industry standard mics?
- Thread starter Callum
- Start date
NL5
Unpossible!
Sony C800g is an industry standard.
@ nearly $8000 I think it's expensive.
Yeah, I don't think the question makes sense. I wouldn't consider that mic to be a standard - it's fairly popular with the rap genre - but I would guess less than 10% of big studios would have that mic on hand. Your point is still valid though. Most "industry standard" mics are pretty expensive.
I would say it depends on what industry your talking about!
But even then they all have cheap to expensive microphones.
Beyond or just as important as reliability remains environment and situation to contend with.
Shadow_7
New member
It depends on the industry of course. If Black & Decker and Stanley made mics...
I tend towards the standards because a) there are samples of them in use and maybe on what I intend to record with it. and b) they're popular so I can sell it (if only in theory) and not get the royal shaft in doing so. And c) there might exist a local store that's heard of it, and has it in stock.
I tend towards the standards because a) there are samples of them in use and maybe on what I intend to record with it. and b) they're popular so I can sell it (if only in theory) and not get the royal shaft in doing so. And c) there might exist a local store that's heard of it, and has it in stock.
buzzard bass
Terminated
Seems like SM57's are standard for micing instruments and Neumann U87's are standard for vocals. Sarah Brightman uses Neumann's for ALL the vocals on her records.
what are the better more expensive mics BTW?
I mean why wouldn't you use the standards? As an amateur wouldn't you tend to go with what the pros use?
what are the better more expensive mics BTW?
I mean why wouldn't you use the standards? As an amateur wouldn't you tend to go with what the pros use?
shoggoth80
Member
I fall something in between. I picked industry standards though. In terms of live sound it will be easier for whoever is running the soundboard I imagine. I used to be very mic snobbish. I liked the Beta 58,and SM58, but ditched those for vocal work as soon as I got a N/D267...wish I never sold that mic. Might look for another one, or the next model up some day. I generally really like Ev mics, as I have never really heard a bad one. Running a Co9 now, as it was an inexpensive alternative, but it's still Ev, and still sounds rather nice.
guitaristic
prophet of Dave
Well....see, there's a difference between what I can afford and what I prefer!
well the thing is, one of my teachers from college said that when he records bands and gives them the option of which mics to use, they choose a Shure SM58 which is about £70 over something that is considerably better for around £300
tonesponge
New member
There are some other mics that are also considered "standards," like the RE2, which is widely hailed as the broadcast recording industry standard mic. Also, for live vocals, the SM58 is "standard," and Bono reportedly won't record with anything else than an SM58. I've heard the SM7B called the standard male rock vocalist recording mic. And some people might consider the Royer 121 to be the standard for recording electric guitar cabs, while the SM57 is standard for live micing of such instruments.
But, for me, I wouldn't use a Neumann in my recording environment if you gave it to me, because I don't have pro isolation. My first two mics were condenser mics, and they are boxed away for a reason. They are just too sensitive to be useful to many home recording artists.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
I would use any microphone, regardless of how cheap or how expensive. The cynic in me simply does not believe that a group of people would go to the trouble of making something that does not work ! Besides, most things musical are in the ear of the beholder.
No mic is too sensitive for me !
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
There aren't just good mics and bad mics (or better mics). There are *right* mics and *wrong* mics.A mic doesn't become a studio standard because it's the best mic, or the most expensive. It becomes an industry standard because it delivers good performance for the price, and because it is often the right mic. So called "industry standards" vary wildly in price and function. The other thing is that in order to become a benchmark, it has to be around for quite a while. It needs to be proven to deliver those qualities up against the competition over a period of many years.
