Most expensive mic you've ever used

ido1957

ido1957

9K Gold Member
What's the most expensive mic you've actually used for recording. One you own, borrowed, rented, used in a studio. And include what you liked or disliked about it and recording if available.
 
Moresound just loaned me (shipped them) two Earthworks SR69's. Not even sure how to put a price on them as they are discontinued, but they are not cheap. The difference was night and day from the condensers I was using as drum overhead mics.

I have the tracks to show the difference between them, two Earthworks SRO's and a pair of Samson CO2's. I just haven't had the time to export the tracks and post the thread.
 
When I took audio classes at the local community college, I don't remember, but I'm sure the LDC that I used on vocals would have been a Neumann of some type, but I didn't really know brands back then so I didn't bother checking. I just knew that it was the 'vocal' mic :P (yeah, I was naive). My memory of its shape is of a U87.

The most expensive mics I distinctly remember using were these Audix SCX mics that were sexy as hell. Those run around $700-800. I've always wanted them since, but could never justify the price. They make great stereo piano mics but I almost never record real piano. Not sure how they'd work as drum overheads.

The most expensive mic I own new is the AT4047, although I got a great deal on mine. So the most money I paid for on a mic would be my NT2-a's.
 
I have Violet-design The Globe Standard, retails about 1300€. I won't post post samples, because I'm quite unhappy the way my room sounds right now (more bass trapping on the way! yay). :P What I don't like about it is that it doesn't have low cut and pad switch - it's output is hot as hell. Now the pre has pad, but I feel it does change the sound to more midrangey and I don't like it.
 
On a visit to Cape Canaveral, Kennedy space center ... I got to try out the microphone within a space helmet.
Am sure that it was just a cheapo omni microphone but, am willing to bet that the government spent tens of thousands of dollars on it.
 
moresound said:
On a visit to Cape Canaveral, Kennedy space center ... I got to try out the microphone within a space helmet.
Am sure that it was just a cheapo omni microphone but, am willing to bet that the government spent tens of thousands of dollars on it.
Click to expand...

I worked in aerospace and defense for a long time. If you knew what hoops you have to jump through. For a $5 mic, it cost a couple of thousand just to get it sold. But on the other hand, you don't want to go up in space with junk.
 
DM60 said:
I worked in aerospace and defense for a long time. If you knew what hoops you have to jump through. For a $5 mic, it cost a couple of thousand just to get it sold. But on the other hand, you don't want to go up in space with junk.
Click to expand...

So I wasn't far off on my prediction of the cost of said microphone then?
 
Rode NTK - cost me about $700 Canadian - All the vocals in the links in my sig are from that mic.
Sputnik - although retails as much as an NTK I paid about half on eBay.
I've been looking at $10,000 Telefunkens on the web and was wondering if anybody here has even seen one let alone recorded through one. Not that I can afford it of course...
 
Vintage Neumann U47. Prices are all over the map on these, but most I've seen are about $5,000 if you can find one. A friend had borrowed it for some tracking, coincidentally at the time that I received my first Joly modded Oktava MK319. So I took the Oktava over to his place so that we could compare the two.

We recorded acoustic guitar and vocals. The results stunned everyone. 5 people with recording experience listened to the clips. 4 out of 5 preferred the Oktava on the acoustic guitar used. Interestingly enough I was the one who picked the U47 in this case. And 5 out of 5 preferred the Oktava on this particular vocal. The Oktava also handled sibilance better than the Neumann.
 
I got lucky enough to use a Neumann U87 (an older one) when I went to college for audio. You don't know what it feels like for your heart to stop until you've seen a kid accidentally drop that when the teacher isn't looking... Yikes.
 
Do live wireless mics recorded from crappy camera phones count? That wireless adds about 600 extra bucks :laughings: if so, Sennheiser ew335. If not, my answer is AKG c214. I haven't broken $400 yet, I'm saving myself for that special mic :D
 
omtayslick said:
Vintage Neumann U47. Prices are all over the map on these, but most I've seen are about $5,000 if you can find one. A friend had borrowed it for some tracking, coincidentally at the time that I received my first Joly modded Oktava MK319. So I took the Oktava over to his place so that we could compare the two.

We recorded acoustic guitar and vocals. The results stunned everyone. 5 people with recording experience listened to the clips. 4 out of 5 preferred the Oktava on the acoustic guitar used. Interestingly enough I was the one who picked the U47 in this case. And 5 out of 5 preferred the Oktava on this particular vocal. The Oktava also handled sibilance better than the Neumann.
Click to expand...


The modded Oktava wins again!
 
Newer Neumann U87.
Unfortunately I only used it for tracking tambourine on a digital setup as my teacher had the day off and wasn't there to say no to me using it.
It was very good as I usually hate the sound of cymbals and tambourines on digital but using this thing they sounded decent. Would love to use it while tracking to tape.

The most expensive mic I actually own is an AKG D-112. Not excactly expensive but a great bass drum mic nevertheless.
 
Probably my MKH 800 microphones which are about £3,300 each.

Though I have tested the Neumann D-01 which is around £10,000.
 
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