Mic/Pre Combination???

S

ShaneSelby

New member
Hey all...

I just got a new preamp on Friday and wanted to see how it stood up to the other pre's in my studio. I also wanted to find out how my mics compared to each other when using it. Specifically when using it on male vocals. Basically, I am looking for the right sounding male vocal combination. So I took some samples and found my favorite but I am a bit biased cause I just shelled out the cash! :-) Therefore, I posted a set of nine vocal samples made from a combination of 3 different mics and 3 different preamps and would like your opinions. If you have a few minutes, take a listen and let me know which combo you like and dislike. The fun part is... I am not telling you which pre and mic you are listening too. Once I get some responses I will key you in on the gear.

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2336&alid=-1

Thanks guys!

Shane
 
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after listening for the first time, my fave is n° 5, rivalled by n°9. both got enough highs for my taste, n°9 is a bit more 'airy' while n°5 has a few more mids, maybe it's tubey, maybe its boxy :D don't know, it's four in the morning over here and maybe i'll listen to them with fresh ears again tomorrow :)
 
My choices

First the disclaimer: I'm listening over some Cheapo Labtec computer speakers.
Also- to me on all the samples there was a little too much proximity bass causing the lows to sound muffled on all takes.
My favorite:
#3) this one sounded the most balanced to me had clean mids through highs followed close by #9.
#2) was clear and natural ,but might get lost in a mix.
#4) mid was clear but top end veiled.#7 also
#5) top clear- mid through low cloudy#8 also
#6) natural kind of like#2

I only listened through 1 time each, I'm sure if I listened through numerous times I'd pickup a lot more nuances.

tmix
 
Here are my picks.

Sample 9 - Best over all for punch and clarity, very musical sounding.

Sample 1, 7 - These are about the same except if I needed more high end I would go with 1 and if more mids then 7.

Sample 2 is nice and smooth, even, but no sparkle

The rest sound flat or too even across the spectrum and would make OK background mics.

If I needed a golden channel mic for that voice I would go with 9.

Please let me know what these cobos were and thanks for the effort. You can private send me if you want to keep it secret for a few days.
 
Thanks for taking a listen.
Here is the gear I used to record the samples:

Joemeek VC6Q
Alesis Studio 32 Preamps
FMR RNP
MXL V67
Rode NTK
AT 3035

Anyone want to take a shot at which combo I used on each of the samples you liked or disliked?

I will let you know what each sample was recorded with once I get a few guesses.

Thanks,
Shane
 
I have never used any of these mics but what from what I hear I'll take a stab that #9, my favorite, was the RNP and the NTK.

And if I am correct I am going to sell the voicemaster pro I just bought and buy the RNP.

Looking forward to your answers.
 
I'll take a stab at the mics . . .

My guess is . . .

1=AT3035
2=MXL V67
3=NTK

I think you have those three rotating in that order for each pre, and my guess is the pres go as follows . . .

First three=VC6Q
Second three=Alesis
Last three=RNP
 
listening again, i liked 3, 5 and 9 the best. 3 and 9 are very close in their sound characteristic, 5 is having a few more mids. depends on taste and what fits the mix best. as solo-vocals i think the highs of 3 and 9 suite the voice quite good.
 
Thank you to everyone who took the time out to listen to the samples and comment.

I posted these samples on several boards and the samples that were liked the most are 3,7, & 9. The samples that were liked the least or not liked at all were 1,4, & 8. The others fell somewhere in between.

So here are the combos:

Sample 1: AT3035/Alesis Studio 32
Sample 2: V67/Joemeek
Sample 3: NTK/RNP
Sample 4: AT3035/Joemeek
Sample 5: V67/RPN
Sample 6: V67/Alesis Studio 32
Sample 7: NTK/Joemeek
Sample 8: 3035/RNP
Sample 9: NTK/Alesis Studio 32

The NTK was clearly the preferred mic. The preamp seemed to be less of the deciding factor since all 3 favorites had the same mic with a different preamp.

I am going to try and do a couple more of these samples involving overheads (WARREN!!) and possibly acoustic guitar. I think it is a great experiment that we can all find useful. Please let me know if you are interested in hearing more before I take the time to do them.

Thanks,
Shane
 
Count me in!

I'm always interested in this kind of thing. It is a great way to audition mics from a studio environment somewhat similar to mine rather than at a noisey store.

tmix
 
So what conclusions can we draw from this.

1.ShaneSelby - you have a kick ass voice and can sing in my home studio anytime you want. Quite a gift you have there.

2. To my ears the Alesis mixer kicked butt over the external pres.

3. The RNP was usable but not spectacular in this test.

4. I would never buy the MXL67 for vocals.

4. Tube mics tend to provide more pazazz on vocals than non-tube condensors.

5. NTK was the most consistant factor in the best sounds.

6. I have too much time on my hands.

I would speculate that due to the nature of the tube mic having its own powersupply that it provides all the tone you need. So, a hot or colored pre is not always going to provide more umpf!

It's also interesting to note that none of the external pres was able to fire up the non-tube condensors to a point that competed with the cheaper pres and a good tube mike.

Thanks ShaneSelby, you helped me move my focus off the RNP and towards something else. Good Job.
 
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1.ShaneSelby - you have a kick ass voice and can sing in my home studio anytime you want. Quite a gift you have there.

I'll second that.
 
Thanks guys!
However, the singer is my brother and not me. I will pass the kind words on to him, he will appreciate it. He is an aspiring singer/songwritter. We are currently working on a demo cd for him.

Middleman, dont rule out the RNP. I have nothing but great things to say about it. I am going to do some more tests over the weekend and will post the samples here. I personally liked the NTK/RNP combo the best but I may be a bit biased because it is the most expensive combo! The real test will be this weekend when I lay down some drums and acoustic guitar. Regarless, the NTK is one smooth mic!

Thanks!
 
ShaneSelby

Yea, perhaps I should clarify my statement. First, I posted the wrong preferences above. I actually thought #3 was the third best on my list but I indicated 2 which was a mistake. I looked over my notes and had the comment "good in the mix" for the RNP.

So 9, (1&7 as they are similar with slightly different emphasisi), then 3 are my favorites. Hey its my opinion others may vary.

9 is so smooth I would want that sound on a ballad or anytime the words needed to punch through the mix. That is just a killer sound for almost any pop, country, ballad, vocal centered recording.

1&7 for maybe rock, jazz or anywhere the mix was crowed or where the instruments were a key focus (#9s lows might fight a crowded lo end mix).

3 - The RNP would work for a lot of layers or backround parts or a crowded mix.

I have already heard the RNP on guitars and bass and I think it really shines there. The mic, no question you convinced me to pick up the NTK. The preamp, it would have to be a balance of the vocal and DI functions as to wether I got the RNP. If it outshines the others on DI and, as it is among the best on vocals, it would be the way to go. If the Alesis holds it own on the DI then I would probably save the $500 and invest it on something else.
 
ShaneSelby

Ok this may be a stretch, but I was curious as to which of the top picks 3, 7, 9 would sound good in a mix.

I have an old ballad I wrote and put these three in separate tracks. The ballad has a string quartet, bass, guitar and piano, no drums. Of course the keys were different but this was revealing as to which of these would fight through the mix and sound the best. The winner was 7, the Joemeek. The RNP popped out only on the highs and disappeared on the lows, the Alesis was similar.

This kind of gets back to the adage of whatever works in the mix, use it. But just thought you might be interested.
 
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