If I name the first ones that come to my mind, for instance, none of them are made by Audio-Technica, mostly, I think, because they haven't been around long enough. Likewise for Rode. Pretty much all of them are made by Shure, AKG, Neumann, Sennheiser, Electrovoice, Royer, RCA. There are some high-end boutique mics like Brauner, Schoeps, DPA, and Manley, etc. These have become standards rarely, because their price hasn't convinced the established studios to trade in their Neumanns on a new one. But there have been a few inroads, particularly Schoeps CM6, and B.L.U.E. Bottle. Here are the classics that come to my mind:
Shure
SM57, SM7, KSM44, SM81
AKG
C414, C12, C451, D12/D112
EV
RE-20
Sennheiser
MD421
Neumann
K84/KM184, U87, U47, U67
Royer R-121
RCA
RCA44, RCA77
Just a look at the list above will show you that industry standards vary widely in price, from $100 new, to over $5000 used, and they tend to be long-produced models made by respected companies that have been around since the 1940's to the 1960's. Sure, a Microtech-Gefell may be as good as a Neumann, or even better, but it isn't a standard, because it has a shorter track record. Big studios rarely get rid of mics, or replace them, when they are proven to get the job done. In 40 years or so, you may have to pay through the nose for a vintage AT4050, or a pair of matched Oktava MC012's.
In my experience, when you are building a microphone cabinet, if you find a "studio standard" for less than $500, just buy it. If it's between $500 and $1000, *think* about buying it. If it's over $1000, make damn sure you like it, and that it's the right mic for recording something that you need to record.
At every point in the process, I make comparisons with other mics out there that *aren't* studio standards, because being newer doesn't make them better or worse, but the standards do hold their resale value better. Here are some mics that I consider comparable to some standards, but just get fewer endorsements:
Shure SM57-Audix OM5, AKG D770, Senheiser e835
AKG C414/Shure KSM44- AT4050
Neumann U87-B.L.U.E. Kiwi
Neumann U67- Lawson L47 MkII, AT4060
Newmann KM184/KM84- Josephson C42
AKG D12/D112- Audix D6
Shure SM7, EV RE-20- Sennheiser MD441 (one of the cases where the alternative is *more* expensive)
Of course, we can also budget down to mics that are a lot less expensive, substituting Cascade fat heads for Royers, MXL604's for KM184's, and CAD M179 for AKG C414, etc. It comes down to- we all have things we want to record, and we all have budgetary limitations. If I had unlimited money, I assure you, very few of the mics in my cabinet would survive the cut. What would be left? An SM7, a C414, B.L.U.E. Kiwi, and an SM57.-Richie
If I name the first ones that come to my mind, for instance, none of them are made by Audio-Technica, mostly, I think, because they haven't been around long enough. Likewise for Rode. Pretty much all of them are made by Shure, AKG, Neumann, Sennheiser, Electrovoice, Royer, RCA. There are some high-end boutique mics like Brauner, Schoeps, DPA, and Manley, etc. These have become standards rarely, because their price hasn't convinced the established studios to trade in their Neumanns on a new one. But there have been a few inroads, particularly Schoeps CM6, and B.L.U.E. Bottle. Here are the classics that come to my mind:
Shure
SM57, SM7, KSM44, SM81
AKG
C414, C12, C451, D12/D112
EV
RE-20
Sennheiser
MD421
Neumann
K84/KM184, U87, U47, U67
Royer R-121
RCA
RCA44, RCA77
Just a look at the list above will show you that industry standards vary widely in price, from $100 new, to over $5000 used, and they tend to be long-produced models made by respected companies that have been around since the 1940's to the 1960's. Sure, a Microtech-Gefell may be as good as a Neumann, or even better, but it isn't a standard, because it has a shorter track record. Big studios rarely get rid of mics, or replace them, when they are proven to get the job done. In 40 years or so, you may have to pay through the nose for a vintage AT4050, or a pair of matched Oktava MC012's.
In my experience, when you are building a microphone cabinet, if you find a "studio standard" for less than $500, just buy it. If it's between $500 and $1000, *think* about buying it. If it's over $1000, make damn sure you like it, and that it's the right mic for recording something that you need to record.
