Joe Meek Meekrophone JM27 impressions?

i feel just the opposite timboZ....I had the jm27's when I purchased my MK-012's. I got rid of the JM's shortly after...dont get me wrong...I thought they were good mics and I used them a lot but in my opinion, they were much more harsh than the octava's.
 
With all the positives about both mics on these forums doesn't seem like you can loose, even more so if you go for the 27's on ebay, what $100 for two mics? The only other mic that comes close to positive remarks would be the MXL 603/604s. Different rooms, different drums, different acoustic guitars might call for each of those mics.
 
if you don't have the cash for a pair of mk012's, skip the jm27's and get a pair of 603's or 604's. the 603 is pretty bright but can be tamed with eq. i owned all three at the same time and very rarely used the jm27's for anything. the mk012's used to be the low budget king but the prices are'nt so attractive any more. i'd go with a pair of 604's now. if you can't afford the 604's, i'd get a pair of mshilarious's mics. i think the latest version is the msh-10? don't be fooled by the size and price ($44 for a pair or $133 for a drum mic kit which is 7 mics). the pair of msh-1a's i have are very useable mics and i would choose them over a 603 for some situations. i would probably use mk012's over any of them for all situations.

my picks in order: mk012 pair for probably $200 (used), 603 pair (604 has omni caps too) for $200, msh-1a pair(msh-10 is the newest version) for $44, jm27 pair for $90.
 
I use a pair of JM-27's as overheads and they seem fine. I don't find them harsh at all and really don't need to EQ them. I will sometimes drop a little around 500 to get rid of the boxiness but overall they are pretty cool.

I also use them on acoustic g-tar and they work fine. I'm sure there are much better, more expensive condensers out there but I am very satisfied with these mics.
Previous to getting the pair I used a Behringer B-1 LDC as a single overhead and it sounded like complete and total shit.
 
Well, I went ahead and bought a pair for like 95 bucks. They're green! It's just a stop-gap measure until I can afford some c4s or se1as. I'll see how they sound for overheads. I love the 603s, I have a pair, but the capsules got busted. Wish I could just find the cardioid capsules for these. Might buy the omnis they sell for like 58 bucks a pair. Those MSH mics are sold out now anyway. The MSH-1Cs look nice though...
 
amzavareei said:
The MSH-1Cs look nice though...
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If your looking for MSH as overheads I think I would go with the MSH-10's and not the 1C's

I only have one of the 1C's and haven't used it as an O/H but I think more suited for toms.
I have a set of the MSH-1 and the MSH-1a's (early versions of the MSH-10's)
and they work great as O/H as long as the room is good.
 
The JM 27 is one of my least favorite SDCs. It has an unpleasant midrange quality to it and the high end sounds metallic. It also had a cheasy clear finish on it, like someone sprayed it with polyurathane. I prefer the SM81 over both the JM27 and MXL 603, two mics that I don't much care for.
 
sound125 said:
The JM 27 is one of my least favorite SDCs. It has an unpleasant midrange quality to it and the high end sounds metallic.
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the mids sounded muddy and hi's were rolled off with the pair i had. i did'nt notice how bad they sounded until i got some other sdc's to compare them with.
 
I have a pair of JM27s that I really like for overheads. I could see how they might not work for everything, since the they have a somehwat darker sound to them, that's the only way I can describe it. They are a steal though, IMO compared to other stuff in their price range...
 
amra said:
I have a pair of JM27s that I really like for overheads. I could see how they might not work for everything, since the they have a somehwat darker sound to them, that's the only way I can describe it. They are a steal though, IMO compared to other stuff in their price range...
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what other mics have you tried as overheads?
 
I have tried a bunch of home studio level stuff- mics from drum mic kits, I have borrowed and/or tried Samson sdc's, PG81s and various MXL stuff. I own a pair of MXL 991s, which I really like on acoustic guitar, and are pretty decent as drum overheads. Among this low end stuff, I tend to like the 27's more than anything else, at least for the stuff I record (metal). They are just a great bang for your buck, from a home recording perspective.
 
I bought a pair as an extra option for overheads and had the unusual opportunity to use them on a balilika (sp?) that a friend of mine wanted to add to his acoustic demo. Odd little instrument but the JM27's did a good job on it. They may become my go to (behind my Rode NT5s) for all things acoustic, especially if balilikas become more popular :rolleyes:
 
TravisinFlorida said:
the mids sounded muddy and hi's were rolled off with the pair i had. i did'nt notice how bad they sounded until i got some other sdc's to compare them with.
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That's kinda where I stand. My 27's sound fine to me but I haven't tried anything else besides a cheap LDC condenser. I'm sure if I tried something a little more high end I would notice a difference but for the sake of my bank account I wish to remain in the dark. ;)
 
Just a bit of an update. I got these mics, and I'm very happy with them. Have been using them for overheads for some metal drums, and they sound great. Clear, crisp highs, without ever seeming too bright. And as a bonus, one of these sounded amazing and full for a cello recording, which happened to go into a VTB-1 for one of my rock tracks. I haven't used any high end SDCs though, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but just comparing to big label releases, I don't think I'm missing much! I thought these would just be a stop-gap measure until I could afford some better mics, but I'm going to use the money I saved towards a Lucid clock, a Grace preamp, or maybe even a Joe Meek SC2!
 
Mics are tools guys...Good, bad, or indifferent. We all hear different so all the opinions will vary. Does not matter how much a mic costs, or what the opinions are. If it works for you, its a great mic. If it does not work for you, then its another tool in the locker that at some point will work on something...
 
I will say this in general...I don't have JM27s, but if they are anything compared to the JM47 I use for vocals (I know, different application but I'm speaking for Joemeek as a microphone manufacturer), I love my JM47. I may end up with a tube at some point for different flavor, but I guarantee the JM47 will still get use. I auditioned several mics at GC about a year ago just to seek a different flavor for different songs. I believe it was the GT55 or something like that....anyway, brought the JM47 in with me and was allowed to A/B it in the little isolation booth and the Groove Tubes was the only thing I thought was close...actually, almost identical. The Blue Baby Bottle I did not like, nor the AT 4040. Just my opinion, though and ymmv. I also have a trio of the MSH mics, but until the studio is complete and hooked up, I won't have a chance to give an opinion, but like the soundclips I have heard, thus the purchase. I'll be using mine on acoustic guitar, though, not drums.
 
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