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T-RAVE
New member
$159 for a stereo pair with shockmounts and a case..I am hoping these do a decent job for drum overheads.At that price I am not expecting a ton but I am still excited just the same!
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Mike BL
New member
The general consensus around here seems to be that you'll get FAR more than your money's worth out of these mics.
That's a great price too....mind if I ask where you found it?
That's a great price too....mind if I ask where you found it?
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T-RAVE
New member
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DJL
Self Banned
T-RAVE said:
That's a good price. Not to long ago Shreve Audio had the Marshall MXL603S's on sale for about $49 each (not matched tho).
Anyway, the Marshall MXL603S is a great little mic and I bet your going to like your matched stereo pair very much.
Treeline
New member
603s: save up and get ten of 'em!
I used them over the weekend for acoustic instruments at a live festival. It was the first time I really heard a 603s on a dreadnaught - I had one mic on a Larrivee just forward of the octave and it was fantastic. Lots of bottom end, no boom, lots of punch. Almost a crystalline sound; exactly what I've been looking for. I was using a low cut filter, ran it through a DMP3 preamp and a Mackie CFX board, nearly level eq; I had to boost the low end and the lower mids just a hair.
I had the other 603s overhead on a hot Irish fiddle; two other fiddles were direct to the board. So we had four of them doing jigs at once. It took a little doing to get the levels even, but once they were on, WOW. By the end of the first tune I had rounded out the bass on the dreadnaught and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dreadnaughts are twitchy to mic; this was a breeze.
Of course, they were all sitting down - no moving targets.
I used them over the weekend for acoustic instruments at a live festival. It was the first time I really heard a 603s on a dreadnaught - I had one mic on a Larrivee just forward of the octave and it was fantastic. Lots of bottom end, no boom, lots of punch. Almost a crystalline sound; exactly what I've been looking for. I was using a low cut filter, ran it through a DMP3 preamp and a Mackie CFX board, nearly level eq; I had to boost the low end and the lower mids just a hair.
I had the other 603s overhead on a hot Irish fiddle; two other fiddles were direct to the board. So we had four of them doing jigs at once. It took a little doing to get the levels even, but once they were on, WOW. By the end of the first tune I had rounded out the bass on the dreadnaught and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dreadnaughts are twitchy to mic; this was a breeze.
Of course, they were all sitting down - no moving targets.
Scottgman
Legend in Own Mind
I have a matched pair and I love them. I've used them to mic a guitar amp, drum overheads, and acoustic guitar and was very happy with the results.
However, I have noticed that one of them seems hotter than the other. I realize they are not perfectly matched so I just really pay attention to the gain.
I'm going to try them on a bass cabinet this weekend to see how they sound... should be interesting.
However, I have noticed that one of them seems hotter than the other. I realize they are not perfectly matched so I just really pay attention to the gain.
I'm going to try them on a bass cabinet this weekend to see how they sound... should be interesting.
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tomleblanc
New member
T-RAVE said:
T-RAVE, how'd you find out about these at Shreve Audio? Maybe it's just because their website is so hard to navigate, but I couldn't find any hint of their existence on the site! I clicked on Marshall under the "manufacturers" area on the left, and according to their listing they don't even carry the 603s'! Did you have to call?
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shackrock
New member
maybe it's your cable? board/preamp? i think that if you order them matched....they should be pretty darn close! in my case, i just got 2 603s (not matched)..i could see how those would be different..
Scottgman
Legend in Own Mind
shackrock said:
Good point. I haven't really investigated it any further because they both sound the same. Otherwise, I would be concerned that one is defective.
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T-RAVE
New member
I called Shreve and asked about the 603 mic kit... They have them in stock. I suggest you do the same
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deafen
New member
FYI, this is still available as of today -- I just placed my order a little bit ago. These should go nicely with my new Seagull Anniversary cedar that will be arriving later this week.
And with the DMP3 I'll be picking up from GC tomorrow.
And with the DMP3 I'll be picking up from GC tomorrow.
Scottgman
Legend in Own Mind
I thought I would give an update on how my 603s performed on a bass rig.
Wow... I was really impressed. We had to fiddle with the EQ on the bass head (turn down the low-end) because it was a little distorted sounding... even though the signal wasn't clipping. After turning down the gain on the mic pre a little and adjusting the bass head EQ, the sound was nice. It was better than I expected.
