Groove Tubes GT55 Condenser mic

  • Thread starter Thread starter timboZ
  • Start date Start date
I've had one for about a year and a half now. It's a great mic at the price it's at now. When I bought it, it set me back 500 dollars USD. For that, I should have bought a RODE NTK or something of that nature, but it gives me a great dark, smooth sound and has the added convenience of the low-roll off switch and -10dB pad. I never really liked it on my voice simply because my voice is naturally more dark and midrangy, and the gt-55's freq. response just makes me sound darker and more bland with little accent on the high end. Lots of my customers love it though, especially those with real bright voices or harsh hints in their high range.

If you have a brigher/harsher high voice, this is a great mic for you. Also, it's 300 bucks now, so you can't go wrong.

If you have a darker/more midrangy or lower voice like I do, I suggest something that has some more high end accent. I ended up splurging and spending more than I thought I would on a mic, but it paid off significantly. I ended up going with the BLUE Baby Bottle, which I LOVE.

Hope this helps :)

Oh, I almost forgot, there is more than one use for LDs, haha.

On a real nice acoustic, I like the GT55. I have a regular customer who plays on a Martin and it sounds GREAT. Most people tend to sway more towards a bright mic for acoustic, but with a great guitar, this mic really shines, in my opinion that is. I also like it on guitar cabs for leads and more harsh upper/high parts. I've used it on my Fender Hotrod Deville 410 as well as some BIG amps like Mesa and Marshall.
 
My friend gave me a good review of the GT55 for vocals, but then he's got a high voice. I'm one of those people with a low, midrangy voice that strays into the bottom end of the high spectrum now & then, and I've had the damndest time finding a cheap mic that'll cover that.

I used a Rode NT1 and NT3 on my last record and they were sufficient, but not the best fit. I'd like something in the $300 range for next time. Are there any in that range that you'd recommend?
 
Mods for GT-55 ST-55 Microphone

I have two of these mics. They're not bad for the price, but there are two quick mods you can do to improve them drastically:

1) Remove the resonator disc (carefully).

2) Install a trimpot between the resistor and source voltage on the FET to balance the microphone pair with each other. I found a 10K trimmer bringing the drain voltage to around 11 volts sounded best to me.

Now I have a matched pair of microphones that don't sound nearly as harsh and over pronounced on the high end. They work very well for me and require no EQ whatsoever. However, they still lack the character and color that some of the higher end microphones bring to the table (BLUE Mouse, Rode NTK, Neumann TLM49). But you can't beat them for the price in a budget studio.
 
thedefog said:
I have two of these mics. They're not bad for the price, but there are two quick mods you can do to improve them drastically:

1) Remove the resonator disc (carefully).

2) Install a trimpot between the resistor and source voltage on the FET to balance the microphone pair with each other. I found a 10K trimmer bringing the drain voltage to around 11 volts sounded best to me.

Now I have a matched pair of microphones that don't sound nearly as harsh and over pronounced on the high end. They work very well for me and require no EQ whatsoever. However, they still lack the character and color that some of the higher end microphones bring to the table (BLUE Mouse, Rode NTK, Neumann TLM49). But you can't beat them for the price in a budget studio.
Click to expand...

Hey can you elaborate on removing the resonator disc? I have been looking for modding info for this mic as I find it ok on my vocals but it doesn't knock me out on anything..

Is this as simple mod? I've never opened the mic..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top