matched pairs help...(ADK SC-T vs. SP C-4 vs. S.E. 2A) tanx in advance!

[diogo]

hi everyone..

im having trouble deciding wich way to go with these three sets of mics...im gonna use them for acoustic guitars only, dreadnoughts, and ocasionally singing and playing at the same time..for that i have an ADK Hamburg or ADK TL (havent decided yet).

im interested in fidelity, a "real" sound as much as possible. i dont like bright stuff, but too dark is not the answer either...again, as "real" as possible.

sometimes ill use them in a busy mix, others in a vocal/acoustic guitars/spark synth environment..sometimes i like the proximity effect and rich tone and interface between guitar and vocals (read nick drake) others a bit more air and a lot of strumming or strumming/picking mix, in a busy mix (read early red house painters)...

in time i would also be interested in micing the room...but make that a very small consideration, for i wont do it anytime soon.

many tanx in advance...
im really havin trouble deciding wich way to go with this :/


anyway, tanx!

diogo

[diogo]

i know this has been discussed before but i really need some fresh input..

anyone?


tanx!

[ryanformato]

I have the C4's and I think they are awesome microphones. I think they give a very true and accurate sound. I cannot speak for the other microphones though.

[reshp1]

If you're looking for acoustic guitar mics, add MXL603's to your list. Slightly brighter mic, which I know you said you didn't want, but boosted in just the right frequency for steel string guitar.

Similar sound but "darker" would be the Oktava MC012

[diogo]

ryan,
tanx!

C-4's seem to get good reviews overal..i wonder about one thing though...they seem to carry one omni and one cardiroid capsule only...isnt it normal that each mic gets two capsules?

reshp,
tanx for the reply...

i actually have a 012 and im looking for a step up from that in terms of quality/realism..

[hasbeen]

Josephson C42MP.

[diogo]

hey hasbeen...

tanx for the sugestion, but thats really out of my monetary league :/

the ones i mentioned are really the options (the SE would only be justfified if it gave me much more performance than the other two, cause its also a bit high on price)...

i know this other brand T.H.E. Audio, supposedly makes some superb mics but even that, i doubt i can touch with my budget...a single SD goes around 350. a matched pair might cut that off a bit but i guess not too much..

so, those are really the options.. :/

any more thoughts?

tanx!

[sunflute]

I recently got a pair of Peluso's CEMC6 and I am very happy with them. They sound much more consistant than my RODE nt5s, smoother and cleaner sounding. For the money $525 a pair, they are amazing.

They are little known but maybe somebody else can give you their views on them. I am using them to record classical flute, and so far I am very impressed.

Good luck,

Peace
Sunflute

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by diogo

hey hasbeen...

tanx for the sugestion, but thats really out of my monetary league :/

the ones i mentioned are really the options (the SE would only be justfified if it gave me much more performance than the other two, cause its also a bit high on price)...

i know this other brand T.H.E. Audio, supposedly makes some superb mics but even that, i doubt i can touch with my budget...a single SD goes around 350. a matched pair might cut that off a bit but i guess not too much..

so, those are really the options.. :/

any more thoughts?

tanx!

For dreads in the solo vocal/guitar setting, a single SD would be nice. A single Peluso CEMC6 is about $260 or so and you can get it with cardioid, hypercard and/or omni caps. That's a nice mic. I haven;t heard the newer SE mics, but their earlier products were pretty cheesy, and overpriced. The SP C4s are decent for the money, near the top of the budget class. BTW, the T.H.E. mics are about $700 each, as you need to get a capsule and an mic amp body, each about $350 or so.

[diogo]

sunflute,

tanx...but at 500 bucks thats over budget :/

hello Ray...

damn i knew the THE Audio stuff at 350 was too good to be true :/ anyway, scratch that one...

the C-4's...u mention the top of the budget chain...what would be the top then?

its a bit strange (for me) that no one is mentioning the SC-T's...

as for only one mic...i usually like panning hard right and hard left for effect...(i may be wrong, i really dunno, but i would think that this is a lot easier with stereo setups...right?).

[Picker]

For SD Condensor mics the Oktava MK 012's are well regarded in the budget range. Above that there are AT, Sure, and many others on up to the Josephsons which go for $1,000 for a pair...

