Bought Gear based on this Forum

  • Thread starter Thread starter malcolm123
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I got my SP C4 pair after doing a lot of research here and elsewhere. Bought the MCX V67M from a member here, based entirely on Harvey's observations and others seen here. I plan on a pair of SP B3 in the future on recommendation from a moderator on RO. And will probably score a DMP3 based on research here and elsewhere.
 
Re: Re: Thats not what I meant...

malcolm123 said:
I just did a little reading on this mic (M149) and checked out the cost just out of curiosity.

Man, exactly what do you use that mic for? LOL

Im just curious as hell to know what it is your doing or recording to justify that cost. LOL

Folks really,, Enlighten us bottom feeders as to how you approach or get to the point where you pull a mic like this out.
To be honest. If I were rich as hell I would probably buy mics of such a caliber just to come in here and say hey,, I got these mics. But from a actual real life recording situation ( and I would assume highly pro) based on the cost, when do you pull a mic like this out.

My guess is when you have sombody like Madonna in your studio and she says " I aint singing a damn thing unless I get a M149 " LOL

Im curious ,, chime in high dollar mic pros. Enlighten us.

Malcolm:D
Click to expand...

Malcolm,

The main reasons I have gravitated towards high end gear are (i) I want a great sound now, (ii) I don't want to fool with gear issues, upgrades, etc. and (iii) I want to spend my time making music.

I only record solo acoustic fingerstyle guitar. I started about three years ago. As far as mics go, I started with a TLM 103 and a pair of KM 184s. I record three channels, a pair of SDs and one LD. I now have a pair of Schoeps CMC6/MK4 and three LDs, a Neumann M149, a CAD VX2 and a Microtech Gefell UMT 800. I'm done. Don't need to worry about mics anymore. After I'm dead they'll still be great. I sold the 103 and 184s for what I paid for them. I could sell what I now have for more than I have in them.

The same is true for the rest of the signal chain: preamps, DAW, software, converters, cables, monitors, etc. I'm done with preamps (Pendulum Audio and John Hardy). Done with monitors (Dynaudio). Done with cables (rolled my own Mogami/Neutrik). Done (at least for the time being) with DAW, software and external converters (PT, Waves/McDSP, RME).

I don't have alot of experience with all the different products out there, although I've heard a bunch. The stuff I have sounds simply incredible, at least to my ears. Right tools for the job.

Nevertheless, gear are merely tools. The more important part is making music. I'd rather spend time working on the music, either playing or improving my recording and listening skills. That's the real challenge.

Gear is just gear. Might as well just get good stuff, and move on.
 
Madonna has a favorite SM57 she uses for studio vocals, and it was used for the entire Erotica album.

Lots of "great sounding" gear can be had for under $500...:)

Chris
 
As a member of the academic world, I always appreciate and conduct too much research from multiple sources before buying.
And I repeat: research from *multiple* sources. Still, although all of my sources agreed, this forum gave me the most info. on and support for the two SP-B1s that I bought. And what a find for under $100 each. I could only expect so much, so exceeding my expectation was a great feeling.

I'm a part-time studio musician with a cheapo home studio (Yamaha 16G-based), but with a bit of tweaking, these mics are producing such sweet, balanced tones on my acoustic guitars--not a hint of harshness or boxiness. My fellow musicians keep praising the mics' smooth sound, and I never the mention the price. Since most of them don't know the SP brand, I'm clear
of potential pre-judgements.

(I don't use the mics for vocals, though--maybe guitars are the only thing they capture so well? I doubt it, but it's possible.)

Thanks to you all for your past--very helpful--tips regarding budget equipment for folks like me.

J.

P.S. I think it's always a good first question for newbies here:
"what's the level of your studio?" Budget-minded musicians have a different set of buying criteria, and we need to respect that. For me, I buy low-rent for home, and when I want better equipment, I visit one of my local pro studios with a gazillion options.
 
Return On Investment is another consideration that never gets air play. Some of the high end guys tout the value of the premium preamps. If was in the recording business to make a living, I can understand that.

But I'm not.

I suspect many recordists here are hobbiests, or other non-monetary gain types. One can make very nice recordings with modest gear. I'll wager that very few on this board have skills that truly exceed the capabilities of their gear. I certainly don't.

I have a set of SP C4 instead of Schoeps or Josephson, and an AT4040 and MXL V67M instead of a U195. And I will most likely wind up with a pair of SP B3 instead of a pair of KSM44. And they will do fine for my needs. As a duffer recordist, I doubt I will outgrow them any time in the near future.
 
