X
XLR
______
Well, you're not completely wrong... the last sentence is correct.
K
Kres7787
New member
It's a shamre that it seems that shops available here in Croatia don't really work with Senheiser. And I have came to same conclusion about SM57. Seems to be the great starting point. So thank you, what alternative to 421 could you suggest?
I've found a DOC file for that big historical mic thread. Printed it on 55 pages, and read it. Coming to some conclusions though it is hard core English so having rougher times digesting it all. But am getting there. Thank you Shadow_7 for the explanation.
N
newyorkbrass
New member
AKG Perception 200 is a clone of the legendary 414 at about $100-150. We use it all the time and it doesnt fall short of a neuman U87 especially for brass. Having said that a cascade ribbon microphone also records brass very well! Check us out at NewYorkBrass.com for recording brass techniques.
R
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
First to Rimshot- The SM7 fragile? Sure, like an M1-A1 Abrahms. But yes, EV20 would be a very good choice, if you have a decent preamp. Same deal with SM7.
Yo Kres! Ok yeah, your balls are being (slightly) busted because you have asked one of the all time FAQ's, and one that folks have been trying to answer and arguing about for years. I am sorry that the complexity of the question makes your head hurt, like many others before you, but the sad truth is, you will have to read a ton of stuff, and you will find there are as many answers as there are sound people.
To boil down the answer to general terms, many people will recommend a good dynamic microphone for your Swiss-army mic request. Ribbons, a subgroup of dynamics will be recommended by some. Generally ribbons fall into 2 groups-wicked expensive (and very good) and recent cheap Chinese mics, which some believe to be a good buy. I have never used them, so I can't fairly comment. All dynamics, whether ribbon or not, come with upsides and downsides. The main upside is that the best and most commonly used non-ribbon dynamics can be had in your price range. The best condensers are a whole lot more expensive. The main downside of dynamics (including ribbons) is that they produce a weak output, and therefore need a preamp that can produce a whole lot of gain, without a lot of noise or distortion. Many cheap preamps fail to do this.
Condensers produce higher output, and can be annoyingly sensitive. A cheap or mid-priced condenser may sound better with a cheap preamp, because you don't have to crank the preamp a lot. Some condensers have tubes (valves), which introduce hopefully subtle distortion, to kind of air brush the sometimes annoying detail condenser mics often deliver.
Next, you didn't specify acoustic or electric guitars, so I have to presume both. It is also difficult to predict what mic will make a vocalist sound good, and that can change dramatically depending on the singer, the material, the room, and the signal chain, as well as other variables.
My best answer to your actual question? The right mic isn't necessarily the best mic. In your price range, I would choose 2 mics, and experiment with what sounds you prefer on your sources through your signal chain. I would choose one dynamic and one condenser.
The dynamic? Good ones have been mentioned: Shure SM7b, Electrovoice RE20, Sennheiser MD421, and I would add MD441. I choose the SM7 for price and versatility, with MD421 a close second. These mics, with their low output, will be good on loud stuff, such as your horns and electric guitars. They will work on some singers some of the time.
The choices in condensers are moch more numerous, and folks will suggest bizzillions of them (I'm thinking $500 or less, here, trying for less) I also like the Rode NTK suggested above, but it would have to be used- a little out of price range. Some of my favorites include- CAD M179, AKG Perception 400, B.L.U.E. Bluebird, Rode NT1a and NT2a, AKG C2000B (an older model that gets no respect, but is one of my personal faves), and Audio-Technica AT4033 and AT4044. You'll find condensers tend to pickup anoying background noise very well (a main downside), but they demand less from your preamp (the upside). They will be good on softer sources, such as acoustic guitars. They will work on some singers some of the time. Best of luck- Richie
Yo Kres! Ok yeah, your balls are being (slightly) busted because you have asked one of the all time FAQ's, and one that folks have been trying to answer and arguing about for years. I am sorry that the complexity of the question makes your head hurt, like many others before you, but the sad truth is, you will have to read a ton of stuff, and you will find there are as many answers as there are sound people.
To boil down the answer to general terms, many people will recommend a good dynamic microphone for your Swiss-army mic request. Ribbons, a subgroup of dynamics will be recommended by some. Generally ribbons fall into 2 groups-wicked expensive (and very good) and recent cheap Chinese mics, which some believe to be a good buy. I have never used them, so I can't fairly comment. All dynamics, whether ribbon or not, come with upsides and downsides. The main upside is that the best and most commonly used non-ribbon dynamics can be had in your price range. The best condensers are a whole lot more expensive. The main downside of dynamics (including ribbons) is that they produce a weak output, and therefore need a preamp that can produce a whole lot of gain, without a lot of noise or distortion. Many cheap preamps fail to do this.
Condensers produce higher output, and can be annoyingly sensitive. A cheap or mid-priced condenser may sound better with a cheap preamp, because you don't have to crank the preamp a lot. Some condensers have tubes (valves), which introduce hopefully subtle distortion, to kind of air brush the sometimes annoying detail condenser mics often deliver.
Next, you didn't specify acoustic or electric guitars, so I have to presume both. It is also difficult to predict what mic will make a vocalist sound good, and that can change dramatically depending on the singer, the material, the room, and the signal chain, as well as other variables.
My best answer to your actual question? The right mic isn't necessarily the best mic. In your price range, I would choose 2 mics, and experiment with what sounds you prefer on your sources through your signal chain. I would choose one dynamic and one condenser.
The dynamic? Good ones have been mentioned: Shure SM7b, Electrovoice RE20, Sennheiser MD421, and I would add MD441. I choose the SM7 for price and versatility, with MD421 a close second. These mics, with their low output, will be good on loud stuff, such as your horns and electric guitars. They will work on some singers some of the time.
The choices in condensers are moch more numerous, and folks will suggest bizzillions of them (I'm thinking $500 or less, here, trying for less) I also like the Rode NTK suggested above, but it would have to be used- a little out of price range. Some of my favorites include- CAD M179, AKG Perception 400, B.L.U.E. Bluebird, Rode NT1a and NT2a, AKG C2000B (an older model that gets no respect, but is one of my personal faves), and Audio-Technica AT4033 and AT4044. You'll find condensers tend to pickup anoying background noise very well (a main downside), but they demand less from your preamp (the upside). They will be good on softer sources, such as acoustic guitars. They will work on some singers some of the time. Best of luck- Richie
drossfile
nope
this has to be a joke.
i have the perception 200, and while it's decent at its price point, i see 2 outrageous claims here: 1) "clone of the 414" and 2) "doesn't fall short of a u87."
this HAS to be a joke.
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