Budget mics. I dont want to get burned by a c1

C

CyanJaguar

New member
Ok,
I've been burned before, with the purchase of the v67g. It was a very good mic, but it was not the u87 or u67ish vocal sound I needed.

Now I tested the tlm103 myself and I absolutely love it, but everybody is saying that the c1 compares and even beats it.

There is a lot of niose in my head right now. In the first place, I know that if I get the tlm103, I will be happy forever,but it costs $700, so I wont be able to get it for another 4 months.

The c1 costs $230. I can get that in one month. But, will it sound real? will it sound smooth? that is the question.

I tested the critically acclaimed shure ksm32 and I can never buy that as a vocal mic.(it costs $500)

So please, if you have samples of stuff recorded on a c1, please post it so I can make judgements based on that.

I heard demos of the new rode ntk, andI decided that all this praise is just new product hype. The low end does not have fullness.

I will be very grateful to get input from people who have compared the c1 to say a tlm103 or the likes, and those who can post audio examples.

Thanks and have a great weekend.
 
Originally posted by CyanJaguar Ok, I've been burned before, with the purchase of the v67g. It was a very good mic, but it was not the u87 or u67ish vocal sound I needed.

I'm surprised by your comments. The V67G uses a capsule that is essentially a knockoff of the Neumann U67 and I think they did a great job on it. What didn't you like about the V67G sound?

Now I tested the tlm103 myself and I absolutely love it, but everybody is saying that the c1 compares and even beats it.

Not everybody says that. I don't. If you don't like the V67G, you probably won't like the C1 - they're very similar in sound.

There is a lot of noise in my head right now. In the first place, I know that if I get the tlm103, I will be happy forever,but it costs $700, so I wont be able to get it for another 4 months.

Sounds like the TLM103 is the way for you to go.

The c1 costs $230. I can get that in one month. But, will it sound real? will it sound smooth? that is the question.

"real" and "smooth" are subjective terms that will vary from singer to singer. For some, the neumann u67 will be the only way to go, while others will be best served with a Shure SM-57.

I tested the critically acclaimed shure ksm32 and I can never buy that as a vocal mic.(it costs $500)

So please, if you have samples of stuff recorded on a c1, please post it so I can make judgements based on that.

I heard demos of the new rode ntk, andI decided that all this praise is just new product hype. The low end does not have fullness.

If you're talking about the low midrange, the C1 has a little less fullness than the V67G.

I will be very grateful to get input from people who have compared the c1 to say a tlm103 or the likes, and those who can post audio examples.

The C1 works great for some voices, the tlm103 works great for other voices, and sometimes, neither one is the best choice.[/B]

Thanks and have a great weekend.
Click to expand...
 
CJ,

I cant see how you think you got burned by the v67....Assuming you paid less than $200 for it, you got one helluva microphone for that price.....if you thought you were gonna get a sound identical to the Neuman u87, thats wishful thinking....I heard stuff you recorded with the v67 and it was nothing to be disappointed about.....if you want THE u87 sound, get a U87...if you want THE TLM103, get the TLM103......I can understand wanting a better sound.....good luck....
 
demos

I should be posting some C1 recorded demos soon if the baby takes her nap. Keep your fingers crossed.
 
Maybe what you are looking for is a different preamp to really open up the sound of that v67.....
 
Cyanjaguar-

If you've tested the TLM103 and love it, then save the money and buy it and don't even look back. $700 is not a rediculous amount to pay for a quality mic.

There are so many mics coming out and everyone thinks they are all so incredible and rarely have I heard anything negative about them. They said the same thing when the Rode NT1 came out.....now I almost never hear anything positive about it (I've never used it so hold your flames). Some of the new mics will turn out to be classics and some will be dogs. It's the same way with any type of recording gear.

If you bought the C1 and didn't like it, you could turn around and sell it on Ebay for just about the price you payed for it. It would be like renting it for about $30.
 
CyanJaguar

With all due respect for those who have offered their opinions to you, my suggestion would be to look up Jim at Studio Cat on line, or on our dealer site.

I am told he will sell you the C1 and if you don't like it, he will take it back. I am sure there is a time limit on this, and I would be happy to encourage Jim to make sure he did this, as I think the C1 is all the magic being said about it.

Bascially, what have you got to loose. If you do not like it, the mic gets returned, you get all your money back, and if it is not the mic you had hoped it to be, then I will cover the freight cost back to Jim.

So I guess by now your saying, why would I do this. Well...if it is the mic they say it is, then I expect your all over this and other groups to support it, and become one of the converted ones. If its not, then I also expect you will say it on the groups, but since we never see any negative on the mics, I guess I have nothing to loose and all to gain just like you do for trying it.

One more thing, if it is close to a TLM103, then I guess I win anyway because the C1 is only about $229.00 in the stores. You may prefer the 103, but at $799.00 it is four times the price of a C1, but if the C1 is close or better than the 103, well...you just saved a bunch of money.

So if you want to do it, I will help make sure you have nothing to loose. All you have to do is lay out the money, try it as soon as you get it, and make a decision in 48 hours or so. If that is fair to you, let me and Jim at Studio Cat know.
 
hey alanhyatt,

that sounds like a deal that cant be beat. I will have to think seriously about it.

