MXL Microphones has a new twist on a single microphone for close-miking loud musical instruments. The side-address DX-2® Dual Capsule Variable Dynamic Instrument Microphone has a Crossfade control knob for mixing the sound between two distinctly different-sounding capsules to a single XLR output.
The front of the microphone is flat-faced so it is easy to place flush and directly in front of a guitar amp’s speaker. In my testing, I hung the DX-2 by an XLR mic cable—I looped the cable through the handle on the top of a Fender Vibrolux amp to position it exactly.
Inside the mic the two capsules are side by side and close together for the best possible phase relationship. Capsule 1 is a large super-cardioid dynamic type that has a warm and big sound while Capsule 2 is a smaller cardioid dynamic with more of a mid range focus.
The fun starts with the Crossfade mix control knob. I started with the Crossfade control set straight up (12 noon) for 50% of Capsule 1 and 50% of Capsule 2. For a rhythm guitar part, I could dial in the sound so it was still heavy sounding but also had enough mid-range “cut” to mix well in the track. This is an awesome idea, great for live sound too!
MXL Microphones' DX-2 sells for $149 MSRP.
mxlmics.com/microphones/studio/DX-2
Barry Rudolph is a recording engineer/mixer who has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs, and more. Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility and loves teaching audio engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. He is a lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contributing editor for Mix Magazine. barryrudolph.com
