buying my first overheads..

R

ron82

New member
ok after a long process of thinking it over, i decided to buy 2 LD condenser mics for ambience micing drums.

buuuut i'm unsure yet, WHICH mic to buy, or even to buy two DIFFERENT mics.. dont get mean wrong - it seems obvious that i'll get the best result with the same mic on both sides; but this is the first time i'm buying (a) condenser mic(s), and i dont think i will buy another one soon.. so theres something in me that wants to buy two different mics - just two have two different mics to try and stuff - if u know what i mean lol

i also plan to record (of course :D) vocals with, well, one of it lol
my genre is pop-punky music (blink-182-ish..)

well, it would be great if u guys could give me advice on which mic (mikes!??) to buy for my needs, and if i should get the idea of buying 2 different mics out of my head..

thanks a bunch! here's the mics i heard good of, open for recommendations, but please dont recommend anything more expensive, cant afford more:

t.bone sc 450 (#1 choice, although i didnt see anything about this mic on this board yet! http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw4_artikel-152310.html?sn=eea5cf9c9a42526b2bc074cded8d1cc3 )
behringer b-1
studio projects b-1
MXL V-67 G (because its alot cheaper at my fav onlin shop at this time..)

thanks again ppl :D
 
I'd personally recommend staying away from the Behringer B1. Especially for overheads, it'll be way too crispy.

Most people use small diaphragm condensors for overheads. The MC012 and MXL603s being favorites around here. (plug- see the mic FAQ for more information on these and other microphones).

I own two MXL 603s and the Behringer B1 and I definately prefer the 603's for overheads.

You might get good use out of buying a 603 and a SP B1 or V67g and recording in mono. Use the 603 as an overhead, and the B1 or V67 as a room mic.
 
what kind of room are you working in?

i would say you should go for mics with tighter patterns if your room is a piece of crap... (like most home recording set-ups)

and also, if your current mic choice is slim, get mics that can do some double/triple duty.

maybe the SP b1s?
 
thanks Dethska, i actually wasnt aware of that, the first choice for overheads r small condenser mics.. but as i mentioned, i also want to record vocals, thats why i want to go for LD mics..

Dethska
You might get good use out of buying a 603 and a SP B1 or V67g and recording in mono. Use the 603 as an overhead, and the B1 or V67 as a room mic.
Click to expand...
thats a nice idea indeed.. tho i'm aiming for a stereo image.. :\


eeldip
i would say you should go for mics with tighter patterns if your room is a piece of crap... (like most home recording set-ups)
Click to expand...
hehe! i have to admit that i dont know shit about patterns (yet..) so thanks for that tip.. i guess i should get some more info about condenser mics before making my choice :)

and also, if your current mic choice is slim, get mics that can do some double/triple duty.
Click to expand...
exactly what i'm aiming for.. thanks alot for the input, eeldip
 
ok, here is my new theory about overheads and homerecording.

one given that you have to take, being a home recordist, is that your recordings are not going to sound great. you pretty much have to aim at "not sucking" more than you should aim at "sounding great".

that established, you have to look at what individual mic choices do in situations where, for whatever reason, the recording is a little "off".

here is my analysis for OH mic choices:

SD condenser: when they go wrong, the drums sound overly bright, brittle, and thin.

LD condenser: if you dont watch out, drums can sound trashy, out of control, and a hair thin.

Dynamic: sometimes a little low-fi sounding, muddy.

ribbon: sometimes lo-fi sounding, flat and boring.


so the question is: given that your drums are going to sound bad, which sort of bad are you most comfortable with?
 
LOL :D

thanks for the comparison, i'd be best with the LDs then tho, i think i mind trashiness least (plus the fact it still should b a vocal mic, too.. lol)
 
another question..

is there maybe any place on the net where i can listen to how LD and SD mics sound? i mean yea, describing the difference is nice, but i'd just like to hear it myself (and yes, i am aware of the fact that each mic sounds different to another anyway..)

just wondering, thanks again! :)
 
Gee, I didn't even know the Chinese could speak German. Nice shock mount, though. The Behringer B-1? Any of the other listed mics are probably better choices. The T-Bone I know nothing of, YMMV. The SP B-1 and the V67 are both perfectly good mics with very different sounds. I think B-1 is the better overhead, and at least on my voice, the V67 is the better vocal mic. Others can and do sing into the B-1 with success. I think the pair would be a good choice, and add another B-1 later for a pair of overheads. In the meantime, there's no reason you can't use the B-1 and the V67 as an overhead pair. If you do buy that T-Bone, sort of a relative unknown, please post up and tell us how it sounds. Anyone have any experience with that mic, or that company? If it's cheap enough, I might buy it for that shockmount.-Richie
 
thanks Richard :D

well, i will most probably go with a sp b-1 and a v67 now, since the t.bone r "german/chinese" mics as well.. ;)

tho it surprises me, that most people here (if not all) dislike the behringer b-1 (or behringer products anyway lol) - well in germany and here (i'm right next to them on the map ;) ) the behringer stuff is really popular, also i just heard good things about their b-1 (on german online stores..), thats why it was on the list :)

but u guys helped me alot and i will have an easier time, pressing the "click here to complete your order"-button, after this thread :D
 
If I were in Austria, I would consider a pair of AKG C2000B's. A mid-sized diaphragm mic with pads and bass rolloff. They work quite well as overheads, and are good on some vocals, usable on acoustic instruments, and excellent on percussion.-Richoe
 
good thing i know german lol, the T-Bone mic says it only handles 120db SPL, which is a lot, but at the price of a lot of harmonic distortion. Figure drum OH usually see between 90-110db SPL, won't sound too smooth as you push the limits of what they can handle
 
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