Tube mics

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wedge43

New member
Hi fellows,

I just sang in a Telefunken MKII mic in a studio and was stunned at how great a tube mic can actually sound like.
I was just about to buy a AKG C214 for vocals in my own studio but my experience with the tube mic just changed my mind.
I was wondering if you had any tube mics recommendations for me. I have a budget of app. 500$ for a new mic.
Thanks
 
It will be hard to find a $500. tube microphone that will sound as good as a $2000. tube microphone.
Possibly a $1000. to $1300. tube microphone used at about $500. is what you should be looking for.

Plus you should find out what else was in the recording path at the studio ..... for that will make a difference as well. Could have very well had been a very expensive preamp that certainly helped your tracks !
 
I'm sorry but every time some-one starts a tube thread around here it ends up being hijacked by the same individual, promoting one particular tube mic on E-Bay.
Let's hope that doesn't happen this time.
The AKG Solid Tube is a $1300 tube mic that can be bought for around $550 used.
It's a bit heavy on the mid range for some applications but suits my vocals perfectly.
But here's the astonishing thing about this and other tube mics regardless of the price range:
These mics come with their own power supply so that's a huge improvement right there but what's more important is that the quality of sound can change radically just by removing/adding windscreens around the capsules and by changing the tubes.
Obviously, I recommend the AKG Solid Tube but you can also find various tube microphones for around $200 or $300 and if it doesn't quite fit your needs, add a new tube which for about $60 can completely transform your mic.
 
You know, I've enjoyed the AKG Solid Tube so much that I haven't even finished experimenting with the other three that I own.
The AKG came with an awesome military tube but swapping it out for a Telefunken ECC801S added some clarity that I could never have imagined.
I still have the Behringer T1 which is surprisingly good, the EM T5000 which has a dual capsule and the Aurycle A5500 D.I.Y. tube microphone.
Swapping out tubes and testing each individual mic is as time consuming as it is rewarding.
 
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Like moresound said. A $500 tube mic is not going to sound like the Telefunken. If you really want a tube, there is an Avantone CV-12 for $500 I believe.
 
Jim Lad said:
You know, I've enjoyed the AKG Solid Tube so much that I haven't even finished experimenting with the other three that I own.
The AKG came with an awesome military tube but swapping it out for a Telefunken ECC081S added some clarity that I could never have imagined.
I still have the Behringer T1 which is surprisingly good, the EM T5000 which has a dual capsule and the Aurycle A5500 D.I.Y. tube microphone.
Swapping out tubes and testing each individual mic is as time consuming as it is rewarding.
Click to expand...

I know! Just the anticipation of burning in the tube waiting to try out the new configuration is what does it in for me.
 
...IMHO, the best tube mics under $1000 are the newer generation of Chinese tube mics that all originate from one particular manufacturer, who has incorporated a series of component upgrades requested by their customers (most of whom are microphone modders)...retail prices range from $375-735...these would include:

Advanced Audio CM-47
Advanced Audio CM-12
Stellar CM-6
Stellar CM-5
Gauge ECM-47
Avantone CV-12

...none of these microphones are standard OEM (stock models)...these microphones all share some variation of higher quality capsules, upgraded transformers, modded circuits with film capacitors, and premium quality tubes mounted in sockets (swappable)...any of them can be purchased "used" within your price limit, 4 of them are available "new" within your limit... I recommend you google them individually, as there's a good deal of valuable info available on the web, including shootouts with soundfiles you can audition...it should be noted that there are also a number of very well-respected "boutique" tube mics going for quite a bit more than $1000 that originate from this very same factory, and share some of the very same components found in the mics I've recommended (Telefunken, as you mentioned, uses capsules from this same source for their AK-47 MKII, M-16 MKII, CU-29 Copperhead and AR-51)...there are some exceptional values in this newer generation of Chinese tube mics...let the "search engine" be your friend...
 
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Like I said "Every time some-one starts a tube thread around here it ends up being hijacked by the same individual, promoting one particular tube mic on E-Bay".
 
Jim Lad said:
Like I said "Every time some-one starts a tube thread around here it ends up being hijacked by the same individual, promoting one particular tube mic on E-Bay".
Click to expand...

