Looking to buy a pair of SDs and one LD....advice?

[Mike BL]

Okay, I've been reading the archives here for about two weeks, and I've got to say, even having read Harvey Gerst's incredibly detailed writings, I'm pretty confused about what mics I should be looking to buy. I know you've all fielded questions exactly like mine many times, but it would be really helpful if you could give it another crack so that I can have people's opinions in one place.

I'll be recording electric and acoustic guitar, vocals and drums, and I've read so much on the topic that I can't even get my thoughts straight anymore.

My initial plan was to buy an AT 3035 to use for the acoustic and vocals, and a pair of AKG C1000s to use as overheads for the drums. (I also have a 57, which I was planning on using for snare drum and electric guitar.)

Then I started hearing some crappy stuff about the C1000s, and I've started considering getting a pair of MXL 603s.

But now I'm not even sure why I'm considering the large diaphragm at all. Do I have any need for the AT 3035, or will either of the SDs I'm considering do just as good a job?

I'm obviously not 100% settled on any of the mics I've mentioned, so if anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear 'em.

My total budget is about $400.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[BradD]

If you're recording vocals you'll need a large diaphram condensor. If all you're doing are rock instruments, you could probably get by without one.

 

[Mike BL]

I'll definitely be doing vocals.

 

[Bob Keelan]

Is the 57 the only mic you have now? What are you planning to use on the kick drum?

 

[Gidge]

Youll want a pair of MXL990's or mxl603's first as drum overheads and a mxlv67....that leaves some room for a decent preamp if needed?

what other mics and preamps do you have?

 

[DJL]

Originally posted by Mike BL

> Looking to buy a pair of SDs and one LD....advice?
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a nice budget mic package...

A matched pair of Marshall MXL603S's (SD) and a Marshall V67G (LD) with shock mounts and etc.

Marshall MXL603SPR... http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=6450&Category=Microphones

Marshall V67G...
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=7727&Category=Microphones

And it's within your $400 budget.

Your going to need some good mic stands too... and not the kind that fall over.

 

[Mike BL]

Thanks for all the responses thus far.

I forgot to mention my bass drum mic....the drummer I'm playing with has a Shure Beta 52. If I'm not mistaken, it's not the greatest kick drum mic in the world, but it'll have to do for now.

As far as mic pres, I actually don't have any. I'll be using a Behringer UB 1202, which again, I know isn't the best mixer, but it's got built in pre-amps, and I figure it's the best I can do right now.

So for the overheads....I guess it's looking like the MXL 603s are my best bet, huh? I'm so new to this whole recording thing that I've been weirdly conditioned to think the AKG C1000s are better, but I'm really starting to believe otherwise.

But for the LD, which I hope to use for acoustic guitar and vocals, is the general consensus that the V67 is better than the AT 3035? I'm a bit hung up on the 3035, just because I've got a friend who used one all over a recording I happen to love. The V67 is a bit cheaper, though, so I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it.

How would the 603s handle acoustic guitar and vocals, though? That's another thing I've been thinking about.

By the way, the $400 I've got set aside for mics doesn't include cables and stands....those falls under the "misc" column in my trusty excel document. Good lord, I'm a dork.

Thanks again for all the help. All suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Edit: I also forgot....yeah, the SM-57 is the only mic I actually own at the moment. My neighbor has a pair of Octava MK 012s, but I'm really looking to get my own as soon as possible.

 

[DJL]

QUOTE]Originally posted by Mike BL
How would the 603s handle acoustic guitar and vocals, though? That's another thing I've been thinking about.
[/QUOTE]

I think the Marshall MXL603S are great for acoustic guitar... but they suck for vocal.

Another nice (higher end) budget mic package is a matched pair of Shure KSM141's and a KSM32 with shock mounts, etc.

Shure KSM141 (matched pair)... http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=8146&Category=Microphones

Shure KSM32... http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=1817&Category=Microphones

 

[Jonkan]

btw...
shure beta 52 is a great kick mic

 

[Bob Keelan]

You also didn't mention how many mics you are going to need at any one time. Another possible solution is to get a pair of SP B1s which can be used as overheads, on guitar AND on vocals. You can get them for about $150 for the pair and have a nice chunk of change left for some pres.

 

[Fletcher]

If you're recording vocals you'll need a large diaphram condensor.

Whoa there cowboy... slow the fuck down.

You're working on urban myth and legend here. Just because you see a lot of pictures of people singing into 47's and C-12's doesn't mean that only a large diaphragm condenser is the only mic for the application.

You can [and I have] cut some amazing sounding vocals with a small diaphragm condenser mic. One of my drop dead favorite vocal mics is a Telefunken M-221b, which is a small metal diaphragm valve condenser mic originall made by Schoeps. In several regards the Gefell M295 is rather similar sounding in character, and it's a small metal diaphram FET condenser. There is no law on the books that requires a large diaphragm condenser mic for vocals.

Ribbon mics and dynamic mics can work very nicely too... it all depends on the singer and the song.

 

[willovercome]

i agree that any mic could possibly be the right mic depending on the job. hell, i've even used NT5's for vocals and had some great results. but for the most part a LDC will do a better job for MOST vocals than a lower end SDC. plus, for those who may not have one yet, it's always good to have at least one nice LDC around.

 

[jet-rocker]

Sometimes the small dia Octava sounds great on my voice.

And the Josephson C42, can be +++ on breathy back-up vox. Soooo smooth.

-J

 

[Mike BL]

You also didn't mention how many mics you are going to need at any one time.

Good point. Mainly, I guess the most I'd ever be using at once is two overheads, a 57 for snare and the Beta 52 for kick.

Are the SP-B1s generally considered to be better than MXL 603s?

 

[Mike BL]

Oh, another thing I should mention is that my purchases are going to have to be made in a few different stages. Next week I'll have about $200 to spend on mics, and a few weeks down the road, I'll have another $200. So I guess I'm also kinda wondering if I should get the pair of SDs (whichever ones I choose) before getting the LD. From what you folks have told me, it seems like that'd be the way to go because the SDs are more versatile. Am I correct?

 

[BradD]

I didn't mean to imply that LDC's are the only option for vocals. However, 9 times out of ten for me they are. The other one time a dynamic might do the trick. I've never tried a SDC on voice. I'll have to try it sometime.

 

[Mike BL]

Okay, now I'm just kind of watching your debate....

Moral of the story: LDs are generally better for vocals, but if I were to use a SD for a little while, it wouldn't be the absolute worst thing in the world, correct?

But an LD would basically be useless to me in terms of recording drums, correct?

 

[patty david]

moral of the story:
the song, the singer -
not LD or SD or whatever....
try some mics out on different folks and then buy...
that would be my .02

Yesterday a singer sang on a SU195, SP B1 and AT 4033 and
sm57...used the 57 - go figure?

 

[Mike BL]

[
try some mics out on different folks and then buy...[/B]

See, that's obviously ideal, but how do you actually go about trying out mics in stores?

 

[DJL]

Are the SP-B1s generally considered to be better than MXL 603s?

No.

The SP-B1 and MXL603S are considered to be different. For example... the B1 is a large diaphragm condenser and the MXL603S is a small diaphragm condenser mic.

You should read the sticky at the top of the board.