Buying large diaphram condeser - HELP!

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nuemes

nuemes

Be Here Now
Hi,

I'm planning on purchasing a large diaphram condeser mic this weekend and am looking for advice. The mic will be used primarily to record male vocals not unlike Richard Buckner / Mark Eitzel (quiet, intimate), possibly acoustic guitar as well but that is secondary to vocals. My ideal mic would be warmer rather than have a lot of presence.

My setup will be: mic > Presonus Blue Tube Preamp > Presonus Compressor > ADAT

Here's a list of mics I've looked into on the net that fit my price range (I've not heard any of them). I'm not sure if these are good choices and would like your opinion as to whether you'd buy one of them or something else comperable (and if so why):

1. Marshall MXL V67G $99
2. Oktava MK319 $99
3. Audio Technica AT3035 $199
4. Rode NT1A $199
5. AKG C2000B $199

Also, I have the opportunity to buy a used AKG C414 b-ULS for $475 and am not sure if it's worth it given the price difference of the other mics listed - and if it is worth the price difference, would a Blue Baby Bottle be a better choice as it's $500 new?

You see how hard this is... HELP!





I currently own an AKG C1000S, a SM58 & SM57.
 
Have you looked at the MXL 990, from musiciansfriend (.com)?

I've heard good reviews for that, it's 60$ (usually 70$), comes with a case and shockmount too. Maybe it'll tide you over until you could better afford the Blue.
 
I've not heard of the MXL 990. Musicain's Friend has it listed for $60 right now. Do you have the MXL 990? Have you been pleased w/ it?

I have $ for the Blue Baby Bottle now, just unsure if the extra money makes a big difference as I've not had much experience w/ mics. Would you choose the Blue Baby Bottle over the AKG C414 B-ULS for male vocals?
 
nuemes said:
I've not heard of the MXL 990. Musicain's Friend has it listed for $60 right now. Do you have the MXL 990? Have you been pleased w/ it?
Click to expand...

No, I don't have the MXL 990. You probably haven't heard of it because it's (reportedly) an MF exclusive.

I know two people with that mic, and one suggests "Hell, for that price, buy two," and said it would make a good stereo pair (although they wouldn't be "matched.")

I will be buying one within the next 3 weeks, though.
 
This is one you have to wing a little. The MK319 and the V67 are both good on some vocals, but if that 414 is in good condition, that's a good price. It is a passable vocal mic, but it's simply a versatile srudio mic that's good for lots of stuff. It never goes out of style. Go look at the mic lists of a dozen top notch professional studios on line, and try to find one that doesn't have a 414. Then try the same thing with every other mic on your list. Then think about it.-Richie
 
Thanks Bergen - listening to the KIWI vs the MXL 990 is very telling about the quality difference. Great idea to test them together.

It would be nice to hear the C1 samples if it's not too much trouble. Do you have a V67 as well? If so would you be able to post samples of both?

I'm leaning towards to V67 at the moment based on recommendations from this site; the C414 B-ULS does seem like a good deal at $475 used but I'm not sure how it will handle vocals.
 
that is a good price on that c414. i'd probably opt for it.
 
I actually don't have a v67 because I was deciding between the two. I did a lot of research on these mics and started a thread addressing this decision here:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104908&highlight=v67g+and+C1*

Search C1* and v67g and you'll find some stuff. Definitely check the thread where Harvey Gerst takes both mics under the knife. You can also check online reviews of these mics. Check thelisteningsessions.com as well.

I can throw up some C1 samples in the next day or two.
 
I would go for the 414 they have a better resale value some of the other microphones might not even have a resale value. They are also multpattern

There are not alot of sub $1000.00 microphones I like stock IMHO. The SP line seems to be a safe purchase to me I own a C1 it is good microphone I was suprised by the quality of the electronics the grill design and the QA. The grill looks alot like my brauner VM1.

I have not tried the b3 3 pattern yet but I would guess it would a good buy as well, IMO the SP is a big step up from most of the china built stuff. Another microphone that suprised me was a Beringer B2 PRO 3 pattern.

I own a number of the cheaper microphones alot of them I don't like stock. I might even put a tube circuit in my TLM103.
 
I'd probably go for the used C414-B/ULS. Then, when I'm feeling like I'm itching to spend more money on gear, I'd send it to Jim Williams at Audio upgrades and have him mod it for $225... Makes an excellent mic in the sub $1k for only $700 plus change for all the shipping!
 
the oktava, in my opinion, was the best and most versatile mic in the $100 range, but like everyone else said in previous posts, the 414 is a great deal and a workhorse mic. the rear rejection is superior to any other mic in its class and is capable of very high spls. you decide if its worth the extra bucks.
 
C1 samples

Ok, here are some rough vocal samples with the C1. Some technical notes. The room this was recorded in had less reflections than the MXL 990 vs. B.L.U.E. KIWI demo at GC. It was recorded in my walk in closet(pretty acoustically dead on it's own) in a moving blanket soundbooth. My signal chain is SP C1-audiobuddy-Echo Mia. The samples are from 4 different songs. the gain adjusted for the first which is the loudest, so the other three are on the quiet side. I was 8 to 10 inches from the mic for the most part. I played with the proximity effect on the second song and was 3 to 4 inches away on the last. I didn't engage the pad or hpf. No eq, compression or other effects added. Hope this is informative. Here's the link:

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/?aid=3625/singles
 
Bergen, you do not have any download/listening options selected. We can't hear :( Could you change that? Thanks
 
Just a price correction for you.- The AKG C2000B is available at 8thstreet.com for $179 *with* the H100 shock mount, which is a relatively high quality multi-purpose shock mount. The C2000B is a very versatile mid-sized diaphragm utility mic which is good for vocals and a bunch of other applications. With pad and high pass filter, it can be used on almost anything. I've even seen it used as a kick mic.-Richie
 
319

The real bargain in your list right now is the Octava 319---$50 at GC! The C2000B is REALLY versatile. Last week I was able to get a vocalist to do a comparison between the C2000B and Octava 319 (just some vocal demo track layouts in a less-than-desirable studio). I can say that, with some preamp tweaking, the Octava is a versatile performer. I preferred the C2000B but the vocalist liked both on his voice. If money is the primary concern, you probably won't regret the Octava, especially at $50. The $200 mics that you listed are all nice. I can vouch for the C2000B's versatility and clarity.

By the way---Zzounds will usually sell you the C2000B, with its clip and its hockmount, for $175.

Good Luck,
Paj
8^)
 
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