Marshall Mxl V67g V67 Microphone Studio Condenser Mic

[music_girly]

I'm a little recording newblette looking around for some advice on good mics to buy. I saw the MARSHALL MXL V67G V67 MICROPHONE STUDIO CONDENSER MIC on ebay and i'm curious if i should buy it.

ATM i have a Rode Nt-1 condensor mic for vocals, I need something nice for acoustic guitar. Are the shure sm57's any good? they seem quite cheap.. but i noticed they're dynamic mics rather than condensors? Would it be better just to use my Nt-1 to record guitar? Is the marshall mxl any good for recording acoustic guitar?

Sorry if the questions are confusing, thanks for any help!

[iancl]

Are you not happy with the NT-1?

I'm not going to be able to help I'm affraid, but people will want to know the sort of sound you're looking for, and what the NT-1 isn't doing for you, before they advise on the marshall or sometehing else.

[Kevin Deschwazi]

I like my V67G but I have to say i don't reach for it for acoustic guitar. It doesn't capture the top end as I'd like it to.

Have you considered a small diaphgragm condensor? these are often preferred for acoustic instruments as they're regarded as being more 'accurate' and often a bit brighter.

MXL do (or did?) a very nice one- the 603s. If you could pick one of those up on ebay i'd recommend it for acoustic guitar. Even better get 2 and experiment with stereo recording, especially if the acoustic guitar is going to be the main instrument and you want a 'big' sound.

[PhilGood]

I agree with the 603s for acoustic guitar. The V67 is a bit dark, colored and has a big proximity effect. you want something neutral with smoother highs and faster transients.

[Enchilada]

My v67g is usually a bit boomy on acc guitars for my liking. I like it on vocals though, kind of hyped mids or something gives it a darker tone. Try a pair of small diaphragm condensors in an xy. I have a set of behringer B5's and I like them. If I were in the states I would have got a pair of MXL 603s though

[sjjohnston]

More agreement, as if you need it:

I like to use two matched (or close) small-diaphragm condensors on acoustic guitar. I haven't specifically used the MXL 603 for this, but similar mics of the same general design.

In the universe of possible mics you might buy, the Rode NT1 and the MXL V67 are fairly similar. I'm not saying you might not want to have both of them, but if I had only two (or three, or four) mics, I don't thing two of them would be those particular ones.

[countrylac]

Try looking at the CAD m177, it costs a little more than the v67, but it has a quite neutral sound.

[music_girly]

ok well i checked on ebay for the mxl's. I really want to get a pair to try out the stereo micing. There's an anniversary pack available.. 2 mics - a MARSHALL MXL 2001 and the MXL 603.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/GET-BOTH-MICS...QQcmdZViewItem
$170 (AU) + postage and insurance

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MXL-603-Micro...QQcmdZViewItem
There's also a MXL 603 Microphone kit (Pair), but its $508.30 (AU) + postage.. seems a bit pricey

hmm there's a behringer b5.. but it'll cost me $181 (AU) + postage
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Behringer-B5-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/STUDIO-CONDEN...QQcmdZViewItem
oh there's also a pair of behringer c-2's for $115 (AU) + postage

Are the takstar pcm-6100's any good?

I'm thinking i might get the c-2's.. dunno about the quality though? whats the marshall mxl-2001 like?

ARGH so many questions.. sorry

[Daniel Reichman]

The MXL 2001 is not very well liked, and might be a bit thin and harsh for guitar. We are getting royally screwed in Australia with MXL pricing compared to the US. You might want to contact Warrick at Melbourne Surround Sound directly to negotiate a price on the 603s pair instead of going via the eBay shop.

I don't know anything about the Takstar mic, but the brand is popular in Asia.

You could look at a pair of Behringer ECM800s, see http://www.musicianswarehouse.com.au...g=20&ss=ecm800 . These are probably Behringers best regarded microphones and quite cheap.

[Supercreep]

I have both the NT1A and the V67G and vastly prefer the MXL.

My sig has a link to songs using the V67G.

[Robert D]

Hey,
Those 603s are good on acoustic, but I like the Oktava MK-012s a little better...... a little more even sounding with a good balance of wood and strings. The V67, by most accounts, is a good inexpensive vocal mic with some nice output tranny warmth, but not a good mic for anything you want a detailed sound on.

[TexRoadkill]

If you can spend a few more bucks go for the MXL V93 or sometimes called the 2003. It's a great all around condensor.

[ausrock]

OK,...........specifically, what make and model acoustic are you using?

Where are you located and do you have any music retailers in your area?

I have the MXL603s, ECM8000 and Oktava 012s and find the 603s are preferable for acoustic but obviously, there are factors that can influence that opinion depending on instrument, room acoustics, etc.

[music_girly]

heya Ausrock,

I have a Monterey MW-197SCEN. It's ok.. but i'm in the middle of saving up for a Maton. I was hoping to try out the x-y technique for stereo miking.

