Buying a new mic this weekend

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cwadroon
  • Start date Start date
Im going through a hard day myself. It really wakes you up when someone you allways listened to dies of the same disease you are dying from.

I will miss all of the reviews and will hope to benifit from using your methods and reccomendations.

Your Loyal Sheep

Wayne
 
Hey Harvey, I don't post here much, but I've been reading for a long time.

I just wanted to express my sympathies and my appreciation for what you do here.

I'm dissapointed that you won't be posting reviews here anymore for the same reasons Cordura mentioned, but I also agree that equipment reviews aren't the most valuable thing you contribute to this forum. The polar pattern and diaphragm size thread taught me more about recording than I've learned everywhere else combined.

As far as Chessrock goes, he seems to know his shit, but the guy sounds like a freakin' Studio Projects infomercial most of the time. Alan's posts reveal much more good taste and restraint than Chess'.

So the long and the short of it is, I think that the vast majority of the people who read here disagree with Chessrock. I don't know if he was trying to be funny, but I wasn't laughing.

If you stopped posting here, I'd probably spend the bulk of my time somewhere else. If Chess stopped posting here, I'd barely notice.
 
Harvey,

I'm very sorry to hear about Dave. His cover of "Both Sides Now" stands out as one of the MOST personally significant and emblematic songs of the late Sixties for me, a good song finally sung with the heart it deserved, rendered with such feeling that I could not listen to it while driving or when others were around. I'm glad to know someone who knew him, and I'm very sorry for your loss. I wonder if I can find it on CD -- it's time to listen to him again.

Harvey, Chess hasn't gotten back to you yet, but I think I know him well enough to know that he was joking with you. Unfortunately, on the Internet, when we try to show our respect through "reverse talk" and humor, it is often taken the wrong way.

I am asking you to please not let Chess' poorly timed comments (or anyone else's, for that matter) put you off of stating your opinions about specific mics here on homerecording. I tend to react the same way you do -- I used to say, "Hey, I'm easy to get rid of!" -- but that's not the point.

The point is that, for every person here who objects to this-or-that, there are ten others who don't. If someone (anyone) really doesn't care to read your opinions, let him leave or just skip your posts, but please do not punish the rest of us by withdrawing your opinions.

I'm sure there are plenty of people here who find my posts tedious, overly long and under-informed, and that's OK. But I'm part of this community, and so are you. The burden on the person who posts is only to be civil and on-topic. How it's taken is on the reader.

My parents are now in their 80s, and they've outlived about 85% of their friends. They lose several more each year. It's the curse of longevity. I am really glad you're still with us.

I'm headed off to the record store to see if I can find the Van Ronk. I'll keep you in my heart today, too.

Yours,

Mark H.
 
I doubt it was one post from Chessrock alone that inspired Harvey to scale back his involement here. I've noticed that as civil as this board generally is, it can get a little silly in some ways.

It is entirely appropriate for Harvey to post his reviews on his own forum and not here. I've opened my mouth a few too many times in the field that I am somewhat of an expert in and I know what its like when people take what I say in the wrong way. It makes me want to take my experiences and share them elsewhere. And it doesn't happen just once- it happens all the time. You eventually learn to speak very carefully and sometimes not at all. When people percieve that you know something they can suck a lot of energy out of you if you let them.

You can't really balme chessrock's post alone for any misgivings that Harvey may have to posting his reviews here directly. All of his reviews have generated a good deal of heat and miscommunication around here, in addition to providing some high quality information. I know I don't like being the cause of misunderstandings when all I'm trying to do is share what I know. I can't blame Harvey for not wanting to continue that pattern.

Take care,
Chris
 
i really would like to hear chessrocks take on all this....i found it very much toungue-in-cheek and responded accordingly.....maybe i was wrong....

even if he meant it, remember he's just 1 in 10,000 that disrespect what you have to say...i bought the v67 sight unseen and havent beeen disappointed yet.....i dont make a habit of buying before trying but theres a few people here i trust enuff to do that.....

you, sir, are one......i know at one point i said something in jest that ticked you off a bit...hopefully over time you realized i was just being my silly self.......

when you consider stopping posting reviews here, especially on bottom feeder stuff, just remembert this:

somewhere is southern Louisiana is a guy who is basically a songwriter but plays guitar and bass pretty well, can do decent keyboards, and can do something close to what one might call song....he has a very modest setup in a spare bedroom where he makes demos....being married with a beautiful wife and precious 5 year old daughter, not a lot of $$ are alloted for recording gear.....your recommnedations have made a world of difference in the quantity of gear acquisations he has made.....