...Jim, really?...maybe you would like to offer up a link to the thread I "hijacked"?...would it be the one in which you accused somebody (me, again?) of "hacking" your post (quickly shot down by the moderators)?...that was my own thread, btw...

...I'm not even recommending any one particular mic, as you say...I just offered up 6 affordable and reputable tube microphone options, clearly, none of which you have had any experience with...6 tube microphones that are vastly superior to your recommendation...6 microphones that incorporate true LDC capsules, and offer 9 polar-patterns (not just the one 'cardioid' offered by the Solid Tube)...you state you own 4 tube microphones...did you know that two of your mics don't even have true LDC capsules?...the Solid Tube and the Behringer T-1 ("T" for toy) have electret capsules...read the comments for the T-1:
Behringer T-1 | RecordingHacks.com

...three of the microphones I recommended, the AA CM-12, Stellar CM-5 and Avantone CV-12 owe their design heritage directly to AKG's most revered tube mic, the original C12...they all utilize true LDC capsules (2 of them use a 34mm 6-micron mylar edge-terminated C12-type LDC capsule found in much more expensive microphones), not electret capsules:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electret_microphone

...or maybe you missed the analysis of the AKG Solid Tube by two of Recording.org's most knowlegable mic builders (gus & gyraf):
AKG solidtube - RECORDING.ORG

...or maybe you missed the discussion at Gearslutz pertaining to the performance of the Solid Tube:
AKG Solidtube - Gearslutz.com

...probably AKG's most notoriously disliked tube microphone...did you remove the ubiquitous "internal foam pop filter"? (probably implemented more to disguise the fact that AKG chose not to employ a real large diameter capsule than to offer any performance enhancement)...

...I'd venture to say that the only tube mic of the four you mentioned that's 'recommendable' is the EM T5000 (which I also own and use)...that is a much better executed tube mic design incorporating a simple 12AT7 based plate-follower circuit, WIMA caps, a dual-bobbin transformer and a 34mm 3-micron mylar K67-type "true" LDC capsule...unfortunately, that mic is no longer available under that branding (similar models from the same manufacturer are available under the iSK branding)...

...so I'd recommend you refrain from making misaligned accusations, and do a little research on the products you recommend...your choice of the 14 year-old 'discontinued' Solid Tube as a good recommendation in the current $500 product range says a lot about your lack of knowledge/experience with the much improved, better-valued products coming out of China in the past few years...
 
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No need.
You have entered every single tube thread with your aggressive sales pitch for Stellar microphones and by so doing have basically shut down any meaningful discussion.
It's time for you to step aside and allow other board users some peaceful enjoyment.
 
Jim Lad said:
It's time for you to step aside and allow other board users some peaceful enjoyment.
Click to expand...

...how about just posting some relevent, up-to-date, knowledgeable, recommendations in direct response to the OP's question? (which was what I did until you started making unfounded accusations)...check yourself...:yawn:

...back to the subject at hand...I thought about adding the M-Audio Sputnik to my list of recommendations, as it is another decent quality affordable tube mic option (around $400 used) albeit just a bit on the "bright" side...but the fact that it incorporates a fixed (soldered) subminiature pentode tube (wired as a triode) limits the option of potential tube swaps, which is a very positive feature one should consider when evaluating potential purchases...
 
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kidvybes said:
...Jim, really?...maybe you would like to offer up a link to the thread I "hijacked"?...would it be the one in which you accused somebody (me, again?) of "hacking" your post (quickly shot down by the moderators)?...that was my own thread, btw...

...I'm not even recommending any one particular mic, as you say...I just offered up 6 affordable and reputable tube microphone options, clearly, none of which you have had any experience with...6 tube microphones that are vastly superior to your recommendation...6 microphones that incorporate true LDC capsules, and offer 9 polar-patterns (not just the one 'cardioid' offered by the Solid Tube)...you state you own 4 tube microphones...did you know that two of your mics don't even have true LDC capsules?...the Solid Tube and the Behringer T-1 ("T" for toy) have electret capsules...read the comments for the T-1:
Behringer T-1 | RecordingHacks.com

