A newbie approaches first microphone purchase

[jumbosilverette]

In the spirit of the Motion Picture Acadmey, let me say thank-you to all in these forums who have lent expereince and expertise, often answering the same quetions many times over.

I've read and absorbed a lot over the last few weeks, and now feel more comforable about buying my first recording package.
Though I used to run a sound board in a tv studio, I rarely had to do anything but pin on some Sony ecm laveliers and run the gain on a mixing board. Only once did I mic a band in the studio; suprisingly it came out quite nice (even if it took the better part of an afternoon to set-up).

In other words, I'm no Wally Heider. Also I'm an intermediate musician who has never recorded.

So what follows is is my in-expert opinion about the mics I considered for purchase. All of them were culled from the mp3 recordings at http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/session5.htm and all feature a guitarist playing the same .39 second passage. I listened to each clip through my computer's headphone port with Grado SR60 headphones, and re-listened to certain passages or repeated the tracks as often as necessary to form an opinion.

Mic 1: faithful, neutral, some clipping on pulled notes; very up -front, no room noise

Mic 2: not as rich as #1, no clipping on fingers, no room noise but a little more distant-sounding

Mic 3: full and very pleasant, all good qualities of the other two mics, but warmer

Mic 4: very even (seems compressed -- a little choked back), quieter compared to others

Mic 5: loud, explosive after #4, not warm, more metallic

Mic 6: a little deadened, anechoic; guitar sounds a little distant compared to others; sounds like you're in a recording booth

Mic 7: fret noise less pronounced; all the good qualities there; pleasant up-front soundstage, clear through the spectrum; nothing under or over deemphasised, but no magic.


The mics:

1. Studio Projects B1
2. MXL V67
3. MXL 2001
4. Behringer B1
5. MXL 990
6. MXL 1006
7, MXL 2003
8. MXL V69

Thanks for bearing with me.

[Bob Keelan]

What is it that you're going to be recording?

[jumbosilverette]

ukulele, voice, washboard, small percussion instruments

[TimOBrien]

Mics shootouts forget some VERY important points:

There are so many other variables in picking out a mic.... artist's voice, total recording chain, monitoring chain, and EVERY stinkin' surface in the room that it's used in.....

If it was as simple as making a comparison matrix, the big recording companies and engineers would have standardized EVERYTHING decades ago (and of course everything would sound exactly the same....)

[timboZ]

Mic 8: ????????????????????????????????????????????

[smtcharlie]

There has been much debate about the listening sessions around here. But basically everyone values the advice from that person when he posts (the consensus is that he knows what he's talking about), so it's not like *I* posted a bunch of clips for comparison!

Anyway, I have found that things sound vastly different on speakers versus headphones. My advice would be to try to somehow hear these clips on speakers, as good of speakers as you can manage.

Different people like differen mics. Different mics work with different people / players. So I think that you are on the absolute right track. Find the sound or personality that you think fits your stuff and go with it.

[jumbosilverette]

You guys are good, I'll admit.

quote: There are so many other variables in picking out a mic.... artist's voice, total recording chain, monitoring chain, and EVERY stinkin' surface in the room that it's used in.....

Absolutely true. Um, buying a mic without running it through real-world experience is a little like going out with girl on the basis of looks alone -- it might be wonderful, it might be dreadul. I'm making a compromise here. I'm using a little logic, a lot of recommendation, and a little faith. After all, you have to start somewhere.

quote: Anyway, I have found that things sound vastly different on speakers versus headphones. My advice would be to try to somehow hear these clips on speakers, as good of speakers as you can manage.

I'm now running these (mic mp3s) through my Event amplified speakers; let's see how evenly they come out with the Grados. The stuff I intend to record will be played over myspace imbedded playback, maybe an mp3 player with headphones, certainly a computer.

quote: Number 8?????????????????????????????????????????

Boy what a dolt I am.

Number 7 should've read: a little muddy sounding in the middle, not inspiring

Number 8 fret noise less pronounced, all the good qualities there: pleasant, up front soundstage, clear through the spectrum, nothing over or de-emphasised, but no magic.

I was suprised -- to my ears, at least -- that local favorite Studio Projects B1 didn't wow me -- it sounded good, very good but didn't make my endlist. But like everyone has said, there's alot of personal preference in this.
For the record, my favorite of the 8 was the MXL 2001.

[surfmaster]

also, the besting sounding mic when solo'ed may not be the best for a mix. just keep that in mind.

[jumbosilverette]

good point.