"I've tried to give back some of the things that I've learned over the years, to pay back some of the people who helped me when I was getting started" Harvey Gerst

also, this person has always passed it on, even though hes taken crap for always responding to "newbie BS" or "just mirroring what the pros say".....this person ignores all that....it does hurt a little...especially when he's taken alot of time gettings newbies up and running and helping them choose decent gear within their budget....and meanwhile he sees many times someone respond to a newbie with "use the search engine"...the way he looks at it, he is a search engine...

Harvey, I, as well as this person, hopes you can continue to share reviews with us...
 
anyways, this forum is one of the most educated places on the net! You should see the Digidesign forum, the things people say to them, my God!
 
Harvey,

I'm new around here, but I must add how much I have enjoyed your comments, reviews and good natured personality in the posts I have read. Judging from the comments here, I am far from alone. I read once that a man is as rich as he has friends. You've got a lot of e'm here and count me as one more.

I lost a great friend a few years ago and had to write a whole album to deal with my sense of loss. The one thing it impressed on me was to do as much as I can in this life while I have the chance. Whatever that something is for you, do it. If part of it is paying back the ones that taught you by passing on your knowledge, please keep a presence here. If its something else, then, by all means, do that.

Thank you for everything so far, and my truest sympathies go out to you regarding the loss of your friends. Man, I loved Waylon. Practically built a lifestyle around Luchenbach, Texas...

Best,

Al Carmichael
 
Gidge said:
i really would like to hear chessrocks take on all this....i found it very much toungue-in-cheek and responded accordingly.....maybe i was wrong....

even if he meant it, remember he's just 1 in 10,000 that disrespect what you have to say...i bought the v67 sight unseen and havent beeen disappointed yet.....i dont make a habit of buying before trying but theres a few people here i trust enuff to do that.....

you, sir, are one......i know at one point i said something in jest that ticked you off a bit...hopefully over time you realized i was just being my silly self.......
Click to expand...
Gidge, of course I don't believe chessrock was completely serious, but I do think he was really feeling a little frustrated and I just didn't need that today.

And I don't think chessrock was disrespecting me as much as encouraging people to think for themselves, but the example he used just hit me wrong.

The "Under The Hood" thread (showing the insides of the V67G and the C1) took me some time to write, do the photographs, take apart mics, reassemble them, not to mention the actual testing between them and similar mics. In fact, it was actually done over several days, not hours.

You saw the resultant controversy over the "two screws on the backplate" point on that thread, and some controversy over "diaphragm thickness versus SPL" in another thread. As you can probably tell from my posts, I get pretty deeply involved in these tests and I'm very careful to separate my opinions from facts.

I know a lot of people read what I post here, so I'm very careful about stating "facts" and quickly correcting myself when I'm in error (and I've made a lot of errors here, as anyone can easily see).

Chessrock's post DID strike a nerve, and I just didn't need that right now. I can definitely agree with the "follow like sheep" part, but I'll be damned if I'll let someone imply that the "facts" I try to offer here are just "my opinion", based on whim.

I understand that Chessrock's post was more than halfway "tongue-in-cheek" and I'm not upset about that. His statement "Just because Harvey said it was good, and because it's cheap as hell" implies that I just casually listened to it and simply pronounced it good or bad, and that's very wrong. It completely negates a lot of time I spent, really trying to listen carefully and make factual statements that people could use as an accurate guide to theor decision making process.

Hell, I didn't even write my findings for this group to begin with - I wrote it for rec.audio.pro, and Weston posted it in this mic forum. Chessrock's implication just struck an open nerve with me, and that's where it stands right now.

I'm not mad at Chessrock, even if he was serious, which I doubt. His statement just really hit me wrong and I'm not in the best of moods right now. Hopefully, I'll get over it in a few days and things will start to get back to normal.

I'm sorry for raising this stink in the first place and dragging you all into it.
 
It's cool...

I understand Harvey.

Last week I jumped all over some poor schmuck for something I would normally ignore. I was just having a bad day. Everybody has 'em, and everybody's human.

To paraphrase the elephant man;

"I am not a robot, I am a man!

