Cheapie over-heads

  • Thread starter Thread starter getuhgrip
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getuhgrip

getuhgrip

Bring Back Transfat!
Getting a clean cymbal sound from my Roland TD8 isn't gonna happen, so I'm going back to brass.

What's a decent over-head these days from the bargain bin? ECM8000? :eek:
 
Some folks like the SP B1 for cheap.

I like the Oktava MC012 if you can find it for cheap. I know that some are Russian and some Chinese these days, and I only have experience with the Russian, but I think they're great on OH.
 
believe it or not, i LOVE the MXL V67 as an overhead. the hashy midrange it has (which you can really hear on some vocalists) really tends to bring out the woodiness in drums, and the non-hyped high end tends to tame cymbals--especially in bad rooms. i wish i'd discovered it earlier!

the SP B1 is ok in a pinch, but i like it a lot more on snare (think concert snare) than as an overhead. i've used it as a snare mic on a kit before and while i like the sound, the pattern is just too wide to be effective. the B1 just doesn't excite me as an OH.

a pair of MXL 603's will also do the job just fine, but their hyped high end (which helps them excel on acoustic guitar) can bring out the harshness in some cymbals and rooms. it's too much for me.


cheers,
wade
 
603's are my fav, but yes you do need good cymbals and a decent room.
I like their top end because I do busy pop mixes which need the cymbals seperate from the rest of the instruments. I'll scoop out 7-9Khz and boost 12-14Khz on them.
I'd prefer not to have to do that, and just have some mics that would give me those ultra-highs straight up, but it takes a mighty expensive SDC to get that sound. 603's are probably the only ones of the cheapies that can pull this off (with some work).
 
don't get me wrong--i love the tone i get from the 603's.......it's just that if my room didn't suck so much..... :D


cheers,
wade
 
I like to use those small ADK condensers in x/y to pick up the cymbals, and they go really cheap. I use those along with a mono overhead (v67, at4050, at4033...kinda depends) and get a mid-side thing going on.
 
Behringer came out with a matched set for $50.00

I am thinking of getting them to try for live O/H's and the come tith a stereo mic bar.

If they suck I'm only out $50.00 or I will replace a few caps or mod them.

http://www.fullcompass.com/Products/pages/SKU--78211/



...............time to start the behringer bashing............
 
Damn, those are some cheap mics, I would love to hear some input about those, they would be nice for live overheads since often the bands I record get out of hand live.
 
You can't go wrong with any of the above mentioned. I've heard some really good feedback and reviews about the ECM8000, in which they have used as O/Hs. Like tim said if they aren't all that good your only out $50.
 
I've had extremely good luck wtih the CAD GXL1200's

i myself own four. good for using as overheads, acoustic guitar (when paired with a LD condenser) and even clos micing hats and ride.


you can get 2 of them with 2 tripod boom stands on ebay for about a buck 20.
 
GC has the Oktava MK-012 for $69 right now. Awesome deal on a solid overhead mic!
 
I'll second the ADK SC-1's. And with a room mic its even better. I sorta like all the others but have found them to be a bit picky about the cymbals' weights and sizes. The 603 is better as an acoustic instrument mic and the 012's only sounded good to me with the omni capsule and they were an older Russian built set as well as being matched. The only LDC I've ever liked on over heads was the Neumann U87 and this was in a very dead room....uh...'isolated chamber'....Okay...there was this set of AKG 414's...they were superb...The ADK's dont display any really large 'hyped' frequency response and as such are much easier to deal with a larger variety of cymbals and their tones. I use mine both in the studio and live. They have a very good pattern for a kit and the side rejection is fairly good. They leak some but in a good way. Because of their flatter tonal response, the cymbals sit well and are easily separated from the drums themselves if you wish a bit of isolation. And because they're 'flatter' than most of the others, they take EQ quite well. I realize this is an ongoing question about the 'best low-priced SDC'.....and even though its just an opinion like all the others, I've used em all and these compare very favorably in their usage to some much more expensive. I still prefer the KM184/185 Neumanns or the 4051 AT's or the Shure SM81. But the ADK's rock quite well for little dough.
 
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