New Studio - Inadequate mic locker

S

scuppari

New member
Hi all. Just opened up my new home studio and I need suggestions on which mics I should buy next. Here's what I currently own:

Shure SM57 (2x)
Oktava MK319
Rode NT1

Not a good selection (I know), but hell.. I just started buying gear in Jan once my studio was finished. . My goal is to spend the next 5-6 months practicing on my rig via laying down cheap demos for friends/local bands.

Besides the SM57s, I don't have much in the way of good quality, dependable drum mics. Should I start here?

The bands are rock/alt/metal... lots of Marshalls and crunch. Also looking for versatility re: mic selection and opinions on how to mic a Marshall to get the best sound.

I'm getting a sweet tax refund this year... little over $2k. My plan is to spend $1k on mics and the remainder on the Digimax mic pre to go along with my Digi001.

Thoughts on the mics? Or Digimax?
 
It aint hard to drop a grand on mics. I just spent a lot of money on my studio. I saw the Digi001, but opted for the Aardvark Q10 instead. It's far more functional for laying down simultaneous tracks. Do your research to make sure you get what you want.


http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=5328&Category=Audio_Interfaces

I also bought a set of Audix Fusion series drum mics. They sound pretty good, and they're a good price too.

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=9584&Category=Microphones

If all else fails, you can rarely go wrong with a good ole 57.
 
Yeah - I've been checking out drum mic kits (Audix, Shure, etc.) for the past couple weeks and I can't see the point of buying a Shure kit when I already own 2 SM57s.

I've been checking out the Audix DP-5 kit, but I can't find many reviews on the BBS. Only thing I discovered is most BBS members frown upon drum mic packages. That's the reason I'm posting my question in this forum.

I don't mind spending a grand for mics and care less if I get 2 mics for a grand or 5 mics for a grand. I want good quality (for a home studio with big dreams) so I'm thinking less is more in the long run.

I looked at the Q10 and 001 and did the 30 day test on both at my local G.C. I liked the 001 and got one slightly used from a former band mate for $400. The money I saved ($400) allowed me to purchase the four mics I currently own. Not too shabby for a newbie!
 
$1000 will get you a damn good mic collection.......


1- Marshall MXLv67B from SamAsh $79
2- Marshall MXL603's $150
1- MarshallMXLv93 $99 at Musicians Friend
1- AT ATMPRO25 $99 (prob can find it cheaper somewhere)
2 more sm57's $150

you are at about $577 here

let me get into preamps:

Get a RNP $475

Get 2 VTB1's wait for the price drop $260

Get a DMp3 $189

thats $924 of your preamp budget

$577+$924 is $1500......

lets say you get a RNC compressor and also a Behringer Autocom to use as compressors and limiters........

that will leave you about $250....get you some good cables.....
 
My first inclination would be to ebay both your Oktava and the NT1. IMHO, one tends to be way too bright and the other just the opposite. Others will disagree, so a lot is a matter of personal taste.

You really should get a pair of Small-diaphragm condensers. That's a prerequisite that should be numero uno on the shopping list. Since you're working on a relatively tight budget, I'd snag a couple of Marshall 603s.

After that, I think you need one all-purpose type mic for instruments (and sometimes vocals), and another dedicated vocal mic; preferably a Large Diaphragm Condenser.

For the all-purpose mic, definitely the Shure KSM32 if sound quality is your main concern. As far as the vocal mic is concerned, there really is no set formula here. You gotta' work with some and see what you like best -- or see what kind of deal you might be able to get on ebay. Personally, I like the Rode NTK as a main vocal mic for a project studio. Between the NTK (colored) and the ksm32 (neutral), you could handle a lot of different voices, and the sound quality would be quite superb for the money spent.
 
I guess you can always count on Gidge and I to kind of go to opposite ends on the price spectrum, which is okay. :D

But seriously, if you're picky about sound quality and that is important to you, then I'd recommend passing on just about all of what the Gidgemeister suggested. I certainly wouldn't call it a "damn good" mic collection, although I'd say it's a "damn big and decent sounding" assembly of gear. If I was on a much tighter budget, or if quantity was more of a priority than quality, I'd say his list is great.

Sound quality-wise, the Marshall v67 is a far cry from an NTK. The v93 is a step up from the Rode NT1 but nowhere near what you'd get with something like a ksm32. I've owned and/or worked extensively with all of these mics mentioned . . . and subsequently sold both the v67 and v93 when I needed better sound quality, so I'm speaking from hands-on experience on both sides.

The 603s, on the other hand are a freak of nature, as are the ATM and the 57s, obviously. :D There's always uses for them, and rarely is there a compromise in sound quality involved.
 
just to piss off chessrock...throw in one or two Marshall MXL990's.....Harvey says they work great for rock vocals.....$69 each:D
 
Don't do it ! ! :D :D Damn, am I going to be one pisssssed off puppy ! ! :D I'm seein' red already.

I'd bet those 990's would hold up well on the ebay market so they might not be bad for a training-wheel type vocal mic for a little while.

If you want a bottom-feeder mic that's actually good and that you might have a chance of keeping around for a while, I'd see if you can snag a used CAD M37 or an M177 off ebay. As we speak I'm listening to a song where a buddy of mine tracked vocals with one (which he bought off my recommendation). I'll be damned if it doesn't sound like a damn usable vocal track.

Another option which is probably even better (more versatile) would be an AT 4033 if you can find one of those in good condition.