At every point in the process, I make comparisons with other mics out there that *aren't* studio standards, because being newer doesn't make them better or worse, but the standards do hold their resale value better. Here are some mics that I consider comparable to some standards, but just get fewer endorsements:
Shure SM57-Audix OM5, AKG D770, Senheiser e835
AKG C414/Shure KSM44- AT4050
Neumann U87-B.L.U.E. Kiwi
Neumann U67- Lawson L47 MkII, AT4060
Newmann KM184/KM84- Josephson C42
AKG D12/D112- Audix D6
Shure SM7, EV RE-20- Sennheiser MD441 (one of the cases where the alternative is *more* expensive)
Of course, we can also budget down to mics that are a lot less expensive, substituting Cascade fat heads for Royers, MXL604's for KM184's, and CAD M179 for AKG C414, etc. It comes down to- we all have things we want to record, and we all have budgetary limitations. If I had unlimited money, I assure you, very few of the mics in my cabinet would survive the cut. What would be left? An SM7, a C414, B.L.U.E. Kiwi, and an SM57.-Richie
Shadow_7
New member
No but the reality is that some manufacturers will USE sub-standard parts to make more profit. Even if it wasn't designed that way, the product that is delivered may not measure up. The "standards" tend to avoid this most of the time.
Changes in standards (RoHS) and other things can and will influence products. So what was a standard BITD, may no longer be available. Or even legal to produce or own. And not unique to just mics. Recent adjustments to the wifi band for mics. Reduction of Hazardous Substances. IR abilities for certain camcorders to de-perv the market. Off remarks by political figures like Venezuela, and citgo. Resulting in Valero? Not that we care as much for our political figures, if Obama came out tomorrow and said that Shure mics sucks, it'd probably boost sales.
Mics that become standards have traits that make them the right mic more often than not. Some pricier mics may address flaws in the "standards" but most time 5x's the price doesn't really make them better IMO. Accidents happen and budget concerns makes them NOT the first choice. Even if they are the better mic. As I heard in a different forum, never record with anything that you couldn't afford to walk away from and live to record another day.
tonesponge
New member
No mic is too sensitive for me !
I guess you don't mind turning the AC off whenever you are recording, or doing a retake if the fridge upstairs makes ice, or the garbage truck drives by. I don't have that kind of patience or endurance, so I'll stick to the dynamic mics, tyvm.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
I don't dispute that. That was just my oblique way of saying that when you don't have great 'pick out minute detail' ears {me} or money {me}, any mic, great or small, will be of some use.
During the hot days we get here, many a time the fan has to go off while recording. Then turn it on while listening to the take !
I know what you're saying about sensitivity, my cheapo condensers are sensitive enough to pick up the 204 bus 500 yards away or a dog barking 1/4 of a mile away. I rarely mind though, I like creative accidents and if it really is uglyly (I just made that word up) intrusive, I'll just get it done again. I'm not going to colonize Northumbria just because something has to be done again !
Shadow_7
New member
Wait a min. ..... say that again so I can get a mic on it ..... damn I missed it.
Would the mic in use really matter in that instance. A failure to record is just as bad on a Neuman as it is on a Behringer. The difference being that if you left the Behringer out in the rain, you might laugh. If you left the Neuman out in the rain you'd probably cry. And file for bankruptcy. Not that you would, but just saying...
As far as the trash guy, they run at 5:30am. If I'm recording at the time, either I'm doing something illegal, or really on a roll, or both. I live far enough off the road to not be much of an issue. Low flying planes, first responders, hefty wind, sleet / hail, those will make it through the 2+ acres between here and the road. Living within 50 miles of a military base probably doesn't help. And the rare flock of ravens opting to rest on this roost....... Should I take offense or start the BBQ? So confused....
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
You must be talking about the MXL 990...
...which certainly seems to be the HR forum "industry standard" choice.