[giraffe]

i like the mics that i own and suggest you buy the same ones

(feeling a little cynical today, please ignor)

[diogo]

sorry to revive this...but i really need to make a decision...

various reviews ive been reading totally disregard the SP C4's on acoustic guitars, stating it excels on drums but not on this...so thats a scratch right there...

pelusos and josephsons are out of my league for now...one day...

im down to MXL's 603 wich at that price are begining to look very atractive...but reports state widely that, although its very good on acoustics, tends to be a bit on the bright side and makes things look "pretty" (according to mojo pie and other stuff ive read)...im not very interested in that...between "pretty" and "dark", idd go with dark...but i want "real"....as much as possible in this price range anyway..not having an omni capsule is kind of a downer as well...

im also considering the ADK SC-T's....

any new input on this would be of great help...

tanx a lot in advance...


ps. again, i have an oktava 012 and im looking for a step up from that...

tanx!

[diogo]

oh...and i can also probly go for only one SDC instead of a matched pair and just mic the guitar with the ADk Hamburg in conjunction with it...

that way i can throw more money into one mic...thats the only way i would be able to afford the josephson, but still, no dealers around here...
anyone knows how can we get this in europe?

also...if not taking that extra step, at least taking one in the middle...i really want to step up from the oktava...maybe only one SDC from audio technica or something like that..or Avenson?

any views on Avenson?

god this is confusing..


tanx.

[noisedude]

I disagree with you about C4s on acoustic. They're excellent. I have listened to many tracks done with them, recommended them to a friend who bought them for acoustic and OH use, and having done that I'm now putting in an order for two more sets. The only mic I've used that sounds better on acoustic is the Audio Technica AT4050.

Whether any of these mics would be a genuine step up from a good pair of MK012s, though, is another matter. The C4s are a good mic, and SE make pretty good mics too, but maybe you should really save and get a pair of SM81s or even Josephsons.

[sunflute]

Originally Posted by diogo

oh...and i can also probly go for only one SDC instead of a matched pair and just mic the guitar with the ADk Hamburg in conjunction with it...

that way i can throw more money into one mic...thats the only way i would be able to afford the josephson, but still, no dealers around here...
anyone knows how can we get this in europe?

also...if not taking that extra step, at least taking one in the middle...i really want to step up from the oktava...maybe only one SDC from audio technica or something like that..or Avenson?

any views on Avenson?

god this is confusing..


tanx.

Considering what you wrote, ie. budget, use and quality, I would probably go with the ADK SC-t. But if I were you, I would save a little more and buy myself a Peluso. It's only like $65 bucks more than the ADK. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck!

[diogo]

hey fellas,

tanx for the replies...i just found the josephsons in europe for 340 bucks...i can only afford one, but i would think this would be much better than a matched pair of these brands ive been mentioning...ill buy the other one a few years from now...not matched but what the heck...
this is good/better right? even if only one...

[Warhead]

All this talk about realism and no mention of the Avenson STO-2 omni pairs. When you want to hear real they do the job even though they are inexpensive. And the slight consideration of a future room mic will be taken care of as well.

War

[Flatpicker]

Originally Posted by diogo

...im interested in fidelity, a "real" sound as much as possible. i dont like bright stuff, but too dark is not the answer either...again, as "real" as possible...

Me too. I've tried MC012s and 603s, even modifying them with the best quality components, but but never was satisfied. I'm getting the C4s next.

[diogo]

hi everyone,

tanx for the replies...

Noisedude...
thats encouraging but even more confuse...it really sucks that all of this comes down to personal taste in the end, its fucked for ppl that cant try out things and dont really have the cash to go hit or miss on mics or whatever...damn damn damn...now im back considering the C4's again ..

damn you and your valuable knowledge..
(tanx!)

i found the josephsons here in europe (350 bucks per mic)..i can afford one, wich wouldnt be so bad cause i can mic the guitar with the Hamburg as well...but the absence of omni capsule worries me..i wanna be able to decently mic a room as well...

versatility is not a must, i will not use these SDC for overheads, just acoustic...i really NEED some decent acoustic guitar mics..

as limiting as this question is, in your opinion, are the C4's a step up from the Oktavas in terms of realism?

tanx again Noisedude

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Sunflute,

tanx...what makes u recomend the SCT's? im curious, have u used them on acoustics?

the pelusos...a matched pair is only 65 bucks more than a matched pair of STC's? really..humm...gotta check that out...last time i saw them they were going for 700 bucks a matched pair and each capsule is like 80 bucks...

tanx!

