Anyone used GT44 as overheads?

jeff5xo

jeff5xo

New member
Last Tuesday I purchased some Octava MC012 from a web site for like $400 bucks. I went into GC yesterday and they had them for 99 bucks!! So I cancelled my on-line order. Problem is my GC only has 1 Octava, and NONE of the stores in the midwest have ANY!! Apparently they order these things in bulk, that's why they sell them so cheap. Anyway, my GC still has 5 GT44's for 199 each and I've heard these are great for mic'ing an amp. But would it be worth it to get two and use them as overheads or should I just get one and wait for the Octava's? I know that 5 isn't alot to chose from to match mics up either. Help if you can!
 
jeff5xo said:
Last Tuesday I purchased some Octava MC012 from a web site for like $400 bucks. I went into GC yesterday and they had them for 99 bucks!! So I cancelled my on-line order. Problem is my GC only has 1 Octava, and NONE of the stores in the midwest have ANY!! Apparently they order these things in bulk, that's why they sell them so cheap. Anyway, my GC still has 5 GT44's for 199 each and I've heard these are great for mic'ing an amp. But would it be worth it to get two and use them as overheads or should I just get one and wait for the Octava's? I know that 5 isn't alot to chose from to match mics up either. Help if you can!
Click to expand...

Get it now. Run. This is the best mic I have ever tried on guitar cabs, drums and many other dynamic sources. I could not say if they are good for overheads. My gut reaction is no because this mic is very focused and has great off axis rejection. Might not be a great thing for overheads. Maybe Chessrock has tried this. Ask him.

But, just get the mic for $199. A seriously great value and one mic everyone should get.
 
Wow, ok that's convincing enough for me. GC opens at 10, so I'll wait till then, hopefully Chessrock will chime in by then. I tend to listen to his and Richie Monroe's advice. Chessrock actually commented a little on this in a different post. If I don't hear from him by then, I think I'll just get one GT44 for now and wait on the MC012's for overheads. Are GT33's good for anything. I'm also hoping to get Rode NTK today.

P.S. Acorec, what did you mean they were good on drums? Snare, toms???
 
I used a pair of GT33's as overheads and they seemed good to me, but then again this was my one and only time I have miked and recored a drum kit!

The thing I liked was that the sound was pretty 'complete' by themselves (without the spot mics) and not too toppy. Like I said though, I have no real experience at recording kits, so take my input with a large pinch of salt.

What I can say, without question is that the 33's are great mics for the silly GC price and the 44's are meant to be similar sounding only a little better. I would grab a pair anyway as you will find them a good investment. I would not get rid of my 33's!
 
jeff5xo said:
Wow, ok that's convincing enough for me. GC opens at 10, so I'll wait till then, hopefully Chessrock will chime in by then. I tend to listen to his and Richie Monroe's advice. Chessrock actually commented a little on this in a different post. If I don't hear from him by then, I think I'll just get one GT44 for now and wait on the MC012's for overheads. Are GT33's good for anything. I'm also hoping to get Rode NTK today.

P.S. Acorec, what did you mean they were good on drums? Snare, toms???
Click to expand...

The GT 44 is great on any source where there is alot of dynamics. Drums, electric guitar cabs, acoustic guitars etc. I have found this mic to really shine on these sources in the mix.The recorded tracks sit very well in a mix reguardless of density. The GT 44 is not good on vocals (that I have tried) because of the focused sound. It lacks the openess if a large diaphram condensor. The mic also responds exceptionally well to different pre-amps and really bring out the qualities associated with those pre-amps. Examples are:
Avalon M5 - nice focused clean sound. Very balanced.
Joe Meek VC1 - meaty sound, brings distorted guitars out without the "fizz" on the high end. Nice midrange, lossy sound.

Focusrite VM Pro - again, clean sound on acoustic guitars, snare drums (snap and Punch).

Great River - great midrange, tight low end, meaty sound on dist. guitars. Excellent punch on toms, snare drum.
Mackie @ Behringer - honky, not balanced, focused sound much too squished. These pre-amps do not even get close to doing justice to the mic.

DMP3 - lowest end pre that brings out most all of the above characteristics of the GT 44. The pairing of the DMP3 and the GT 44 is perfectly acceptable and sounds pretty damn good.

These are the only pre-amps I have tried on a number of sources. I will try more of the high-end stuff soon. I still have some hidden in the rack to try.

Hope this answers your questions.
 
Yea, I'd totally nab that extra 44.

One day, it's going to go back up to like 400 bucks a pop, and you're going to kick yourself for not getting it when it was 200.

Then again, the Oktava's are really good mics, so you might kick yourself for that, too. :D My suspiciouns tell me, however, that the 012's will eventually show up again for $100 ... maybe even another 2 / 100 deal if Guitar Center is ever really desperate to get people in the store. :D

Either way, the 44's are really good on overheads ... the 012's are good on overheads ... you don't go wrong either way, although the 44 does bring a little something extra to the table (very smooth on the transients; ribbon-like in sound).

On the other hand, with the 33 ... I just kinda' think of it as a one-trick pony. Works great on accoustic guitar. I dunno'. Just something about it ... I realize it's the same capsule and almost the same electronics, but it sounds like a totally different mic to me, and it has almost none of the advantages of the 44, as strange as it may sound. I don't see much point in owning one if you've already got other decent SDC's lying around.
 
Totally worth getting a pair of GT44's. For OH's - especially rock - the GT44's stomp the MC012's. You'll find you can use GT44's on just about any source. Excellent vocal mic, too. GT44's @ $199 each is the best mic deal on the market. Get a pair!
 
I'll go so far as to say that my overall happiness and quality of life went up several notches ever since the day I put one on a snare drum.
 
i was looking at getting me a pair of 012's,
but now i wanna see what those 44's are all about,
but do they sell them as Matched pairs,
or do you just need to have good luck?

cheers
 
they(groove tubes) say all their mic's come within 1dB+ or - of their GOLDEN mark - so therefore you don't need to buy matched pairs - which helps because you can buy the second mic when you've got enough cash, which is my plan......as long as this is true(which I hope it is) then it makes it an even more awesome deal really.
 
bh4554 is correct in what he says, yet when i bought my pair of GT33's, they came boxed together (packaging) as a matched pair? I guess they just thought packaging them as matched made them seem even more special and was good marketing?
 
Well if ya'ls looking to get some GT44's, better hurry!! I went today at my locality-San Diego. Nada, didn't have any. But the sales dude is getting one sent in for me at $190 plus $5 shipping. He said only 3 store had stock. don't know if that means he can only see west coat stores or not however.
 
YES!!!!!!!! Picked 2 up Friday morning! Acorec, Chessrock, you were both absolutely correct. Outstanding mic on guitar! I haven't had a chance to use it on overheads yet, I should be able to try that out this coming weekend. Not so good on vocals, although with a little time with positioning (works best about 2" above lips) it yielded acceptable results. Thank you so much Acorec, Chessrock, and everyone else who helped. I'm on my way to building a solid mic locker! Next purchase LCD. Any thoughts? Thinking of rode NTK.
 
I forgot, if anyone's interested, the guitar center by my house has 3 GT-44's left. And yes they are still$199. St. louis area.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top