Latest addition...

[WhiteStrat]

Classic mic from the 60's--said to have been used by motown folks a lot (??)--it's an EV 664. Snagged it off eBay yesterday (I hope I wasn't bidding against someone here at the end there!).

I've got an old EV-623 from the same era that I really like. I'll start with this on similar sources--snare, guitar cabs, etc.

 

[omtayslick]

Do those use a standard XLR connection? I've heard they can be pretty cool on some stuff.

 

[antichef]

I've been on the fence about getting one of those for quite a while now -- let us know how you like it. They sure look cool.

 

[WhiteStrat]

Do those use a standard XLR connection? I've heard they can be pretty cool on some stuff.

They use what's called "4-pin amphenol" (apparently there were screw-on and 3-pin amphenol as well). That scares lots of folks off of these mics, because the cables can be hard to find--and sometimes as expensive as the old mics. But I bought a Shure 545s a couple years and had a 4-pin amphenol cable made for it. So now when I see a mic that uses it, I know I've at least got a cable for it.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I've been on the fence about getting one of those for quite a while now -- let us know how you like it. They sure look cool.

I'll track something and post some clips as soon as I get it!

 

[Rust E-Z]

Hey whitestrat,
just a heads up, about 6 months ago I aqired a couple of EV 767's and an old shure 545 witch all had the four pin amphenol and despite the connectors being the same they were wired differently and not compatible. I guss that back in the day the sound techs wired the connectors in the mics as they saw fit and there was no real standard. So you might have to break out your DMM not a big deal really. And if the techs back in the day wired the mics themselves you could just break it open and change it so its compatible with your shure. I wish I'd done that I gotta keep track of witch cable's are for the shure and witch are for the EV's.
Love those vintage mic's!

 

[hairylarry]

Ev 664

WhiteStrat,

This was sold as a PA mic. It is not a high end EV recording mic but it has it's own good qualities and has been used on many recordings.

For years I spoke through one of these when doing voice over for my radio show. I speak in a real low voice with lots of proximity effect for a Real Blues radio voice. The 664 helps with the breathiness. I still like it for that but I am experimenting with other mics now that I have more mics to experiment with.

My friend, Joe Lee, said he used a bunch of them at Alley Records in Jonesboro back in the sixties and seventies. He made hits with them. He also used a couple of RCA ribbon mics so they were in good company.

The mic stand thread is built in and is just enough off standard to cause problems. I have some silver adaptors that fit it better than screwing directly onto a stand.

It is an interesting mic with some history. EV sold a lot of them because they're everywhere and they can be had pretty cheap. I need to add them to my fifty dollar mic thread.

Oh yeah, theres more info at coutant.org. He quotes Wetzell at EV who says in spite of the fact that they are not really professional recording mics he gets more inquiries about the 664 mics than any for any of the other vintage EV mics. I guess looks can help.

http://www.coutant.org/ev664/index.html

Click over for an interesting read.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry

 

[WhiteStrat]

Hey whitestrat,
just a heads up, about 6 months ago I aqired a couple of EV 767's and an old shure 545 witch all had the four pin amphenol and despite the connectors being the same they were wired differently and not compatible. I guss that back in the day the sound techs wired the connectors in the mics as they saw fit and there was no real standard. So you might have to break out your DMM not a big deal really. And if the techs back in the day wired the mics themselves you could just break it open and change it so its compatible with your shure. I wish I'd done that I gotta keep track of witch cable's are for the shure and witch are for the EV's.
Love those vintage mic's!

Good info--thanks for the heads up on the pin configurations. I know that the cable I had made for the Shure worked fine on an EV 623 I picked up a while back, so maybe I'll get lucky with the 664.

 

[WhiteStrat]

WhiteStrat,

This was sold as a PA mic. It is not a high end EV recording mic but it has it's own good qualities and has been used on many recordings.

For years I spoke through one of these when doing voice over for my radio show. I speak in a real low voice with lots of proximity effect for a Real Blues radio voice. The 664 helps with the breathiness. I still like it for that but I am experimenting with other mics now that I have more mics to experiment with.

My friend, Joe Lee, said he used a bunch of them at Alley Records in Jonesboro back in the sixties and seventies. He made hits with them. He also used a couple of RCA ribbon mics so they were in good company.

The mic stand thread is built in and is just enough off standard to cause problems. I have some silver adaptors that fit it better than screwing directly onto a stand.

It is an interesting mic with some history. EV sold a lot of them because they're everywhere and they can be had pretty cheap. I need to add them to my fifty dollar mic thread.

Oh yeah, theres more info at coutant.org. He quotes Wetzell at EV who says in spite of the fact that they are not really professional recording mics he gets more inquiries about the 664 mics than any for any of the other vintage EV mics. I guess looks can help.

http://www.coutant.org/ev664/index.html

Click over for an interesting read.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry

I figured it was a PA mic. So was the Shure 545s, as I recall. But it's a great guitar cab and snare mic, so I'm hoping the 664 will be as well. And you can definitely include this in your $50 thread--I paid $55 for it.

Thanks for all the good info!

 

[PhilGood]

I was given one of those very mics, but put away and dismissed it after other users (not here) said it was a PA mic. I may break it out again pending your findings.

Waiting eagerly.

In the meantime, you should see my latest addition, but my camera was stolen so I have no pics. I took a broken Soundelux R-1 (kind of like a cross between an M-Audio Nova and an AKG 414) and replaced the circuit with the same from an Ela M 250 (etched my own boards) and used a 5703 tube, Jensen transformer (the right one to match this tube) and an ADK Vienna capsule to create an Ela M 250 mini. Should be done with it soon and expect it to sound very good!

 

[WhiteStrat]

I was given one of those very mics, but put away and dismissed it after other users (not here) said it was a PA mic. I may break it out again pending your findings.

Waiting eagerly.

In the meantime, you should see my latest addition, but my camera was stolen so I have no pics. I took a broken Soundelux R-1 (kind of like a cross between an M-Audio Nova and an AKG 414) and replaced the circuit with the same from an Ela M 250 (etched my own boards) and used a 5703 tube, Jensen transformer (the right one to match this tube) and an ADK Vienna capsule to create an Ela M 250 mini. Should be done with it soon and expect it to sound very good!

Well then we'll just have to trade samples, won't we?

 

[dgatwood]

I figured it was a PA mic. So was the Shure 545s, as I recall.

Yup, and the 565 as well. IIRC, they still are sold that way. Both are very good recording mics for anything an SM57/SM58 would be good for (and IMHO, better sounding than the SM57/SM58 as well).

These days, when I think PA mic, I think Nady SP-1. They don't make PA mics like they used to.... *sigh*

 

[Weasel9992]

Classic mic from the 60's--said to have been used by motown folks a lot (??)--it's an EV 664. Snagged it off eBay yesterday (I hope I wasn't bidding against someone here at the end there!).

I've got an old EV-623 from the same era that I really like. I'll start with this on similar sources--snare, guitar cabs, etc.

Yeah...I'd put that bad boy on a snare and see what happens.

Frank