I'm in Brisbane atm, but was hoping to do recording at home (Hobart, TAS) as i'm staying at college right now and trying to do recording in a little room with the usual college noise (drunk people lol!) might be a bit hard.

[ausrock]

I'm not familiar with the specifics of Montereys so I can't pass comment there. I have however, owned, played and recorded Matons for more years than I care to admit to .

If possible, choose the model you want to purchase based on it's sound, NOT on what model you can just afford. You will find the lower end models, because of their timbers, etc., tend to be slightly thinner/brighter/having less "body" in their sound, than the upper models which tend to be fuller and maybe "more mellowish" and while it's not necessarily a problem, it should be considered in context with what is going to be accompanying it. If you ever need to discuss it further, don't hesitate to send me a PM here or just yell .

Back to mics..........you won't go wrong with a pair of MXL-603s. If your budget allowed you to step higher, then Studio Project's C4, (they come as a matched pair with interchangeable omni and cardoid capsules), would have to be considered.

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Robert D

Hey,
Those 603s are good on acoustic, but I like the Oktava MK-012s a little better...... a little more even sounding with a good balance of wood and strings. The V67, by most accounts, is a good inexpensive vocal mic with some nice output tranny warmth, but not a good mic for anything you want a detailed sound on.

Although the 603 and MK-012's I have sound very similar, I do like the MK-012's a little more also. The oktava has a little something over the 603. I recently got a ADK Hamburg that sounds really nice on my acoustic guitar.

For some songs, a sm57 can sound pretty good on acoustic guitar, especially in a not so good sounding room. It's definately a different flavor though. An EV 635a works even better, imo. Sounds real cool for certain vocals too.

I had a CAD m179 for a bit but never liked it on acoustic or vocals. It may have been a little too neutral sounding for me.

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by Daniel Reichman

You could look at a pair of Behringer ECM800s, see http://www.musicianswarehouse.com.au...g=20&ss=ecm800 . These are probably Behringers best regarded microphones and quite cheap.

Are you on crack These mics are noisy as hell! WAAAAY too much noise for acoustic guitar.
As far as price goes they are excelent value and a handy mic in your aresenal, but you really need a decent sounding room as they are omni and are not at all forgiving to a poor recording space. I've used them for ambience when recording guitars and drum overheads with some acceptable results.

I have both a pair of behringer ECM8000 and B5 mics, the B5s are much quieter and sound a a lot nicer on my acoustic guitar.

[ausrock]

The QC on the ECM8000s is patchy, most exhibit varying amounts of self noise (hiss) but there are some which are more than acceptably quiet.........fortunately I have a pair that are . That said, I would buy another pair without having the chance to try them out first and be able to return them if they weren't suitable.

On a fuller sounding guitar, the 012's can be a little too much whereas the 603's slightly brighter character can work well. Alternatively, a pairs of SP B1s may be a good choice for the budget minded.

So much still depends on the instrument, the player and the room itself.

[PhilGood]

The pair of ECM8000's I have a pretty quiet as well. That and my room is pretty soundproof. Lately I've been using LDC's on acoustic.

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by ausrock

The QC on the ECM8000s is patchy, most exhibit varying amounts of self noise (hiss) but there are some which are more than acceptably quiet.........fortunately I have a pair that are

Seems that I got a pair of duds . What a piece of luck. Oh well even though I find them too noisy for quiet sources, they are still quite handy on loud sources so my money wasn't wasted.

When I get my bollocks together I might have a crack at the linkwitz mod

[Daniel Reichman]

Originally Posted by Enchilada

Are you on crack

Ahh sweet crack eases the pain...

[ChuckU]

I used to have a V67, but some screamer I recorded blew out the diaphragm. Note to self: "No screamers on LDC's."
I have the ECM's but they pick up everything, not always desireable if you're looking for stereo imaging.
I use my pair of 603's in x-y for any acoustic guitar recording. Those tracks rock!

I bought the pair a couple of years ago from www.shreveaudio.com for well under $200

[sjjohnston]

Yes ... as he says, the ECM8000 is an omni mic. If you used it in X-Y, you wouldn't get a stereo recording (or not much of one), you'd just get two tracks of virtually the same thing.

If you were to use that mic for stereo recording, you'd want to use a spaced omni arrangement, perhaps with a baffle between them. The problem with this approach, at least on a guitar, is that there's some tendency to get odd phase cancellations. At a particular position and with some distance, you might get something good though. Of course, with distance (and an omni), you're really going to pick up a lot of room sound, which is fine if your room sounds "good" (or at least sounds like what you're going for), and not so great if it doesn't (as another poster mentions above).

[kid klash]

You might consider a JoeMeek JM27... pretty decent SDC for the price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/JOEMEEK-JM27-SM-...QQcmdZViewItem

[music_girly]

Well I ended up buying a pair of NT-5's off ebay

Any tips for stereo miking? i've sort of got the basic gist of it (going to go record some guitar this afternoon and see how that goes), but i'd be interested to hear some tips from the pros!