Is there any point in buying MXL 603's if I have a couple of mxl 990's?

Freudian Slip

Freudian Slip

New member
I was searching the board and came across a thread in which someone said that the 990 and the 603 are the same mic in a different housing. I have been using the 990's for drum overheads but was thinking of an upgrade.

also interested to hear if the c1000s II's are better than the old c1000's?

Thanks

F.S.
 
Freudian Slip said:
I was searching the board and came across a thread in which someone said that the 990 and the 603 are the same mic in a different housing. I have been using the 990's for drum overheads but was thinking of an upgrade.

also interested to hear if the c1000s II's are better than the old c1000's?

Thanks

F.S.
Click to expand...
Both the MXL990 and MXL603S use the same capsule... but I don't know if the electronics are the same or not... anyway, the housing is different on the MXL990 and MXL603S... and the two mics sound totally different also... IMO, the MXL990 sucks, but the MXL603S is one of the best cheap Chinese made budget mics being sold on todays market.
 
Thanks DJL. Glad to hear it. In my opinion the 990 sucks too. I think I was the first person on the board to buy one (years back). So I was the ginni pig.

I didn't see how the 603 could be spoken highly of if it was anywhere close to the 990.

Thanks Again
 
I have both, and for me the 990 sucks. Some singers that have come here to my project studio thought totally different about it. I like the 603 for OH and acoustic guitars too. I say go and buy a pair of em' ;)
 
i just tracked some vocals with a friend, using his gear. his main vocal mic the 990. it sure feels nice. its heavy. it is friggin bright and has some nastiness up there as well. sort of reminds me of an NT1, but WORSE.

i could imagine that cymbals through it are a nightmare.

however, i could see it working for close micing a snare or maybe toms. i would like to see what it does on kick drum. might be awesome, plus you dont have to worry about it dying, cause they are like $40 used.

anyway, my advice is to stay away from the whole line. maybe some oktavas 012s for you? do you track digital? what is your signal chain like?
 
Freudian Slip said:
Thanks DJL. Glad to hear it. In my opinion the 990 sucks too. I think I was the first person on the board to buy one (years back). So I was the ginni pig.

I didn't see how the 603 could be spoken highly of if it was anywhere close to the 990.

Thanks Again
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Your welcome... and the answer to your original question "Is there any point in buying MXL 603's if I have a couple of mxl 990's?" is yes IMO.
 
From that link you referenced.

"(5) The MXL 990 was disappointing. Sometimes it sounded awfully midrangey, other times barely to somewhat usable. It wasn’t used on any mixes because, even when usable, it didn’t add anything to the blend that another mic didn’t do better. An odd thing that I noticed about this mic: For the 990, a recorded signal at any level (say, -6 dB) sounded quieter/weaker/thinner than any of the other mics outputting the same level/signal. At this point, this is the last mic I would use for distance micing. It too often reminded me of the tone that you used to get from those built-in condensers in boom-boxes."

Being mid range focused is why the 990 works well on electric guitars. Most of the disappointment with this mic comes from people that try to use it as a vocal mic. It looks like the type of LDC you would use on vocals and its cheap. A lot of newbies get sucked into thinking it will work for a primary vocal mic. It doesn't. If you want another flavor for guitar layers, it works great. Actually on background vocals that need to sit back in the mix it also works. In this example, they were used for ambient recording, frankly I agree, they would suck for this. They require a high volume source to make them work and are just not sensitive enough for subtle sounds.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Interesting comment. Have you actually listened to the "whole line"?
Click to expand...

i meant the 603 and the 990. i called them "a line" because of the context of the original question (are they the same mic?). sort of confusing because it sounded like i meant to avoid ALL mxl mics. sorry.

have i heard a 603? nope, but the 990 i used sounded colored in a way that i couldnt see how it would be useful for many things- especially drum overheads, which is the topic at hand.

and the reason i thought that he should stay away from the 603 as well is that i would never recomend ANYONE using a bright condenser mic for drum OHs if they are tracking digital. i just think it sounds bad.
 
Paj said:
Another insight:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=120813

I think that a 603 or 991 would be an upgrade, especially for overheads.

Good luck,
Paj
8^)
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Ya when I first tested 990 several years back I was torn between weather it had a mid bump or it actually lacked presence. I think there was a little of both but I seemed to have more success adding high end too it than cutting the mids. Either way it does have a nasal tone about it and I don't believe the frequency chart that came with it for a second. The chart that came with it was almost identical to my AT-3035 but it's not even in the same class. Mind you this was several years ago so things may have changed.

F.S.

PS got my AKG mic kit. Did a quick test of the overheads and they seem ok for just throwing them up there. Gonna try to get my drummer over soon to spend some time setting them up. first impression is that the are by no means too bright, but I am angling them a bit tward the toms under the brass. Fricken drummer has so much brass on his set (set very low) that I tend to have to do that.
 
990

Middleman:

I agree---mic placement and application changes everything. It was interesting to compare the 990 and 991 because of their similarities but, to me, they sound VERY different. I haven't had a chance to personally compare the 991 and 603 because my 603's are on loan. My initial impressions are that the 991 and the 603 are the same mic sonically, and the 990 sounds like neither. I have two 990's, so finding something that I would use them first on would make me happy.

Freudian Slip:

For distance micing, ". . .torn between weather it had a mid bump or it actually lacked presence. I think there was a little of both . . ." also sums up my impressions so far, as did your comment about the freq curve.

Also, I'll be watching responses to your C1000 question with interest.

Paj
8^)
 
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