If you want to hear what I did... go here:
http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=89936
No one seems to want to give me feedback on these songs in the clinic-- maybe some of you can. Anyway, it was all done with the 603s, MXL v67, a DMP3, and a Mackie 1202vlz. They aren't mixed yet which is probably better for you to evaluate the mics.
Cheers!
Wow... I was really impressed. We had to fiddle with the EQ on the bass head (turn down the low-end) because it was a little distorted sounding... even though the signal wasn't clipping. After turning down the gain on the mic pre a little and adjusting the bass head EQ, the sound was nice. It was better than I expected.
If you want to hear what I did... go here:
http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=89936
No one seems to want to give me feedback on these songs in the clinic-- maybe some of you can. Anyway, it was all done with the 603s, MXL v67, a DMP3, and a Mackie 1202vlz. They aren't mixed yet which is probably better for you to evaluate the mics.
Cheers!
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Wannaplay
New member
Reading this thread has got me thinking about new mics in my future. The 603s sound like they would be good for a stereo pair on acoustics. I just got a new DMP3 and need some condenser mics. Do these come with cables? Any need to get the expensive mic cables? I've also been considering the SP B1.
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tomleblanc
New member
Wannaplay, will you be recording vocals too? If so, you probably should get a large diaphragm condenser first, like the B1 or the v67, before you get a pair of pencil condensors. They actually do relatively well on acoustic guitar (a lot better than just plugging in anyway), so you can get by with one of those for a little while, before you get a small diaphragm condenser, or even a stereo pair.
Samson and Superlux have a stereo pair for $120 new, but no one seems to have ever used them. The MXL 603s' seem to be the standard in the homerecording world. The next tier is the Sound Room's matched Oktava MC-012's or maybe the Rode NT5's, which you can actually get on eBay new from an official dealer for around $230 or so, if I recall correctly.
Samson and Superlux have a stereo pair for $120 new, but no one seems to have ever used them. The MXL 603s' seem to be the standard in the homerecording world. The next tier is the Sound Room's matched Oktava MC-012's or maybe the Rode NT5's, which you can actually get on eBay new from an official dealer for around $230 or so, if I recall correctly.
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Wannaplay
New member
Thanks tomleblanc, I will be also recording vocals. I have a SM57 and a Ross dynamic mic. Would the SP B1 be better for recording vocal? Maybe I should get one of each--a B1 and MXL603? Would these still be good for recording acoustic instruments? Stereo? How about cables, any recommendations? Thanks.
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tdukex
Man of the Muse
Wannaplay said:
Regarding the Rode NT5 and the Oktava MC012. I don't believe they are a step up from the MXL603s. I haven't heard the NT5 but I suspect it may be a little different than the 603 (not as wide of pattern, maybe a little more neutral, but better? I have both the MC012 and the 603s and, at least on my Webber OM acoustic, they both sound fabulous and "almost identical"--as Harvey noted a long while ago. The advantage of the MC012 is that it has a 10dB pad and you can buy additional capsules for $64 at the Soundroom.
I think the B1 (which I have only heard on recordings) and the 603 (or the MC012) would be a terrific recording combo for acoustic guitar. If I had the extra dough, I'd go for the B3 'cause I like the versatility of multiple pattern mics.
Scottgman
Legend in Own Mind
Wannaplay said:
I've liked the results I get when using the 603s on my acoustic guitar. I like using them better than the v67-- although the v67 worked well on acoustic guitar also. But having the stereo pair is nice because I can put a mic on each side of the sound hole (one around the 12th fret and one pointing at the bridge) and the mix between the two tracks really fattens up the guitar.
Generally, mics do not come with cables. Sometimes places like GC or Musicians Friend will have packages (cable, stand, mic) or will throw in a cable as a bonus-- but don't count on it. As for good cables, I really like the Planet Waves cables. They are kind of painful to purchase ($40 for a 25' mic cable) but they have a lifetime warranty and are awesome cables. I replaced all the cables in my electric guitar rig with Planet Waves cables and really noticed a difference. Anyway, the two best places I've found are:
http://www.samusic.com/accessories/cables.shtml
http://www.stores.ebay.com/theguitargarage
You can email this guy (Jack) at: jdgalvin@attbi.com to ask prices, etc.
I've bought several cables from both places and would recommend both.
Cheers!
