AT 4040 vs. Rode NT1-A vs. SP C1

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grapeboi510

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i have been doing a lot of research on the boards lately.
i am building a new studio with my friend. so far all we have is the mbox. we are planning to purchase either a SP VTB1 or a Maudio dmp3. along with that, we need a mic. the three i mentioned above seem like decent canidates for the 200 doller price range. i will be recording rap/r&b. does anybody have any suggestions?

here is a sample of the music

www.myspace.com/theturfstarz
www.myspace.com/youngjturfstarz
 
I'd go with the DMP3.

Any particular reason for those other three mics aside from the price point? You might get by with just a standard SM58 or SM57 microphone wise. In studio and on stage.
 
grapeboi510 said:
i have been doing a lot of research on the boards lately.
i am building a new studio with my friend. so far all we have is the mbox. we are planning to purchase either a SP VTB1 or a Maudio dmp3. along with that, we need a mic. the three i mentioned above seem like decent canidates for the 200 doller price range. i will be recording rap/r&b. does anybody have any suggestions?

here is a sample of the music

www.myspace.com/theturfstarz
www.myspace.com/youngjturfstarz
Click to expand...

I'll kick it off by saying the Rode is a solid all around mic that can be used in so many different applications...And it has like no noise floor to it..Only thing I find is its not as bright as one may want for hip hop..but it definitely gives presence and a good proximity effect..Good tool to have in your arsenal..

And I know you didn't ask about the pre's...but the SP VTB1...excellent for that price range.
 
Best thing to do is decide what kind of sound you want...?

Something Midrange? Something Bright? or Something transparent/ Flat?

Compare frequency response graphs to get an idea on what to expect and just go for it..

Honestly without having the 3 mics in front of you to audition, you are just guessing anyway.

But the cool part is all are decent mics.

And remember mic advice is usually based in opinions, what may sound bright to you might sound flat to another, lastly different mics will be better for different voices so you never can tell.

You will have to take the plunge unless you have a way to audition the 3 with the same singer.
Good luck

I just purchased an AT 4040 and i'm happy with how smooth it sounds to me.

P.S. here's an example of what I just recorded with the AT 4040.
http://forum.recordingreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3890&stc=1&d=1233722847
 
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well i want the sound to be smooth crisp and clear. i know that alot of that sound is acheived through protools, which i will be getting to know much better. i have heard the C1 gives a very professional sound, which is what i am looking for. i also want it to be good for loud rapping and singing. it needs to be versatile..all three mics have gotton good reviews, so i am trying to pick out of them...and if anybody knew if any one of them responded perticularly well to the mentioned preamps, that would be great.


so far, i have been using cubase. but my cousin gave me an mbox and i decided i wanted to start from scratch. i have gotton many mixed reviews on the two preamps, so im still not sure. it might just depend on what the store has in stock when i go, and what kind of money i am looking at.
 
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Shadow_7 said:
I'd go with the DMP3.

Any particular reason for those other three mics aside from the price point? You might get by with just a standard SM58 or SM57 microphone wise. In studio and on stage.
Click to expand...

what would be a better decision out of those two? i have heard that the 58 is better for vocal use
 
I have used the AT4040, Rode NT-1a and Studio Projects B1. I found the AT4040 to be the smoothest of these so I'd recommend that.

I also have the DMP3 and used to own a VTB1. I found the DMP3 to be a fraction quieter and had a little more detail than the VTB1.
 
dickiefunk said:
I have used the AT4040, Rode NT-1a and Studio Projects B1. I found the AT4040 to be the smoothest of these so I'd recommend that.

I also have the DMP3 and used to own a VTB1. I found the DMP3 to be a fraction quieter and had a little more detail than the VTB1.
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thank you. but keep in mind im looking at the C1, not the b1...people have said all over the interenet that it sounds very similar to the neumann u87, which is supposed to be a phenomenal mic..at the same time, i have heard people say that the nt1-a is very good for rap. i have heard non stop good things about all of these, and the price of the mic will probably affect which preamp i choose
 
people have said all over the interenet that it sounds very similar to the neumann u87, which is supposed to be a phenomenal mic..at the same time, i have heard people say that the nt1-a is very good for rap. i have heard non stop good things about all of these,
Click to expand...