...three of the microphones I recommended, the AA CM-12, Stellar CM-5 and Avantone CV-12 owe their design heritage directly to AKG's most revered tube mic, the original C12...they all utilize true LDC capsules (2 of them use a 34mm 6-micron mylar edge-terminated C12-type LDC capsule found in much more expensive microphones), not electret capsules:
Electret microphone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

...or maybe you missed the analysis of the AKG Solid Tube by two of Recording.org's most knowlegable mic builders (gus & gyraf):
AKG solidtube - RECORDING.ORG

...or maybe you missed the discussion at Gearslutz pertaining to the performance of the Solid Tube:
AKG Solidtube - Gearslutz.com

...probably AKG's most notoriously disliked tube microphone...did you remove the notorious "internal foam pop filter"? (probably implemented more to disguise the fact that AKG chose not to employ a real large diameter capsule than to offer any performance enhancement)...

...I'd venture to say that the only tube mic of the four you mentioned that's 'recommendable' is the EM T5000 (which I also own and use)...that is a much better executed tube mic design incorporating a simple 12AT7 based plate-follower circuit, WIMA caps, a dual-bobbin transformer and a 34mm 3-micron mylar K67-type "true" LDC capsule...unfortunately, that mic is no longer available under that branding (similar models from the same manufacturer are available under the iSK branding)...

...so I'd recommend you refrain from making misaligned accusations, and do a little research on the products you recommend...your choice of the 14 year-old 'discontinued' Solid Tube as a good recommendation in the current $500 product range says a lot about your lack of knowledge/experience with the much improved, better-valued products coming out of China in the past few years...
Click to expand...

Ow. Touchy are we? :cursing:

Jim Lad might be slightly overreacting, but in essence he has a point. You're obviously pushing your own product, which is hardly an objective point of view, now is it?

PS. Do you expect me to read all that?
 
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Obi-Icky or whatever his name is should be along any minute pimping amp modeling software.

They prolly have a tube mic modeler for $29 available by download right to your iphone.

"turn your USB mic into a U-47!"

The mic forum has been rife with spamming manufacturers and their pimps since Day 1.
 
chrisghost said:
Jim Lad might be slightly overreacting, but in essence he has a point. You're obviously pushing your own product, which is hardly an objective point of view, now is it?
Click to expand...

...first, I recommended 6 mics from 4 different manufacturers, none of whom I am employed by...and if you're referring to "your own product" as a mic I purchased and recommend because it's an excellent value, you'd be correct...other than that, I have no stake in Stellar Sound, none...

...judging by my message-box full of "thank you's" from those who took my recommendation, and not a single dissatisfied buyer, Jim might have done well to take the recommendation, rather than buy that 'electret-dinosaur' he's cooing about...simply searching available info on the web about these products will provide support of my recommendations...visit the most extensive microphone database/website Recordinghacks.com for further info, shootouts, etc, if you chose not to believe my product choices...visit the many other Pro-Audio forums where these products are openly discussed and demo'ed...for example:

http://recordinghacks.com/2010/02/14/the-advanced-audio-cm12-mod/
http://recordinghacks.com/2011/11/17/stellar-cm4-cm6-review/
http://www.aamicrophones.com/pdfs/CM47.pdf
http://emusician.com/mics/avant-electronics-avantone-1109/
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb11/articles/it-0211.htm

...if you chose to ignore my recommendations and listen only to those with more limited gear exposure, so be it...the wheels of progress will role on without you...my response to Jim's post was in self-defense of his accusations...my intention in posting on this thread was to offer some useful information to the OP, and anyone else who might be unaware of these smaller but quality brand options...I've been a productive contributer to this site for almost 7 years, and will continue, until such time as the moderators see fault with my advice/recommendations...my advice to Jim, "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"...nuff said...enjoy your thread...

chrisghost said:
PS. Do you expect me to read all that?
Click to expand...

...nah...why bother?...you might learn something...
 
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Consider with the subminis that they are all NOS, US-made (except for the Soviet varieties), most are JAN. So if they were selected in the first place (one should hope), there is no need to swap them.

Also, electret is a newer technology than externally-biased capsules (though both are older than I am), not sure why that qualifies for "dinosaur" in relation.

Thus, I recommend a electret LDC with a submini tube that runs on phantom power: the AT3060. Gotta find one used though, as the Chinese competition sadly killed off the entire AT 30 series :(
 
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