At 4060

[Jerry W]

With all the hype its hard to know. There are few places if any where you can go and test a microphone and even if you could, would the conditions accurately reflect the real world conditions you would be using the thing under. I seriously doubt it. Therefore, when the add hype machine says the AT 4060 will give you that "vintage tube sound", exactly what does this mean if anything. Is it true, is the standard so subjective as to be completely meaningless or, on the other hand, is the a reflection of the conventional wisdom on this mic and a useful guide when shopping for a microphone. Jeez, whatever does one do?

[Henri Devill]

Originally posted by Jerry W
With all the hype its hard to know. Jeez, whatever does one do?

Ya gotta check one out yourself..LOL..As for vintage sound ..screw it! worry about the here and now.After all were gonna hear the outcome on a CD right?To me Vintage is tape n' records once you change part of the componets you've changed it all{IMHO}
Its a nice mic..I love the prox. effect of this mic..you can get nice and big but I have'nt gotten muddy yet with it..I like mine..For preamps I put it thru a Grace{clean/ unhyped}..It has worked very well with a male/tenor vox...Also elect. guit

Don

[faithful]

You know it's funny, most toob gear is an attempt to get a warm and thick sound. But most of the vintage tube mics I've heard seem to have a sort of high end tilt that I would describe as creamy or silky (gotta love these precise terms don't you!). Even at that, tube stuff can vary all over just like anything else. For instance, Manley stuff is usually warm and thick while the Avalon stuff is silky. Both good just different. But I digress...

I'm not sure what "hype machine" you are referring to but my AT4060 is perfect for what I need. It has what I would call a fairly neutral sound. Not neutral as in flat but neutral in that it is not overly hyped in one way or another. It's kind of a lesson in "everything in moderation" Clear but not boring. It definitely has the AT "sound" if you are familiar with some of their other stuff. Some like it, some don't. I do. It can be had for a good price too. I got mine used (actually a rep sample) for $650 and they go on E-bay for around there pretty regularly.

OK, I'm done talking. I like it a lot. You may not. Try and get ahold of one to test. I know it's not always easy but it is always for the best.

Just my opinion

Jason A

[Jack Hammer]

That is the rub, getting hold of any of tese mics to test. without any kind of real test, most of it is a guessing game. Will my voice sound good with this that or the other mic. So I ask you all this question. For me the best possible mic would be one that sounds goo and is most flexible. What mic would be the most versatile, good sounding mic?

[faithful]

I know getting some of these mics in for a test is hard but there are some other ways of doing it. One would be to find a dealer that will let you either test gear or let you return a microphone after your purchase. One is to rent gear. Another is to find good enough deals on ebay or through a dealer that you are virtually guaranteed to make your money back if you turn around and sell it in a few months.

A mic for vocals is a difficult task. Each voice and corresponding style can be so different. If you are shooting for a mic for a specific person, your only option is to try out multiple mics (in my opinion). If you are looking for a general purpose mic that will sound anywhere from good to great on any given voice/application then you might be able to get away with listening to a lot of stuff that you know was recorded with a specific piece of gear. This alone gets difficult though because you never quite know all of the variables (i.e. signal chain, room, etc) You might want to check into the mic CD from 3daudioinc.com. It's not going to tell you which mic to get but it is a good way to compare a bunch of mics against each other using the same signal chain on each. It's also a way to hear some high end mics that you would not have any other way of hearing.

Man, I'm wordy today! Bottom line, nobody can tell you exactly what to get but the AT4060 works very well for me on a variety of voices and other sources.

Just one opinion

Jason A.