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"Jazz, pfffft...They just make it up as they go along."
-Homer Simpson-
 
Harvey
You are listed as moderator of the tips for new guys forum at recording org.Is that your main post area or would I do better to look for your writings more at one or the other of the two other boards you posted?
By the way,the QC disassembly thread you did with the v67 and c1 was top-notch,great detail in the photos.You mentioned all the extensive time and effort it took you the produce that information .For me,seeing was believing.I bought a v67 this week and have been very happy with what it does for male voice and acoustic guitar.When I record my band this weekend,I plan to try the v67 on kick drum (I'll have a pair of ECM8000s for OHs and a 57 on the snare).
Thanks again for all you contribute to this forum and all the other places where you hang your hat.
Remembering Waylon Jennings...back in the 60s and 70s when the Nashville studios were making pop sounding stuff with strings,Waylon and the other outlaws made the industry suits eat crow with how many records they sold.RIP Waylon Jennings.
respectfully
Tom
 
With full respect to Harvey who is a noble person.......

So...... Chessrock writes something a little overboard ( we all do at some time)..... it hits Harvey on a bad day......Harvey gets upset....So far all is reasonable..... we all get upsets sometimes especialy on hard days.....

But this "die chessrock" crap is realy lame......
Don't pat Harvey on the back as you climb on chessrock to get there.
I don't think Harvey needs so many people to suck up to him. Respect will do just fine.
 
Um, so....anyway.....

Cwadroom,
My vote goes to your first instinct, the AT4033. Especially now that it comes with a shockmount and nice wood box when you get the SE version. I rely on it as my first choice for vocals and acoustic instruments, and as a reference to decide which other mic to choose if need be. Since it's in soooo many studios now, it helps to have experience with such a common tool.

And in this same price range, take I look at the Shure KSM line. I'm in the process of checking them out myself.

Harvey,
I'm not a mushy luv-luv type of guy, "Hey, I'm a New Yorker!" (Sound familiar?) So, sorry if you don't appreciate my punk rock-tough luv approach to your situation.

No matter what you're going through personally, getting bent out of shape by what goes on here doesn't go too well with your "cyber-mentor" status on the web. I can almost hear the lurkers saying, "He sure knows a lot about gear, but man, what a wuss!"

For someone who is (with all due respect) no longer a spring chicken, I would hope that you've learned to take a licking and keep on ticking. I've seen a post or two from you that prove that you've got cajones and a youthful attitude at times. These are things I'm still struggling to maintain at half your age.

Just tell Chessrock to fuck off. Or better yet, just recommend some gear to piss him off.

Chessrock,
Your post was beautifully anti. But the "sheep" comment could easily be applied to the 4033, when you think about it.
 
Well this sort of thing has happened a lot at the ol' BBS here. I guess that's what happens when you mix a whole bunch of amatures with a few professionals. It's definately a unique dynamic.

I can sort of see where chessrock was coming from, and I don't think he deserves to be taunted off the board or killed (that was just rude) or anything. It is kind of irritating that dang near all we've heard about for the past however long has been these chinese condensors and behringer. And of course all the newbies (like myself) run out and buy these cheap microphones that are recommended by professionals, that's just going to happen no matter what. I own the V67, the ECM8000, and the 603s for cryin out loud, all because Harvey recommended them. And I bought the ART Tube MP because sonusman recommended it. I bought the SX202 because I heard Scott Dorsey talking about it.

And why the heck not? I think chessrock might have just had an overload. I stopped reading a lot of the "cheap mic recommendation" threads, and the "C1/V67/ECM" threads because they're all the same crap over and over and over. And it is irritating to see total amatures recommending mics based on the recommendation of a professional...and people recommending products that don't exist yet. But whatever, it's going to happen. Every musician is financially strapped aside from ol' Ken D. Webber...cheap equipment is going to get a lot of attention.

Harvey,

I hope you're not going to stop recommending products out of spite, and I hope I'm not offending you by saying that. On one hand it would appear that way, but on the other hand, seeing all of us little newbie guys swarming to buy up everything you recommend, I can definately imagine that you might want to say "enough is enough." Personally, I hope you change your mind and all this blows over.

I think you're a great guy, and I'm not saying that to be an ass kisser. I believe that you honestly want to share what you've learned with others, and I've never once seen you ask for anything in return. You also seem to be pretty tolerant of stupid questions, and I sure like that a lot! :)

At any rate, I'm sure glad you're here.

Slackmaster 2000
 
I speak only for myself, but since I was the last person to post something negative about chessrock, and alot of people seem to think he is being unfairly attacked, I feel like I should clarify:

I don't blame chessrock for Harvey's decision not to post product evaluations here anymore. I just wanted Harvey to know that I am one of what I believe to be many people here who likes to read them in this forum because it is well laid out and easily searchable. Also, for the most part the posters here are well informed and ask good questions, that someone as new to recording as me might not think of.

As for "Die chessrock", all it would've taken is one of these -->:) at the end of his post to save alot of problems.

