Ready to buy a new mic!

elbandito

elbandito

potential lunch winner
I love it when this time of year comes around (it ends up being about quarterly for me) and I've managed to squirrel away enough moolah to go gear shopping. This time around, I'm looking at adding a nice mic to my slowly growing locker. I've got my eye on either the Shure SM7b or a nice tube condenser at around the same price point (if such a thing exists). Yesterday, I stumbled upon a stereo ribbon mic which got me feeling a little frisky but I think I may hold off on that for a while, unless someone can convince me otherwise.

Anyway, my question: Can anyone recommend me a good tube condenser that sits at about the same price range as the SM7b, or should I just hold off and buy a K1 or something next time around? I hear the MXL V69 can be touch and go - that is to say, quality control seems to be an issue and some of them are decent, while others are straight up crap. Also, I suppose I should mention that the mic would be used mainly for vocals (male & female), as well as some acoustic instruments.

Thanks in advance, folks. :D
 
What kind of acoustic instruments?
I can see the sm7b going down well on horns or low strings, but i'm not sure that'd i'd want it on a flute or acoustic guitar for example.

What are you dealing with yourself?
 
You don't need a tube condenser man. Tube mics don't necessarily sound better. The SM7B is a fantastic mic for vocals and kick drum. The Rode NT1000 and AT4040 are nice condensers.
 
Check out an EV RE20.

But the secret weapon of choice on the sources that you have mentioned would be an AKG 2000b. ;)

And to purchase it used you can get two and stay within your price range or keep the savings to grow your mad money pot for next quarters purchase.
 
Steenamaroo said:
What kind of acoustic instruments?
I can see the sm7b going down well on horns or low strings, but i'm not sure that'd i'd want it on a flute or acoustic guitar for example.

What are you dealing with yourself?
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Oh yeah, sax and a little trumpet get recorded sometimes but I generally just use dynamics or borrow a fathead for those. As for acoustic instruments, the usual suspects in my little basement studio are accordion, guitar, cello, harmonica, ukelele, various percussion and lately, violin. Occasionally, I record some electric guitar. Just about everything else (organ, synth, bass, piano, whatever) I record direct.

The mics in my locker so far: 2x Rode M3, AT4040 & 4041, the SM Brothers (57/58), an Apex harp mic - which is AWESOME on snare drum! And a few random dynamics and other low end condensers that I never use anymore. I'm thinking that maybe I should invest in something multi-directional, which is part of the reason I was thinking tube mic.

Moresound - I was looking at the RE20. It seems pretty great but seems a little less versatile than the SM7b, which I why I passed on it for this time around.
 
You're serious, aren't you? Haha. Alright, well I'll give it a chance as I'm sure you wouldnt recommend it if it weren't at least decent but I'm definitely feeling the high end dynamic mic idea right about now. The next condenser mic I buy will be something high quality, or at least very different. I'm pretty well stocked when it comes to budget mics like that.
 
Now there's a mic I could get down with! Thanks for the great suggestion, moresound. I'm gonna go try to find one nearby to see if I like it. :)

Incidentally, you seem pretty keen to steer me away from the SM7b. Any particular reason?
 
Now that you mention your recording sax, trumpet, guitar, violin, cello, harmonica, and ukelele, the SM7B is actually not a good choice. Get yourself a nice condenser!
 
CrowsofFritz said:
Now that you mention your recording sax, trumpet, guitar, violin, cello, harmonica, and ukelele, the SM7B is actually not a good choice. Get yourself a nice condenser!
Click to expand...

Why not? A dynamic mic works great on harp and cello and isn't terrible on violin. Condensers on brass and guitar makes sense... What.do you recommend instead?
 
elbandito said:
Now there's a mic I could get down with! Thanks for the great suggestion, moresound. I'm gonna go try to find one nearby to see if I like it. :)

Incidentally, you seem pretty keen to steer me away from the SM7b. Any particular reason?
Click to expand...

