Is there much difference between the ADK A51tc and the ADK A51tl

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tradivoro

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I kinda of like the TL because of the various polar patterns available, but is the TC a better sounding mic? It will be used 90% of the time on male vocals... Any info appreciated, thanks...
 
I love my TC on my vocals. I'm a slightly nasaly medium range male singer. I haven't yet found it to be great on anything else other than vocals, though.

I didn't know the TL was multipattern. That's beginning to interest me more and more.
 
Hi cominginsecond, thanks for your reply... Do you know if the TC boosts the low mids? My voice is such that I'm a high baritone and when singing in my mid-range, it seems to have too much low mids, and some mics accent that, and makes the recording sound bassy, even if I sing 8 inches away from the mic and use the omni mode... So, I'm just curious if you've had any accentuation of low mids with this mic? Thanks in advance...
 
It does accentuate the low mids, IMO. It has a really nice proximity effect. It may not be the right mic for you, though, from what it sounds like.
 
Actually, in my experience the TC has much less proximity effect than other mics I've used, and as I recall, the ADK web site quotes a review that says the same thing. I like the TC a lot, if I have a source that needs to be smoothed out a little. I'm not sure it's the absolute best for fast transients, but it's not bad in that respect either.

I think with a low male voice (like mine) the trick is to find a mic that handles the mid and upper mids well, i.e. not make them sound nasal or thin. The low mids are not too difficult to correct by EQ, in my experience. But of course, YMMV.

Don
 
Thanks Don and cominginsecond for replies... Yeah, I need somethign that will not accentuate low mids... Proximity is not an issue, since I never sing close enough for that effect, it's the least thing I want on my vocal... I have theory that I amuse myself with that this low mid enhancement in large diaphram mics is really a flaw, and the companies try to sell it as a feature... :)

It looks like a great mic, but I can't be buying a mic that I have to eq to get an acceptable sound... I want to sound great on me without the eq, and great means, don't have this low mid miasma covering the recording and call it warmth... :)
 
tradivoro said:
Thanks Don and cominginsecond for replies... Yeah, I need somethign that will not accentuate low mids... Proximity is not an issue, since I never sing close enough for that effect, it's the least thing I want on my vocal... I have theory that I amuse myself with that this low mid enhancement in large diaphram mics is really a flaw, and the companies try to sell it as a feature... :)

It looks like a great mic, but I can't be buying a mic that I have to eq to get an acceptable sound... I want to sound great on me without the eq, and great means, don't have this low mid miasma covering the recording and call it warmth... :)
Click to expand...

I don't think the TC exaggerates low mids; my impression is that it's fairly neutral. But in any case, why are you so reluctant to use a little EQ?

Perhaps others can suggest a mic that would be more suitable for what you want. But, as stated many times in these forums, you need to try out mics yourself for your own voice.


Don
 
Thanks Don, I know about trying mics myself, but I get tired after a while of sending mics back, so I'm trying to minimize the back and forth... :) I listened to some recordings done on both ADK, and they had that low mid push... Now it could have been that vocalist was very close to the mic, since he was a tenor... I'm now looking into the AT4040, which supposedly sounds more neutral... But, I'll probably wind up trying out the ADK 51... I just wish that on these public examples people stopped using tenors... :)
 
I have an A51 type V and I think it might work for you. The AT4040 would probably also be good to try (but I've never used one, so I can't say much). Perhaps someone who's used good dynamic mics like the Sennheiser MD441 could tell you whether they would accentuate the low mids or not.

Good luck in your search!
 
Have you tried any of the truly flat condensers like Earthworks? They don't flatter' but they're very natural sounding.
Wayne
 
Hi Don, I'll look at the 51 type V and see that model... I worked with the Senheisser 421 for a long time, I really don't want to go back to that...
 
Hi Wayne, I don't anything ruler flat, I just need something that will work with my voice, without the added lows... But I appreciate the suggestion...
 
Yes there's enough of a difference. The TC is still a fairly neutral mic and not very colored for a tube mic. The TL is multi-pattern, transformerless, cleaner with more dimension and imagery and sounds different depending on the pattern selected.

If you're looking for a vocal mic that will not boost the low mids, I'd suggest you try the ADK TL, AKG 414 TLII, Audio-Technica 4047, or something in the Shure KSM series.
 
There is no mic that I own that has a more exaggerated proximity effect than the TC. Maybe mine's different than most of them. I personally love the proximity effect I get out of my TC.
 
Hi Dan, thanks very much for the suggestions, much appreciated... I'll eventually post what I wound up getting... The TL interested me because of the multi patterns, so far on other mics, omni seems to work best for me...

Dot said:
Yes there's enough of a difference. The TC is still a fairly neutral mic and not very colored for a tube mic. The TL is multi-pattern, transformerless, cleaner with more dimension and imagery and sounds different depending on the pattern selected.

If you're looking for a vocal mic that will not boost the low mids, I'd suggest you try the ADK TL, AKG 414 TLII, Audio-Technica 4047, or something in the Shure KSM series.
Click to expand...
 
I never work the proximity effect... I'm usually 8 inches away from the mic...

cominginsecond said:
There is no mic that I own that has a more exaggerated proximity effect than the TC. Maybe mine's different than most of them. I personally love the proximity effect I get out of my TC.
Click to expand...
 
tradivoro said:
... My voice is such that I'm a high baritone and when singing in my mid-range, it seems to have too much low mids, and some mics accent that, and makes the recording sound bassy, even if I sing 8 inches away from the mic and use the omni mode...
Click to expand...
Being that pinning something like this down is so subjective, I'm curious what would happen if we looked at it this way.
What frequency range have you generally needed to cut on the low mids? (Looks like it could be above what going to omni mode could fix?)
Might it be that you want something scooped in that range, not that some mics are accentuating there?

dot said:
If you're looking for a vocal mic that will not boost the low mids, I'd suggest you try the ADK TL, AKG 414 TLII, Audio-Technica 4047, or something in the Shure KSM series.
Click to expand...
Just to throw out another subjective experience; comparing my AT4047 with an ADK 'ST' in cardioid (their multi-patt, non tube) the 'ST' sounds scooped, -or the 4047 sounds inverted to that one -more 'low mids'. :D Comparing free field graphs on the 4047 and 4050, the 47's rise does extend up into the low mids where the 50's does not.

Wayne
 
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mixsit said:
Being that pinning something like this down is so subjective, I'm curious what would happen if we looked at it this way.
What frequency range have you generally needed to cut on the low mids? (Looks like it could be above what going to omni mode could fix?)
Might it be that you want something scooped in that range, not that some mics are accentuating there?>>

Just to throw out another subjective experience; comparing my AT4047 with an ADK 'ST' in cardioid (their multi-patt, non tube) the 'ST' sounds scooped, -or the 4047 sounds inverted to that one -more 'low mids'. :D Comparing free field graphs on the 4047 and 4050, the 47's rise does extend up into the low mids where the 50's does not.>>

Wayne
Click to expand...

Well, usually, I wind up using a parametric, finding out what frequencies are bad, and pulling them all out with high band width... But there's just bassy mist that covers the whole recording and that's what I want to avoid from the get go... Right now I'm using a CAD E350... I want a mic that "clearer"... The Mackie preamp I use compared to some of these other "nice" preamps usually sound brighter, so that's good...

AS far as the 4047 goes, I got some mics to try out... :)
 
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