As I said, the v67 is a very good mic. My good friend made me promise to keep it and sell it to him only. I did. The problem I had with it was that it had a midrangeyness around 1k-2k that was quite pronounced and it did not sound "real" like the singer was there in front of me. Realness is something that many mics dont lack. I think it has something to do with the smoothness of the treble range or something.

I guess if I get a c1 from Jim, I lose nothing. If its awesome, then I score a great deal, if not back to tlm103.

thanks y'alls
 
In your post, you mention some problem with midrange. I am not sure I understand what you meant by "realness" If you mean most mics are pronounced at 12Kz, well yes they are.

If you're looking for something smooth and detailed throught the mid and upper frequency range, then I would suggest you consider spending a little bit more for the C3...about $360.00, still more than half the price of a TLM103 with much more flexibility as there is three patterns, yet still has that great full low end like the C1.

The C1 has great tone and is not harsh at the top end. You should need no added EQ with it at all, so don't bump it when you record, but vocal styles differ and some people expect the C1 to be everything. Truth is, it has been to most, but I know it can't. That is why I did the C3 and T3.

In either case, I hope I can convince you to try the C1, and if it is not it, then try the C3. DOn't give up on STudio Projects because one of those mic is exactly what you are looking for...I know it. They are different from each other, but at the price, they are hard to beat or ignore.

Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group
 
hi alanhyatt,

I am going to get the c1. Partly because of the guitar demo I heard and partly because you swear by it.

I am not going to judge it by price point. I will just judge it based on vocal sound alone. If I love it, then I will gush about it to everybody, just like that teller guy, and if I does not rise to the occasion, I will dump on it really bad, just like-well nobody right now- its still too new.

thanks. I look forward to using the c1.
 
CyanJaguar said:


I heard demos of the new rode ntk, andI decided that all this praise is just new product hype. The low end does not have fullness.
Click to expand...

Hi Cyan,
Where did you hear demos of the NTK? Are they available for download?

Thanks,

macle
 
I have to disagree about the NTK. it's a very fat sounding mic. It's not as hyped in the low end as the V67, but I have never had any trouble getting enough bass in the vocals with it. also, a very smooth sounding mic, i'm sorry you think that's just hype.
 
Yeah, the NTK's ace, a really nice sound, and flexible as well (good off-axis sound). Which is just as well for Rode, if everyone here's gonna start buying C1s like they were buying NT1s last year.
 
I think the ntks are fairly good mics. Definitely not comparable to a u87, and not even in the same range as the neumann tm103 or blue dragonfly.

I heard the first demo on the future music magazine Cd and the second demo somewhere online.

I can describe the sound a smooth, well controlled, but totally lacking in body. It seems to me that people think that a mic will cut through a mix just because the high end has had the heck boosted out of it.

Anyhow, I am open to mind changing examples. If I can find a rode ntk sample that compares to the tlm103 samples I've heard lately,(from RE, cellardweller, from a guy in the uk) then I can save myself $200.

As far as the C1, I would buy it for guitar, but not for vocals. I prefer the v67 sound to the c1 sounds I've been hearing.
 
CJag sez:As far as the C1, I would buy it for guitar, but not for vocals. I prefer the v67 sound to the c1 sounds I've been hearing.
Click to expand...

Mebbe I just don't make very good sounds??? :confused:
I'd bet I can sound bad on a V67 too!!! :D

Anyone have any experience with customer service on a V67? or other products. Alan's scoring big points right now in that department...

Queue
 
queue,

rest assured, you have a good voice. I hear the characteristics on every c-1 sample I've heard. On guitar, its awesome. On voice, its thin, and the highs are brittle.

On the other hand, I am getting to know the characterists of the tlm103. Now when I hear a sound that has THAT tone, the first thing I ask is did you use a neumann. most times the answer is YES.
 
CJ,
Any groovy suggestions on rectifying my thin & brittle sound? Slight boost of low end EQ & cut on highs? Any specific frequencies in mind?

Queue
 
get closer to the mic. at an inch or two away will completely change the balance of lowes to highs, it's going to be super-fat in the low end. then just cut 1-2 dB from 8-12 kHz. it's still going to have some serious high end, but it'll be more like that radio voice low end beefiness. remember though, no one mic can sound like everything.
 
Hi,

I listened to "i once had a girl" solo vocal. I listened to the wav.

I looped it in logic, just the part where you were singing close.
The best I could do to fix the brittleness was

-11 db at 12249 with an 18.10 q

THis is a very rough figure, but it took out the edge somewhat. I found that most of the annoying brittleness lay somewhere between 12 and 15 khz.

THe low end was a little bit big. I would suggest backing back about 2 more inches from where you sang that. Try that and see how it goes. You will probably be able to get some better figures after messing with high eq more.
 
charger,
I'm a bit concerned about 1-2 inches away, everything I've read and heard pushes me back. (Mainly diaphragm sensitivity, and vibration issues, but also for long-term diaphragm life!!)

CJ,
First off, Thanks a bunch.

Secondly -11db that is a big cut!!!

I'll see how it sounds on this end.

Judging from what you (and others) have said, looks like my best bet is to track at a 45 degree angle, 6-10 inches back.


Queue
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top