Marshall MXL 603s small diaphragm condenser mics

  • Thread starter Thread starter Scarr
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Scarr

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Hey all,

I'd read something that Recording Engineer had relayed to this list about the Marshall MXL 603s mics being extremely comperable to the Octava MC012s. I was just curious as to whether anyone here had any experience with these mics. I've seen them online for $80, and if they have better process control than the Octava's, they'd be a much better choice for a matched-pair of inexpensive (but quality) small diaphagm condenser mics.

Thanks for your input,
Scarr
 
yea, someone posted a review of all the marshall mics against what they are supposed to be. if you find it in the search function im sure it would help. here i went and found it qickly. (thats what the search functionis for)

"Marshall MXL-603 $99 This was a flat-out winner, folks. Almost identical to the MC012 in sound, with a wide cardioid pattern, almost approaching omni. We used them as drum overhead mics, and they did a great job. The diaphragms are easy to bottom out on voice, but with a pop filter (and positioned above the singer's mouth), they wouldn't be bad as a vocal mic on some singers, and they'd probably do fine on acoustic guitar, and many other instruments. They were also a perfect match to the Oktava MC012 - they sounded nearly identical. "

https://homerecording.com/bbs//showthread.php?threadid=22062
 
Sorry...

Maybe I'd been a little misleading in referencing that thread. I know what it had said (but thanks for putting it here kristian so that others can wonder if it's really true).

My intention was to find out if anyone in the homerecording.com BBS croud had any exposure to these mics. I'm just looking to get more response from different people.

Sorry for the confusion, and thanks for the input.

Scarr
 
thats cool, i would find a local dealer, and walk in. tell him you hve $180 cash, and if you like the way these two mis sound he is going to have $180 bucks in 20~30 minutes after you buy them. hopefully that wiill make him a little more willing to let you test it out.
 
I just bought a couple of these bad-boys online (through E-Bay) I'll post my opinion of them when they arrive. It's my understanding that not a lot of retailers are carrying the 603s yet. The best place I found was @ Filament Audio; they gave me a price of $170 for a pair, including shipping. If you trust the earlier post on Marshall mics, you can make out w/ 2 MXL 1000s and a Fox dynamic from Musician's Friend for $149 - removing the end ball on the 1000 is supposed to give you the sound of a 603s.

Again, I'll post a mini review when I get these and get a chance to give them a test run.
 
From Harvey's review:

"The diaphragms are easy to bottom out on voice..."

Excuse my ignorance, but could someone explain what it means to "bottom out?" I assume its some limitation of the small diaphragm, but beyond that, I'm clueless :)
 
Dolemite said:
From Harvey's review:

"The diaphragms are easy to bottom out on voice..."

Excuse my ignorance, but could someone explain what it means to "bottom out?" I assume its some limitation of the small diaphragm, but beyond that, I'm clueless :)
Click to expand...
There is a very small gap between the diaphragm and the back plate, which forms the "condensor" part of the microphone capsule. A large air movement (like saying "paw" up close) can result in the diaphragm actually hitting the back plate. Many large diaphragm mics can do this as well. It's not a "failing" in the traditional sense of the word, but simply means the diaphragm is less tolerant of air blasts. A simple popper stopper or moving the mic out of the direct air path will solve the problem, whether it occurs in a Marshall, an AKG, or a Neumann.

Harvey Gerst
ITR Studio
www.ITRstudio.com
 
Hey jitteringjim,

Have you had a chance to test out your 603s yet? If so, what do think of them? Would they, as Harvey says, make a decent vocal mic as long as you use a pop filter?
 
Hi Dolemite,

I've only used them on my acoustic guitar at this point. I set them up as a stereo pair, and I'm pretty impressed. My NT-1 sounds a bit "boxy" in comparison. My feeling is that they would do well on vocals also, but again, I haven't tested them as vox mics.
 
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