cabs, a great kick mic, and both are built in a very ruggged casing, more so the D6 which is a single peice of metal casing not fused. I really don't like the D112 because it always gives you that basketball sound, then again this is a mic and sound that been working since the 70's just not to my liking, and the sm52 I've never used.

I like the D112 myself ... always punches through and defines in a mix ... It's easier to dial out the "basset ball hitting the pavement" attack than it is to dial it in when it's not there than it is to try to eq it in after the fact ...

It's the beta 52...and it's my fav inside kick mic....can't say enough good things about it.

sennheiser 421

for tight sound and click (rock/metal/hardcore)

doesn't have all the mud of the akg

akg for loose / boomy (hiphop/r'n'b)

Sennheiser e602. Plenty of tight low end with a medium bandwidth peak at 3k built in for definition. About $200 and worth much more!

112 vs Shure

I haven't tried the Shure but the Akg sounds great for that boomy low end. I really like the Sennheiser 602 that someone mentioned too - it's got a little more attack to it than the 112. I like using the 112 in combo with a 421. The 421 gets a snappy attack and the 112 gets the big thud - just watch out for phase issues when double micing the kick. The 112 also doubles as a pretty good bass / guitar cab mic when you're looking for a really bassy sound.

d112 for me, it takes eq well and stands up later on when mixing. I'm not sure why, but I disliked the d6 when I tried it for an album, a bit too woofy or something. At first it does sound better though. I also like the sm7 and even the standard 57 works well at times.

Look at all the responses you have gotten already, now read AG's response:

AudioGaff wrote: Do a search through the archives and you'll find many opinions on kick drum mic selection. No one mic is going to be best or prefered every single time. Other variables come into play in selecting a mic for kick drum or any other instrument.

See what he means! Every engineer is going to give you a different answer! Also, as he states, it is somewhat style dependent.