few Questions on the mxl 603/604

G

guitardude

New member
So my question is basically do they sound different? I know the 604 you have the switch. Which is the better mic?

At this moment in time I want to try to record vocals and acoustic at the same time. What would be the best way to go with this method?

I have a sterling audio st55. I'm looking to probably to buy a single mic. either 603/604... I was thinking bout getting a matched pair of 603's however I'm not to sure if I need two of them.

I do alot of open tuning/fingerpicking style of playing.

THANKS!
 
Same cardioid capsules in both mics, same body venting in both mics, same basic electronics in both mics (though you're correct about the switching in the 604) and the 604 comes with an omni capsule as well.

I have an aversion to roll-off and attenuation switches in general in mics because of how they are implemented, but in the 604 you can always just not use them and still get the bonus omni capsule and wood box.

For the absolute lowest price on these mics look for the Nady CM 90 mics - same as the 603 but with a slightly different (more obscured) capsule housing front and different body vent design. Just about as good as the 603 in its stock form.
 
I have 4 MXL 603. Use them for overheads sometimes rack tom mics and most often... acoustic guitar. They sound a little strange on most vocals because they are decently sensitive when a singer moves left or right... out of range of the mic.
 
I have the 604's and use & like them for acoustic guitar. Unlike Mr. Joly though, I find the rolloff very useful on this mic as it can get a little boomy on my Guild D25 set flat. These get very mixed reviews but I find them to be pretty good mics. I also play fingerstyle.

The recording vocals and guitar simultaniously can get tricky and my best luck has been with 2 Fig. 8 mics (consider a pair of cad m179's).
 
Yeah Im thinking bout buying 1 604, and then maybe get another one down the road. Would be okay if I did that? I dont see them selling 604' stereo pair. So that is why I thought about getting the 603 as a pair.

I wouldnt use them for vocals at all..just guitar pretty much and drum overheads, just get a decent sound.
 
quickmill said:
...Unlike Mr. Joly though, I find the rolloff very useful on this mic as it can get a little boomy on my Guild D25 set flat...
Click to expand...

Oh, a roll-off switch on a mic is useful - can prevent overloading the impedance converter on loud bass sources, but the use of a roll-off or attenuation switch usually involves signal degradation in the form of phase shift or loss of transient response. For tone control (taming a boomy acoustic guitar) a dedicated EQ circuit or software may be less convenient but will damage signal purity less.

guitardude said:
Yeah Im thinking bout buying 1 604, and then maybe get another one down the road. Would be okay if I did that? I dont see them selling 604' stereo pair. So that is why I thought about getting the 603 as a pair...
Click to expand...

These mics are not pair-matched at the factory so a "pair" of 603s just means "two mics sold together". If you like the features of the 604 it would be perfectly fine to get another down the road, you're going to have as good matching between the capsule as any 603 "pair". If you do buy two 604s you could go on eBay and find the seller who offers separate cardioid and omni capsules for the 603 - just buy one of each and find which of the three capsules makes the best pair.
 
MichaelJoly said:
Oh, a roll-off switch on a mic is useful - can prevent overloading the impedance converter on loud bass sources, but the use of a roll-off or attenuation switch usually involves signal degradation in the form of phase shift or loss of transient response. For tone control (taming a boomy acoustic guitar) a dedicated EQ circuit or software may be less convenient but will damage signal purity less.



These mics are not pair-matched at the factory so a "pair" of 603s just means "two mics sold together". If you like the features of the 604 it would be perfectly fine to get another down the road, you're going to have as good matching between the capsule as any 603 "pair". If you do buy two 604s you could go on eBay and find the seller who offers separate cardioid and omni capsules for the 603 - just buy one of each and find which of the three capsules makes the best pair.
Click to expand...


Okay cool thanks for your advice.
 
I have a pair of the 603's and purchased omni capsules for them. I really like them with the omni's as you can get nice and close. I was fond of the mics before the omni's and now afterwards...much improved. I too use them for acoustic guitar.
 
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