condenser mics on a budget

M

mark_wyman

New member
Hello all,

If anyone has any input on the following, please chime in!

I am trying to decide which mic' to get and i only wanna spend round $200 as i also need to get an m audio usb thingy, external drive + other items....

So, here''s what i'm looking at

Octava 319's are $100 brand new from one big box retailer
Marshal1006 or V67B are $90 or $80 respectively at another similar retail hub OR
AKG 3000Bs seem to go for about $200 or so used.

I love KSM27s but it's outta my budget. Not sure if the NTK1 is right for close mic'ed guitar + strings stuff, which is the bulk of my use right now.

So my question is---what's the best deal? Are the AKG 3000B's sufficiently superior to warrant the added expense? Does anyone out there use Octavas? Anything else i should be considering?

I'm starting to drive myself a bit mad turning on the options....any advice would be much welcomed

Thanks

MW
 
The Studio Projects C1 ia $199. Probably the best mic around right now for that price. Also the Studio Projests B1 is $80. A wonderful sounding mic. A good Octava 319 is certainly worth $100 but is it better than a SP B1? Not in my opinion.

So maybe you buy a B1 and a 319. You spend less than your $200 and have two different colors.

$.02

Blessings, Terry
 
follow up

hey thanks terry,

is Studio Project" the product line or the manufacturer?

I'm not familiar with them.

Thanks again

Mark
 
I'd suggest buying a pair of Studio Projects B1s ($80-$90 each)... they're incredibly good mics for the money! ( bought a pair of them a few weeks ago and I love them.

I'd also avoid the Octava 319s... the build quality is terrible and no two are the same. Read my "319 vs. Rode NT1 shootout" posting here on the "other equipment and reviews".
 
Studio Projects is a Product line.

Studio Projects

Look around this and other recording forums and you sill see their name a lot. Very, very popular. It's still hard to believe that you can get a mic as good as the B1 for $80 but you can. I have a C1 on order but will not recieve it untill January some time. Everyone is back-ordered.

I would probably go for two B1's too but I like having different colors and if you can get a good 319 they sound very good. They are a little darker than a lot of other LD mics which in some cases is just what the Dr. ordered.

Anyway, this is a great time to be in the market for inexpensive mics. There are a ton of them on the market right now and a lot of them are very, very good.

Blessings, Terry
 
the elusive SP

wow,

these mic's seem great---my only problem is that i live in NYC and there are no dealers here! SP web site lists a place called Your Audio, but it's been shut down. There's one other place, but it's way, way out in Brooklyn + I can't get out there. Nothin' doin on Ebay either

Does anyone have any ideas on where to look?

Also----where does the AKG 3000B figure into all this----does anyone have a compare/contrast experience tween the 3000B and a B1?

Thanks!

Mark
 
I'd also avoid the Octava 319s... the build quality is terrible and no two are the same. Read my "319 vs. Rode NT1 shootout" posting here on the "other equipment and reviews".
Click to expand...

Hey kid,

I read your review, good job.

I don't own an NT1, I have an NT100. I have a/b'd them and would agree that the Rode is much more "Hi Fi" sounding than the 319. However, the 319 has a kind of a gutsy sound to it that can be very useful. For some types of music the Rode is just a little too clear sounding and the 319 seems to sit in the mix a little better. I'm not saying they are a better mic, and like you said you do need to listen to a few to get a good one, but they do have a very usable sound if you can get a good one.

Blessings, Terry
 
QA on a 319

What sort of things should i be on the look out for with a 319?

not having used one before, how would i be able to tell if I got a less than pristine mic?

If i go this route i'll have 7 days unconditional to bring it back...

Thanks!

M
 
Last edited:
hmm

ok, i just found the scathing post on 319s!

this certainly will make me think twice. I'm using this primarily for close mic''ing guitars + strings and a low, boomy mic could be troubling...

How is it on proximity?

any thoughts on Marshall V67Bs? A better alternative?
 
Mark, if you e-mail Alan Hyatt, the owner of Studio Projects, at
www.pmiaudio.com they'll send you a free listening CD of both the
B series and C series microphones. Just received the B series CD BTW.
(Already have had the C version and a C1 microphone)
They can also tell you your dealer options for your area.

Unless you REALLY know what to listen for, don't get an Oktava from
Guitar Center or another vendor like that. www.Oktava.com is the
place to go for a reliable one. I lucked out and got a "good" MC012
from GC, but when you take into account the time and hassle of picking
it out it isn't worth it for most people. And for less $$ than getting an
Oktava from the reliable source above, you can get a fine one from
Studio Projects.

Chris
 
For LDC mic's in the $200 range, checkout the Studio Projects C1, Marshall V67G, and the older type Rode NT1.
 
SP cont'.....

Hey thanks guys..

Chris--do you like the SPs more than the Octavas?

Terry---as an SP convert, is there a particular pre you've found to be a good match?

and to the fellow with Marshall 67Gs, are they really much better than the 67Bs?

This is helping me alot!

Thanks for sharing,

Mark W
 
I like and own the Studio Projects C1, Marshall V67G, and the older type Rode NT1. You really need to test drive some mic's out for yourself to find the one(s) you like best, because it really doesn't matter what anyone here likes, what matters is what you like.
 
I hear ya,

Every mic has an objective character. I'm just trying to learn what these attributes from experienced users, cause company promo's and sales clerks aren't gonna tell ya the sorta stuff people write here! I know what i like, just trying to figure out which mic best provides that at my meager expense allowance!

I found a dealer in the city that has an SP B1, but nothing else..

Do these measure up to the B3's?
 
mark_wyman,

I think that the only difference between the V67G's and the V67B's is the color. G= Green. B=Black.

-MG
 
...and the winner is

thanks everyone,

in the end i think i'm gonna go with the SP B1. This seems like a great mic' for the price....plus from the reading i've done it seems like it has a nice "airy" quality in addition to the warmth and clarity of a condenser....i'll be back in a few weeks to post my findings

mark
 
For one mic in your range, I'd consider the B-3 as opposed to the B-1, just for the omni option. One thing I can tell you for sure is that Alan Hyatt at PMI Audio, the parent company of Studio Projects, is a fanatic on customer service, and if you're not happy, he'll do anything possible to make you happy. I assure you, you won't get that kind of support from Guitarrgh Center.-Richie
 
service

yeah,

i get the impression they're really great with their customers. Alan wrote back right away when i had a question.

They seem like a solid company!
 
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