If you insist on a new bottom-feeder type mic, the Studio Projects B1 is a no-brainer at like $100. Very nice -- almost as good as the CAD, actually, and probably a lot cheaper.
 
Sound quality-wise, the Marshall v67 is a far cry from an NTK.
Click to expand...
I don't know about this statement. "Far cry" is probably a little too strong of a phrase. On my voice, I could definitely tell the difference between the two, but it was kind of subtle. My sister and my wife could not tell the difference at all.
 
The v67 is a sloppy mic.

It handles transients with the grace of a dying cow. It has some funny resonances/distorions to it that I can't put my finger on. It has way too broad of a pickup pattern for a vocal mic. Way too much proximity effect and all-around a murky, mostly sloppy texture to it.

Far cry.
 
chessrock said:
The v67 is a sloppy mic.

It handles transients with the grace of a dying cow. It has some funny resonances/distorions to it that I can't put my finger on. It has way too broad of a pickup pattern for a vocal mic. Way too much proximity effect and all-around a murky, mostly sloppy texture to it.

Far cry.
Click to expand...

Maybe we should post some vocal and acoustic guitar samples from the two mics. I can't do that because I just sold my v67 because it was so similar to my NTK, but maybe you can.

Is it possible I got a really good v67 and you got a really bad one?
 
Although the V67 is a decent low priced mic (I own 2 and have used them for various things) I don't consider them a good vocal mic.

I certainly prefer my KSM32 or my AT4047 for vocals.

However, I'm not as qualified as many on this site for truly critical evaluation.
 
Just to counter all this Marshall talk, how about CAD? The M179 is a VERY nice sounding, multi-pattern mic. It responds very well to male vocalists, in my experience. I imagine the M177 would be good as well.

Oh, and stay away from the CAD GXL 2x00 series. The 1200 is actually a nice sounding medium diaphragm mic; I got a stereo pair from CAD (there's a small surcharge to it, like 10 bucks or something) and they're very close. But those 2200 and 2400 mics are crap. Noisy and brittle treble. Haven't tried the M37, because it's also one of the Global Audio brand the 2200 and 2400 hail from. Similar housing to the higher M series but different capsule, and I'm not willing to take another chance after those other mics... ^^;;

Man, I need an M179 in my collection...
 
With an estimated street price of $1000, the Toft Audio dual mic pre/compressor/EQ
should be a world class unit.

Sell the Rode and the Oktava, then get a "pre-MKII" Sennheiser 421, and an EV 635a.
Both can be killer on vocals with a top level pre like the Toft, and the EV 635a can be
used hand held style for recording to help the singer perform better.
The 421 can also be used for group vocals, up to a trio.
Your '57 will also benefit with a superior pre than the "Digi".

Make sure to try out the Studio Projects line in addition to the others, including the
T3 for lead vocals, and the B3 for an all rounder. Getting condensers with multi-pattern
response will make them more useful than limiting your selection to uni-directionals
in the long run.

Chris
 
cominginsecond said:
Maybe we should post some vocal and acoustic guitar samples from the two mics. I can't do that because I just sold my v67 because it was so similar to my NTK, but maybe you can.

Is it possible I got a really good v67 and you got a really bad one?
Click to expand...

Well, if they were so similar, I'm surprized you didn't keep the v67 and ditch the NTK, then. :D I sold mine long ago. I owned like 10 of them at one time -- got a killer deal on them for buying them in bulk (about $75 a piece and at the time they were going for like $150).

I wound up ebaying all of them for a nice profit. Anyway, I tested out about 6 or 7 of them just to make sure they were working, and they all pretty much sounded the same.

I may have been a little hard on the v67, I'll admit. Perhaps what I should have said is that they sound sloppy compared to the Rode NTK (and others in it's range). I was actually surprized at how much I liked them just on my speaking voice, and figured they'd make some killer voiceover mics. But put it in a busy mix and the vocal pulls sort of a disappearing act -- and it has to do with this murky low-mid thing it's got going on, and it sounded that way on a few different singers I tried it on.

I've also had the opportunity to listen to many of the fine submissions to the mp3 clinic, and I seem to notice the same features when people mention they used the v67. Come to think of it, I'd be hard-pressed to remember a single v67-recorded vocal I thought sounded great . . . whereas I can think of several great examples where the NTK was used (Macle comes to mind as do several others).

I'm sorry, but that's just what I think. They're actually a great mic for the $80 they're selling for, but I'm afraid guys like the ksm32 or 4047 (as MikeH put it) or an NTK -- these all sound great for the money they sell for . . . which happens to be about 5 times as much so that should tell you something. :D They're just in a different class.
 
There have been plenty of times where an SM57 has beaten out U47's
and Telefunken Elam 251's that are in a higher price "class" for lead
vocals. As always, depends on the individual voice/song.

Chris
 
The only reason you hear stories like that is because the 57 is popular on scratch vocals, and what happens is with the pressure off ("Hey, it's only a scratch track -- I'll have some fun with it"), the talent often delivers an amazingly spirited, inspired recording as a result, which makes the final cut because performance always trumps sound quality.

Also, it has good rejection, so people like Bono use it with the monitors blaring in the background. :D

I know there have been guys that prefer it in some instances, but you can say that about anything. I'd be willing to bet that the percentage is probably less than 5% when there are Elams and U47s present.
 
Mics:

NTK $400
SP C1 $200
SP C4s $370

Pres:

If you need eight channels I'd go with Sytek over the DigiMax. Otherwise, get an RNP, Grace 101, Great River MP-1NV, or John Hardy M1.
 
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