Like I said before, not trying to rain on your research, but all of the info you get is going to be opinions.

And I doubt anything in this price range is really going to be close to a neumann, lets just keep it real. :)

No Guts No Glory, works here!!! :D
 
The Studio Projects mics and the NT1-A both fall into the category of recent bright mics. While bright mics can be useful on some sources, the AT4040 is probably going to be a better mic in general.

Other mics you might look into are some of the CAD LDC mics like the CAD M177/M179 or the M9.

Just my $0.02.
 
I've not used the AT4040, but I have used the NT-1 and I own a C1, which I obviously preferred. I use my C1 on a variety of voices and styles (from metal to rnb) and I'm extremely happy with the mic. It's also been really useful on a number of other sources. It beat the crap out of a friend's Rode NTV too.

On the preamp-side I'd also vote for the DMP3.
 
thanks a lot for the replies..
one thing i dont understand is what does "bright" mean. it would make it easier for me to make a decision
 
unnaturally increased high frequency - like turning up the treble knob
 
would it be worth getting a cheaper mic then the 4040 like the nt1a or the c1 and getting a more expensive preamp? such as the focusrite trakmaster? or any other amp in that price range..any suggestions would be great
 
grapeboi510 said:
what would be a better decision out of those two? i have heard that the 58 is better for vocal use
Click to expand...

The 58 would be the vocal one with the ball end. The 57 has more of a straight end. It really depends on how you intend to use them. If you need external windscreen with dead rat because you're rapping in the midst of a hurricane, then the 57. But the 58 is probably the more common for vocals. AFAIK, they're the same mic aside from casing and windscreen variances. Baring the old 58 versus new one changes and other nuances. Cheap, usable, common, and should at a minimum give you a base for comparison with known samples of other mics with relation to vocals. Pick one up on craigslist $60-ish, sell it a week later on the same if you don't like it.
 
getting a more expensive preamp
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I dont think you get it.

?????????????

You need to understand that mic preamps serve 2 main purposes.

Amplify your mic and provide color or transparency to your sound. Again You need to decide what you want and Trust me color (tubes) costs money.

Any entry level preamp will probably serve you fine as along as it's not too noisy.

So unless you are planning to spend over 1k in a good preamp, dont worry about it.

Basically I doubt you will like the sound of a 58 vs any of the decent condensers you have been looking at.
 
grapeboi510 said:
would it be worth getting a cheaper mic then the 4040 like the nt1a or the c1 and getting a more expensive preamp? such as the focusrite trakmaster? or any other amp in that price range..any suggestions would be great
Click to expand...

Short answer: no.

Long answer: nope.

:D

But seriously, the DMP3 you're talking about getting is good enough, IMHO. To get a significantly better pre is going to cost a lot more, and even then, the definition of "significantly better" will tend to be a matter of opinion. Personally, I slightly prefer the Peavey PV series mixer pres over the M-Audio pres I've used---a little less brittle sounding at the top end---but it's subjective, and the differences are really very subtle.

Either way, I would tend to suggest skimping on the preamp before I would suggest skimping on the mic because the difference in a $100 pre and a $200 pre tends to be production volume, while the difference in a $100 mic and a $200 mic tends to be capsule tuning. :D

That said, if you're do decide to go cheaper on the mic, I'd probably steer you towards the CAD M177 or M179 rather than a C1 or an NT1-A, and then I'd suggest using the money you save to pick up an Apex 205 ribbon to give yourself a really different flavor of mic rather than spending that money on a preamp upgrade. Actually, I'd definitely steer you towards the M179, if only because it is a multi-pattern mic. :)

Just my $0.02.
 
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