I am interested in ADK

  • Thread starter Thread starter Beezoboy
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Beezoboy

Home Recording Guru
I have looked at the company site and have read lots of reviews and getting a mic for 199 (a51s) that sounds like a Nuemann U67 seems like a good deal to me.

My question is though, why have I never heard of these before? Are these some closes guarded industry secret? A company that is new and just now well known as of yet. OR is what is being said a bunch of hype.

I am looking to make my first BIG ($600 - $800) mic purchase in December, and I was wondering if these mics were any better than say an MXL 2003 or a V77 which are both cardoid only and have a good reputation around this board.

Does anyone have hands on experience with this mic? Harvey, Tubedude?

Beezoboy
 
Tastes Like Chicken!

I have one and I love it. I am no mic expert but I think I can tell good sound well enough. I have been very happy w/ the way it records acoustic guitar and vocals. I have also used it beind a drum kit over the drummers shoulder and gotten good sounds from it.

I think the Neuman comparison is a bit misleading, it seems that anybody who is touting a mic will say "sounds as good as a Neuman!" I have heard that Neuman plenty of times and this mic does not sound like it to my ears.

But it is still a very good mic for the $$

Twonky
 
...but it might be 'possom

twonky said:
I have one and I love it. I am no mic expert but I think I can tell good sound well enough. I have been very happy w/ the way it records acoustic guitar and vocals.
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I’m interested in the A-51 (V) because I keep reading about how good it sounds on acoustic guitar. Have you ever compared it to other mics (large or small diaphragm) for this purpose? Every large diaphragm I’ve tried on acoustic guitar sounds kind of harsh in the upper mids.
-Flatpicker
 
Flat-

I owe Tubedude an mp3 post somewhere with my sequential pair of A-51's. I'll just post on this board when I put the recording up, and you can take a listen, as well. I'll do something vocal, and something on a couple of different acoustic guitars.

I've used them on several acoustics, and have been surprised at the results. I've got a pair of MC012's, and I'm not convinced that the 012's are any better than the ADK's.

Mine are type III's.
 
H2oskiphil said:
Flat-

I owe Tubedude an mp3 post somewhere with my sequential pair of A-51's. I'll just post on this board when I put the recording up, and you can take a listen, as well. I'll do something vocal, and something on a couple of different acoustic guitars.

I've used them on several acoustics, and have been surprised at the results. I've got a pair of MC012's, and I'm not convinced that the 012's are any better than the ADK's.

Mine are type III's.
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Interesting...
Thanks!
-Flatpicker
 
tubedude said:
Well? :)
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Deep subject...:D

I've been so tied up with work, I haven't even gone IN my studio, let alone try to record anything, for about 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to start on something this weekend...

Phil
 
I'm currently reviewing several ADK mics. It's not hype. Actually, there's been very little hype about ADK. The owner, Larry Villella is a really nice guy who runs a boutique operation. The mics are geared less for pop and rock and more towards classical music. More Austrian in characteristics than German.

ADK has some very interesting developments on the way.

----------------
Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
 
I just ordered an ADK 51ST, It's specs are the same as the 51s but with three patterns (omni, cardioid, fig8). And apparently a bigger capsule (28mm vs 51s 25mm). I got it for like 200$
Should be very interesting to try out. If you want I'll post clips for you to hear when it arrives. It's modelled after a combination of vintage u67 and c12 response curves, but I really don't expect it to sound anything like it. It'll prob sound very good for the money though. (I hope)
/Jonas
 
I've been looking at getting another large diaphram, and I've been looking at the A-51. At 8thstreet they have a package with an SC-1 for $199. Does anybody know anything about this mic? I may just go ahead w/ it, because it says it comes w/ a shockmount, and the A-51 w/ a shockount is the same price. Same shockmount?........hmmmm

Any other recommendations on a large diaphram? I can spend about $200. I would be using this (being a poor student) for a wide range of things.....vocals, acoustic guitar, drums.

thanks!

Nathan
 
Hi,
I got two A-51's. Before I bought them I did some tests. I had a Rode NTK, ADK A-51, Oktava MK-319, Audix CX -101. In my ears the Oktava was far behind them all, heard at once. The ADK has a kind of valve character but not as nice as the NTK which is a true valve mic. I've done tests with it on vocals, but I don't like that faked valve distortion in the upper mids. It works great on everything but vocals I think.

The NTK was not my favourite on vocals either, it also had that distortion in the upper mids. I have done recordings with an old Microtech Gefell UM 59 (a Neumann) which has a wonderful valve distortion.

My choice for recording vocals was the Audix. I also bought a pair of ADK's.

There are some soundsamples in mp3 at www.hagen.nu --> Free downloads --> let's take "Vuxenpsyk"

The mics used on this song are (same mics on the other too):
Vocals: Audix CX-101
Acoustic guitar: Neck: Audix CX-101, Body: Oktava MC012
Electric Guitar: CAD 89 , Les Paul guitar, Marshall JD800 amp and a Marshall 4x12 speaker
Kick: AKG D112 (low mix level)
Overhead: Two ADK A-51's
Snare: ATM 31 (very low mix level)
Bass: Rickenbacker 4001 Direct into a Presonus Digimax
Percussion: Two ADK A-51's

Hans
 
Hi again,

Listen to "Älskling snälla" instead of the other song. It's heard better here. Same specifications as the other.

Hans :~)
 
I've got the ADK 51s .... has the bass roll out and 10 db cut switches. For acoustic guitar (martin d-41) it is really good. I also have the Studio Projects C1.... The ADK is better for my guitar... and for my voice. But I've recorded several other speakers / singers and the SP c1 works better on their voices (especially female).

The ADK does have its own sound or "color". And for recording a martin d-41 I can't imagine a better sounding mic.
 
This might not be what you want to hear, but I'm going to suggest you look at the ADK tube mics, rather than the solid state. I compared a bunch of budget LD condensers in my studio, and did blind playbacks for a several musician and engineer friends. Everyone preferred the ADK A51tc (tube cardioid) to any of the others, tube or solid state. I'm not making any claims of scientific accuracy, or anything except a clear preference among a bunch of music-making Joes. Give one a listen before you make your decision.

Scott
 
Hey Tubedude!!!!!!

I've got some stuff I did with the ADK "somewhat" done. Check your PM's...
 
sjjohnston said:
Are these just more Fielo mics?
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ADK uses the assembly of four different manufacturer's in Asia.
If you look inside you will see it is primarily Japanese electronics:
Toshiba FET's, Panasonic Capacitors, etc
.
It's true that some of our mics are assembled at Feilo, but the fact is they are - as are all of our microphones - custom made for ADK, and not "factory stock" microphones.

Respectfully,

Larry Villella, ADK Microphones
 
Larry-

Welcome to the board.

I've got a sequential pair of type III A-51's (not necessarily matched, but pretty close to my untrained ear) that I use pretty often, most recently on saxophone. I've also used them extensively on acoustic guitar and male vocals. I like 'em a lot.

Don't be a stranger-we need to convert more of the unwashed masses from the dark side...:D :D :D
 
Jeez... Where else in the world..

...can you post a question and have the company respond? It happens over and over here! This place is great. Welcome to HomeRec, Larry.

A couple of questions about the A-51 / SC 1 package (yeah, I'm shopping too) - Is the A-52 a Type III, and what kind of shock mount comes with the SC 1?

Also, what's the difference between the A-51 and the A-51S?

Thanks!!
 
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