Bump!

Yesterday I got to try out the MXL V69 Mogami Edition that I had bought after reading good things about it here. I had already bought some MXL's and thought they were good, but they were all under $100. I decided to take a chance and buy this mic without even trying it first, and I'm glad I did. (Also, American Musical Supply's EZ Payment plan made it a little easier to handle!) I used it on vocals, and I was amazed at how good it sounded. It was perfect for the singer I used it on (male, hard rock). I barely had to use eq (very slight hi boost, very slight lo cut). Did the rough mix with eq flat on the vox, and it sounded great.

I also bought a matched pair of MXL 603's. I'd already decided to get them, but the positive things I had read here just reaffirmed that decision.

The other mic I bought based on this forum was the Beyer M201. What can I say? I love this mic. Thanks, folks!
 
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I recently purchased a Soundcraft Notepad from a member here. Very nice unit, good price, safely packed.
 
Hey, all! I bought a CAD M9 tube microphone based on opinions, and mp3 samples on here, and I really like it. Wondering what a replacement tube would do...
 
Tech 21 - PSA-1

thats a guitar preamp, or well, a distortion unit, or call it an amp modeller..

i already knew tech 21, and i wanted to buy their XXL which i already used and really like....... but then people started recommending the PSA....

and wow....great choice !!! so whoooohoooooow


mhhhh...and yeah, there's more:

my Event Tuned Reference 8 monitors,
and my Motu 828 soundcard


and all that the last two months.... i think....

you people rock !!!!
 
vsimmons said:
Taylor 514ce
Taylor 714ce spc
Avalon Ad2044
Neumann M149 (ripped it. Ricky, but I scored)
Elixir guitar strings
Lots of monster pro 1000 mic cables
I'm close too. I'm in downtown Huntington Beach
Click to expand...


Glad to see another Tech/Artist using the ad2044, best buss/mastering gear ive ever owned, however my favorite pice of equipment is my 2 Amek 9098 Eq Pre's. ;)
 
resurrected thread

wow, another thread dug out of the archives. It was a good one! I've bought 2-mxl 603's and a v67g without hearing them first based on things I read on this forum. I like the v67g, the verdict is still out on the 603's. I haven't really had a chance to use them much. I bought them to use on acoustic guitar.
 
As a consequence of reading advice on this forum, I have bought . . . nothing.

One reason is that I haven't been hanging around the forum all that long.

But I have bought stuff in recent times. Most recently I bought a pair of those cheap Behringer condensor mikes, as a response to someone who returned a pair saying he didn't like them and couldn't use them. I can't turn down a challenge like that! (They worked fine, by the way, although a bit quiet). I also augmented by PA with an Opera Sub15.

That's not to say I ignore recommendations. I find the views here mostly very helpful, and they bring into play a much wider range of products than I might otherwise have considered.

However, I am also a very distrusting kind of person, and before I buy, I try to prove for myself that I'm going to be happy with it. I like personal recommendations from people who are using the gear, and with whom you can talk at length. I like people who are not label-freaks, i.e. they assess gear on merit, not on its badge.
 
Behringer ECM8000

This microphone is a calibration mic. It has a very FLAT frequency response in order to find out the frequency charicteristics of a room... Why would anyone expect it to sound good as a general recording microphone? THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S DESIGNED FOR.
What it CAN do for you is tell you if the room you mix in is in any way up to the job (with the aid of frequency analysis software and a white/pink noise generator).
For the benefit of those to whom this is news, all rooms exaggerate and cut various frequencys in the audio spectrum. So if, for example, your room cuts 30-120Hz by 12dB then even though you think you have mixed the bass at a good level in the real world it's all too woofy.
 
Me. I do my own rap music.

Mic: At4040 from MXL 1006

Preamp: DMP3 from Beri Euro mx 602a

SC: Delta 44 from AP 24/96

Monitors: Wharfedale 8.2as from Logetich 340s

DAW software: Pro-Tools from N-Track (crashes too much) :mad:

Learnt alot about importance of cables, so I upgraded all my cables to balanced. I even bought a $50 monster cable.

This place is awesome! :)

Last upgrade will probadly be an avalon, rnp, or brick preamp and a digital mixer to interface with PT.
 
Studio Projects C1 - not impressed
Studio Projects C4 matches pair - decent
Chandler TG2 - great
Dmp3 - decent for price
Soundelux U195 - great but very sibilant
Sennheiser 421 - great
AKG D112 - decent
E609 - not impressed
GT Brick - great for price
 
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