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Warhead...
tanx...

are u in any way related to front end audio? im dealing with Shane there, outstanding help everytime and i will absolutely do business there..im very happy i found this store...

anyway, Shane actually recomended the Avensons...but they're too expensive for me...when it comes to "higher" end mics (higher than what im supposedly going for) i really cant afford more than one...


tanx for the sugestion!
---------------------------------------------


Flatpicker,

im actually gettin a 603 for my brother...he needs to notepad his stuff at home so...even though i hear good things from these mics, i kind of fear the bright factor..thing is, when i order his, i have to order mine as well so, cant really wait to see what it does when it gets here..

are you expecting a lot from the C4's?

damn..in my brain... all of the suden they're an option again...

tanx!




tanx everyone...
please keep these coming..i need all the help i can get..
tanx a lot!

[XLR]

just found the josephsons in europe for 340 bucks...i can only afford one, but i would think this would be much better than a matched pair of these brands ive been mentioning

Diogo, I think this is a smart approach. Good mono is better than bad stereo. Or should it in fairness be, "better mono is preferable to lesser quality stereo"? Because the C4's, Oktava MC012, Rode NT5's and the like aren't bad mic's at all.

I've got inexpensive mic's and really good mic's and I think it's worth it to go for a smaller amount of top quality gear than more of the other.

Just my 2c. And hear my opinion knowing that I'm biased.

Tim

[diogo]

Timothy,

many tanx for the reply...but like someone said, its a never ending math equation...im gonna use these with the new Korg SIAB the D3200...i guess its as high end as a SIAB can get, but im really scared i might be going for overkill mics when the pres in the siab will be all i can afford for years...im afraid i wont be able to take advantage of their full potential....

even so, one might argue its still worth it...but i dont really know..

thats the other major issue here :/

tanx!

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by diogo

Timothy,

many tanx for the reply...but like someone said, its a never ending math equation...im gonna use these with the new Korg SIAB the D3200...i guess its as high end as a SIAB can get, but im really scared i might be going for overkill mics when the pres in the siab will be all i can afford for years...im afraid i wont be able to take advantage of their full potential....

even so, one might argue its still worth it...but i dont really know..

thats the other major issue here :/

tanx!

I wouldn't worry too much about the other gear. Getting a quality mic is a step forward. Eventually, other gear will be upgraded. The point is that you'll likely never sell the quality mic. Instead, you're likely to get another one so you'll have a pair.

[noisedude]

Originally Posted by diogo

versatility is not a must, i will not use these SDC for overheads, just acoustic...i really NEED some decent acoustic guitar mics..

as limiting as this question is, in your opinion, are the C4's a step up from the Oktavas in terms of realism?

I've not used the Oktavas, so I really wouldn't know. But I like the way you are thinking about alternatives to a matching pair of mics ... perhaps that'll work for you. I quite often only use one mic on acoustic (although you shouldn't trust my engineering skills ... my ears are good but my ability is low!!! ).

[diogo]

hey Ray,

i know you're right..its always a step forward..i know...but the rest of the gear wont see any upgrade for a number of years and i really intend to max it out and learn it inside out..i mean, there are comercial records being made with the Korg D1600 MKII....mine will be the newly released D3200....its supposed to be really really good..a lot better than the other one...so if ppl use the other one for commercial records, i figure i can do the same, especially with a much better unit...i just have to work it and learn it...

but no, it wont be upgraded...my fear is that, if i get a good mic like a josephson, the pres in the unit will never (i dunno this for sure but...) take the best out of it, and as i wont be upgrading the recorder for years (for sure) ill be stalled with a good investment that doesnt pay off..when i could be trying to max the potential of C4's or SC-T's that cost a lot less money...u know...

thats my doubt right there...
pure SDC existencialism ...


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noisedude..

believe me, i like this aproach a lot better in terms of SDC's...going for a better thing instead of buying "entry" and end up buying twice...but...its really like i said up there..i gotta now if its worth it or not...cause i doubt that, for as good as SIAB pres are getting, especially in the later units, itll be clearly possible to distinguish a C4 from a Josephson...

hell....even a C1 from a neumann

hahaha

right..