your review of the MXL 990

Compared to say... SP B1 or Shure SM57, how is the MXL 990?

  • Good

    Votes: 136 65.4%

  • Bad

    Votes: 72 34.6%
  • Total voters
    208
For the reputation that they seem to get I get a lot of use out of mine. I've used them a few times on vocals that really needed the hyped high end to cut through and I often use them as room mics and as a pair for stereo recording.

They are weak in the lowend but generally that can be worked around.

I paid $30 for the first and $60 for the second (the first needed repaired) they've been great.
 
They work great on guitar cabinets. They are rolled off in a good place to keep excessive lows out and keep the midrange in.
 
I concur with DJL except for a singer who is a loud screaming type, it could work there. But detailed the mic is not.
 
Middleman said:
They work great on guitar cabinets. They are rolled off in a good place to keep excessive lows out and keep the midrange in.
Click to expand...
really? ive never used a bigger piece of shit on my guitar cab

even radioshack mics sound better

it worked good as a drum overhead for a couple times, till i upgraded
 
Had just the opposite experience myself on a stack of Marshalls and also on a telecaster into a 12 inch cab but hey YMMV. What kind of amp were you micing?
 
Middleman said:
Had just the opposite experience myself on a stack of Marshalls and also on a telecaster into a 12 inch cab but hey YMMV. What kind of amp were you micing?
Click to expand...
i use a custom built 2x12 with 2 Celestion's and a custom built Tube head
 
wildflower soul said:
i use a custom built 2x12 with 2 Celestion's and a custom built Tube head
Click to expand...

Well, a custom tube amp is already going to sound pretty warm so I would probably agree the 990 is not the best choice however, it depends on the volume of the level you were going after. Also, you could have had a bad mic.

My experience with the mic is that it holds up well under a high volume sources. Although you have to be careful with using it right on the cone because it can turn grainy. Back about 6 inches worked for me. It's a slightly different flavor than a SM57 or works fine as a room mic along side a 57 on the cone of the amp.
 
Most homemade/custom speaker cabs I've heard suck. The MXL990 can sound ok on some amps... but it sucks on vocals IMO... but it can sound ok on some guitar/amp setups.
 
Many will not believe it, but I've gotten some nice acoustic guitar recordings with the 990. I liked it so much I bought a second one. Yeah, it's a "cheap Chinese mic" but you get a good bang for your buck IMO.
 
Yeah you... lol. Please post your opinion of the MXL990 vs MXL603S on your acoustiic guitar in your room after you've had time to find the best mic positions and etc. Thanks

PS... for the record, I prefer the Marshall MXL603S over the MXL990 on my D35 acoustic guitar.

Don
 
I own the SM57, a pair of 603s, and yes... a 990... (among many others)

I actually like this mic ALOT for micing up a loud rockin' guitar cabinet. It has great "space". :D

I also like it for really "UP FRONT" vocals, sort of...

Overall, it's a great mic for the $$, and has pretty low self noise to boot...

Just my opinion...
 
junplugged said:
And...?

How'd it go?
Click to expand...
Well, I haven't had the opportunity to try the 603's on acoustic yet. But I have set them up as overheads on my drums and I am quite pleased. I'm planning to post a clip in the next week or so...

Thanks for asking!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top