Audix D4 Review: The D6’s Little Brother

The Audix D4 is almost a D6 in terms of its abilities.

What do I mean by that?

Well, if the D6 is the microphone I reach for when recording a kick drum, the D4 is the microphone I reach for when recording a floor tom.

And that’s a pretty substantial endorsement, considering how highly I regard the D6.

A Natural Choice for Floor Toms

The D4 is an excellent microphone for floor toms, particularly larger ones where you want to capture both the attack of the drum and its low-frequency resonance.

Like the D6, it has a way of delivering the sound you’re looking for without requiring a tremendous amount of processing afterward.

I’ve also used the D4 on some very large rack toms, and it works quite well in that application.

But to be honest, I generally prefer the smaller Audix D2 for rack toms, even the larger ones.

The D2 has its own particular strengths, and I’ll review that microphone separately.

For floor toms, however, the D4 is my preference.

More Than Just a Tom Microphone

One of the things I particularly appreciate about the D4 is its versatility.

It’s an excellent microphone on a large conga, where its ability to capture low-frequency resonance without sacrificing the attack of the drum is particularly useful.

I’ve also used it successfully on cajón.

And I’ve used it on my djembe, where it does a very nice job of capturing the body and character of the instrument.

These are all applications where you need a microphone that can handle substantial low-frequency energy while maintaining enough definition to reproduce the attack of the instrument.

The D4 does that very well.

It’s one of those microphones that just works.

You put it in front of the instrument, find a sensible position, and you generally get a very usable sound.

That’s something I value enormously in a microphone.

The Younger Brother

The D4 is built to the same high standard as the D6.

It’s a little smaller, which makes it somewhat easier to position, particularly when you’re dealing with a crowded drum kit.

And anyone who’s spent much time trying to fit microphones around cymbal stands, tom mounts, and other hardware will appreciate that.

You can think of the D4 as the D6’s younger brother.

Of course, there’s an even younger brother in the family, the D2, which I’ve reviewed separately.

What I like about this family of microphones is that Audix has developed a series of instruments that complement one another particularly well.

The D6 handles the kick drum beautifully.

The D4 is outstanding on floor toms and larger percussion instruments.

And the D2 is a terrific choice for rack toms.

It’s a very sensible arrangement.

Other Applications

The D4 can also be used on upright bass.

It has the low-frequency capability to handle the instrument, and depending on the sound you’re trying to achieve, it can produce good results.

That said, there are other microphones I might prefer for upright bass.

I wouldn’t necessarily buy a D4 specifically for that application.

But if you already have one in your microphone collection, it’s certainly worth trying.

And that’s another advantage of owning microphones that are reasonably versatile. Even when they have an obvious primary application, they’re useful for considerably more than one instrument.

Build Quality and Value

Like the D6, the D4 is a very well-made microphone.

It’s compact, rugged, and designed for professional use.

Audix deserves considerable credit for maintaining a high standard of manufacturing while keeping these microphones reasonably affordable.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to assemble a very capable collection of drum microphones.

And the D4 is an excellent example of that.

When I’m specifying reasonably priced, high-quality drum microphones for professional applications, the Audix D-series is generally where I start.

They perform consistently, they’re easy to position, and they deliver excellent results.

The Verdict

The Audix D4 is one of my favorite microphones for floor toms, and it’s an excellent choice for larger hand percussion instruments such as congas, cajón, and djembe.

It has much of the character that makes the D6 such an outstanding kick drum microphone, but in a smaller package that’s particularly well suited to floor toms and other percussion instruments.

It’s beautifully made, reasonably priced, and extremely practical.

Most importantly, it sounds good.

And like its bigger brother, it’s one of those microphones that doesn’t require much thought once you’ve learned what it does well.

You simply reach for it because you know it’s going to work.

Highly recommended.