That C-40 is a spectacular microphone!!!! Look for one used. I see them every so often for about $300. - $350.

I guess I should of started with asking what you have for preamps for you'll need a hefty one with the 7b.

The 7b is great when it works for a vocal but when it doesn't it can be devastating. I also have better alternatives when it comes to recording acoustical instruments.

I like my 7b but other microphones that I have out preform it. Just want you to see the other options.
 
elbandito said:
Why not? A dynamic mic works great on harp and cello and isn't terrible on violin. Condensers on brass and guitar makes sense... What.do you recommend instead?
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A condenser will fit a much more broad range of instruments than an SM7B. And, like moresound said, you will need a preamp with lots of gain with the SM7B. As a recommendation, the SE2200a is a great mic! Look into the C-40 moresound is mentioning too.
 
So it turns out that nobody in Toronto carries the C40... Have you guys got a recommendation for an online retailer with a good return policy, just on case? Preferably Canadian, to avoid tariffs.
 
I like the SM7b a lot, but it wouldn't be my choice for acoustic instruments. I'm the one who turned Moresound onto the C2000B, and it made a believer out of him. It really is one of the most versatile little suckers there is. As I've described the C2000B before, it's not the first mic I put up for anything. It's the second mic I put up for everything.-Richie
 
I didn't necessarily want the sm7b for recording instruments. I wanted it mainly for the purpose of recording my vox (which seem to sound best thru dynamics) and for occasionally electric guitars and percussion. Also, I just wanted a high quality dynamic to add to the collection. Condensers are great but variety will allow me to record everything that comes my way.

I'm definitely buying that c40 and I will look into the c2000b. :)
 
The SM7b rocks, as long as you have a preamp with enough clean gain to feed it. It wants at least 60db of clean gain. It is also an excellent live vocal mic and is very good on brass/sax. Another excellent dynamic with similar applications is Sennheiser MD421, which is a live and studio standard for the applications you have described. Good luck-Richie
 
I'd go with either SM7b or Avantone C-40 but I'm far from an expert and mostly just going by the extensive reviews I've read and that type of thing.
 
I'm glad to see a lot of love here for the SM7b. When it is the right mic it is perfect, when its not, it is not really very good. It was specifically designed as a radio mic and its use as a recording mic came about through all the experimentations back in the early 70's. That was before it had the 'b' designation. For a full range large diaphragm dynamic, I would look more towards the RE20, RE27, or the Heil PR35, PR40...and I hear theres a newer model...dont know anything about it....also there are others. Sennheisers MD421 and MD441 are incredible mics. Certainly not the specialized scooped frequency kik drum mics which are also LDD's.

Its true that a dynamic is easier to get a decent vocal sound from though sometimes the detail wont be as clear. There's harmonics as well as the physical attributes of capturing a vocal, like chest tone and nasal and head tone that dynamics simply arent sensitive enough to really get a lot of. This isnt a bad thing in some cases!!

Its also why a vocal mic can be so personal and hard to recommend a single mic for someone, especially when you havent heard their voice, their delivery, or have any idea how they approach singing in general.

Its just another reason to have a lot of mics if you are a studio for hire. For the home studio who's just doing their own material, its a bit easier because once you find something that works theres no real reason to change.

When I recommend a mic for vocals I try to look at mics I know well and ones that have a full and rather flat frequency curve. I'm not talking boringly flat, but certainly not something that is so hyped in certain ranges that it makes it hard to get a sound that sits well with other instruments in a mix.

These same reasons hold true for acoustic instruments that you have listed. There are many small but important factors in capturing these sounds in a realistic way while keeping the tenor and the myriad of harmonic interplay that goes on with an instrument like a cello or violin intact but also in control.

For this reason I think you should be looking at a higher budget and looking specifically at the KSM44 by Shure. Not only do they sound great on MANY sources but they're built like......well,.......a Shure.
 
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