As Good As A Neumann. But Cheaper

[Mark7]

Since Neumann mics seem to be the golden mean against which all other (non boutique) condensers are judged, I was wondering which mics in the $100 to $2000 (yeah, it's wider than normal) come closest in terms of build quality, longevity, sound and jeunesse ce quoi to Herr Georg's babies.

And would anyone dare to suggest that any are better

 

[Mark7]

Define cheaper you say?

Okay, 1/2 to 9/10ths the price of the equivalent Neumann.

 

[keilson]

I'd have to say anything sold in radio shack. or another great one is when you tie a string to a cup and stretch out the string. crazy good sound

 

[Mark7]

Ha bloody Ha

















Try again.

 

[keilson]

i was just tryin to see if you guys actually say the word bloody.

 

[willovercome]

neuman makes a bunch of different mics. which one are you trying to get closest to?

 

[Mark7]

All of them

 

[keilson]

but seriously, weren't there claims about the studio projects mics being close to them. I haven't tried them, but people have said the C1 sounds like a u87.

 

[Rev E]

The C1 most definitely does not sound like a U87 (no disrespect to either mic). I've used the U87 extensively and own a C1. I'm not sure what crack that reviewer was on.

Anyway, if you're looking for the Neumann sound and are willing to pay up to $2000 there are a lot of great mics. Perhaps you should consider the Neumann TLM 103 at ~$700. Soundelux makes mics in your price range. Lawson makes several mics in your range. There are a whole host of cheaper mics thay may do also. But depending on your other gear (mic pre(s)), you may want to invest in a moderately expensive mic and pre combo ... a gold channel of sorts. Names that come to mind are Great River, Grace, FMR RNP, Sytek. Mated with a good mic, you may have yourself a great combo.

 

[Mark7]

Well. There are those who would claim Ingwe Malmsteen is as good as Hendrix, whilst others would say he is naught but a Soulless Fret W**ker. Likewise, there are those who claim the SP mics are nearly as good as Neumanns and others who would vehemently deny that.

Besides, for the point of this exercise they're excluded on the grounds of being too cheap (1/2 to 9/10ths remember).

Not that I'm excluding them myself, just looking for options in the middle price range

 

[keilson]

Rev E, I know nothing about the mics. But it said it in multiple reviews by different people.

 

[chessparov]

The closest to the "Neumann sound" on my voice is the Beyer M88TG. I was able to A/B it against a U87ai and liked the M88 over it! And it was picked it up for $150 (mint) on e-bay.
Are you sure you aren't curious about anything 1/10 of the price?

This confirmed what Bob Ohlsson, a world class engineer, has stated in the past about how well the M88 works with certain voices. See the latest issue of Recording magazine for more on
the M88, in the article on microphones.

Chris

 

[Rev E]

Originally posted by keilson Rev E, I know nothing about the mics. But it said it in multiple reviews by different people.

I'm not sure what multiple people made this claim. I only heard about this once in a Prorec.com review by Rip Rowan. http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/files/2CAB4F71AF9E2A1C86256A650081ECF9 He includes excerpts from that C1 = U87 claim from Pete Leoni and Ted Pearlman. So yeah, more than one person said so, but it was from the same review.

I don't mean to say that the C1 is a bad mic. I actually love mine. I'm not even claiming that there's no way that a $200 mic could sound like a $2000 one. I actually like my C1 better than the tracks that I've done with the U87 (always been more of a U47 fan). But that C1 = U87 claim, I've only personally heard once. It's been repeated by other people saying so-and-so said that the C1 sounds like a U87. Not sure where that element is coming from.

 

[Mark7]

The closest to the "Neumann sound" on my voice is the Beyer M88TG. I was able to A/B it against a U87ai and liked the M88 over it! And it was picked it up for $150 (mint) on e-bay.
Are you sure you aren't curious about anything 1/10 of the price?

This confirmed what Bob Ohlsson, a world class engineer, has stated in the past about how well the M88 works with certain voices. See the latest issue of Recording magazine for more on
the M88, in the article on microphones.

Chris

Well, I figured my price range would keep the gear snobs quiet (except for those amongst them who think Neumann are shonky builders of worthless trash ). Plus we don't get to hear much about great mid priced gear any more what with all the best condenser under $100 threads.

 

[acorec]

Since Neumann mics seem to be the golden mean against which all other (non boutique) condensers are judged, I was wondering which mics in the $100 to $2000 (yeah, it's wider than normal) come closest in terms of build quality, longevity, sound and jeunesse ce quoi to Herr Georg's babies.

And would anyone dare to suggest that any are better

Neumann are the best there is. No $100 mic will ever compare. Oh yeah, you certainly can be deluded if you wish, but there is no substitute for the N mic.

 

[shAkEz_gk]

I do not like the sound of a Nueman on my voice, it sounds too warm

 

[acorec]

I do not like the sound of a Nueman on my voice, it sounds too warm

Try the TLM103. It is a great mic with lots of definition.

 

[Mark7]

Okay. Let's be more specific then.

We'll pick three Neumann mics

A TLM 103, KM184 and an M149.

That's one solid state LDC, one solid state SDC and a Tube mic. At current U.S. street prices they are, respectively: $975, $699 and $3,187.

All you have to do is name an equivalent mic (for each example) that you think sounds as good as (or better than) any of those three but for 1/2 to 9/10ths the street price.

It can't be that hard

 

[Mark7]

Acorec

What about, forex, mics like the Soundelux U99; a Tube LDC with multiple patterns which you can get for only about $2,500. Or the Josephson C42; an SDC for only $430?

Or don't you buy cheap American crap?

 

[acorec]

Acorec

What about, forex, mics like the Soundelux U99; a Tube LDC with multiple patterns which you can get for only about $2,500. Or the Josephson C42; an SDC for only $430?

Or don't you buy cheap American crap?

Those are NOT the current crop of $100-$300 mics that this guy is talking about. He wants cheap eqiv mics. There is no such thing.

He wants to know mics in the ballpark of Studio Projects, Marshall etc.