I sincerely hope he was joking, as it would be pretty damn hypocritical for him to say something like that seriously. Especially considering the fact that I've been watching him recommend the Studio Projects B1 to people on this forum for the past several months. This mic doesn't even exist yet, so I doubt he's subjected it to the kind of scrutiny that makes Harvey's opinion so sought after.

Something tells me he's going to come back and read this thread and be very embarassed.

I think we should hold a steel cage match: chessrock and the C1 vs. Gidge and the v67. Chess gets a mic stand and Gidge uses a Pacifica 112 as a club. :D
 
Thanks Trew, This thread kinda escalated into a whole different arena which I want no part of(I just wanna spend my money right!) Thanks for your thoughts.
 
Look, this whole thread has gone on way too long. Let's just start over and try to forget today ever happened. I'll continue to post reviews or whatever, whenever. This has gotten way out of hand, and frankly, this show of appreciation is a little overwhelming and embarrassing to me.

I'll try to continue to do whatever it is I do and I'll put on a little thicker skin and not take things so personally. I've always liked Chessrock and I think it was just a bad day for both of us, all around. Let's just get back to talking about mics, okay?
 
"And it is irritating to see total amatures recommending mics based on the recommendation of a professional" Slackmaster2K

so if Harvey recommends the v67, i buy it , love it, and think its the best thing to happen to budget mics since slices cheese, i shouldnt recommend it to to others because im an mature.?....you have understand where im coming from...back when i was trying to pick out my first condenser, all i had was a sm57, the NT1 was the shit...i heard it and just didnt get it...when i heard the v67 i got it......

same thing when James HE recommended the Delta DMP2 preamp....i was using my J-Station or 4 track as a preamp for my 57 basically because i wasnt gonna buy crap....the DMP2 amazed me....should i not pass that on because im an amature?.....

my J-Station was a replacement for a Peavey Backstage Plus, Boss Metal Zone Pedal and Ibanez Chorus pedal...it doesnt sound as good as a good tube amp, but it has many usable tones...for the price it is an awesome unit....should i not recommend it because i am an amature?......

my Joe Meek preamps i love...some hate them......i tried them back when Shakes the Clown always posted "Have You Hugged Your Joe Meek Lately" and i finally had the chance to pick up a pair...should i not recommend them because im an amature.....

i listened to studio monitors for months and months and took a recommendation from Bruce on the Tannoy Proto j's....love em....once again, should i not recommend them because im an amature......

I heard just about all the soundcards made by Delta, Aardvark, and Echo and know they are all very similar in quality and could probably not pick any of the 24/96 ones out in a blind test, except the Delta 1010, which is a tad crisper....ive heard other cards in the range and they dont stack up in my opinion...becausei im a amature, should i not give my opinion?........

Yamaha Pacifica guitars....what else can i say....great beginner/intermediate guitar......i wouldnt dare recommend it to someone looking for a $1000 guitar, but for $300 and under, ive played whats out there, and the Pacifica wins hands down.....

Slack, this post isnt totally directed at you and please dont take it as a flame...i respect you as much as i respect anyone around here......

im just a little tired of recommending something and then hearing "have you actually USED this product?"...well duh, why else would i recommend it.....in very few cases, ill recommend things based on others rec's like the ECM8000'S....but thats pretty much a sure thing based on what ive heard......

Hell Ive even had Ed flame me for recommending a Joe Meek preamp because ive never been in a pro studio......

i could see a problem if was out recommending $1000 mics ive never seen, and $2000 preamps i cant even spell.....but were talking bottom feeder gear here.....anybody wanna ask my wife how much time i spend in Guitar Center and C&M Music and Zeagler Music trying stuff out and desparately trying to keep my hands off my credit card......

and everyone seems to be watching my post count alot more than i am......wassup with that?...just cause i actually take the time to answerr 500 times that the sm57 is the best microphone to mike a guitar cab........

you know ive never claimed to be anything i wasnt...im just a hobbyist, mostly a songwriter, making demos in my spare bedroom.....i suck at recording and i am not that great of a musician......i even posted a mp3 to show how bad i sucked.....but the info i pass on is mostly accurate....if anyone can point out any bad recommendations ive made, feel fre to point them out to me......
 
chessrock probably just went from feeling the worst he's probably ever felt about a post on this forum to the relief of a pardon from a life sentence.

i'm sorry that everyone always has to go through so much shit, and it's often so public, but that's what makes us human...
 
sorry Harvey, i posted this before before i saw your last....anyone have a preference over anti-depressents....Zoloft,Paxil?????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top