Microphones "what do you need" ?

[trebles]

We have all heard about whats in many peoples Mic cabinets

Now for another view on this topic.

what should you really have in your mic cabinet?

also what aray of mics should one own and use? omnis, small and large condensors,dynamics, different patterns different capsules different uses the choice can be daunting essp for a new person starting out.

While it is true different mics have a different use its very easy to get carried away buying every new mic and piece of equipment thats on the market but soon enough you are going to be very broke essp if you are just starting out and only have a limited budget.

You might just be doubling up on many more mics then you may ever find usefull essp if your studio does not work alot or brings in a steady income due to seasonal changes or even up turn or down turn in the music market i am sure there are some people out there who may have already been in this very situation themselves.

So lets now hear from some of the professionals or anyone for that matter on this board who has posted some great
constructive articles and views on similar topics i am sure this thread if approached the right way will be of great benefit to all those seeking out this very information.


Thanks in advance to all those who contribute something usefull here that can be used by all )


Kind regards
Wayne
Melbourne Australia.

 

[Gidge]

If I had a studio , Id start with these.....

quite a few sm57's (guitars, snare, toms)
2 Marshall mxl603's (drum overheads)
1 Neuman U87 (vocals)
2 AKG D112 (kick drum , bass cab)
1 Royer R-121 (misc.)

 

[Tonewoods]

I'd go for the sleepers, and there's lots of 'em...

No 57's or 58's, but some EV RE15's, 16's and 18's instead...also 635a's and RE55's for some dynamics with a different pattern...

I like Gidge's Marshall mxl603 recommendation--also the AT Pro 37R's...

Buy broken ribbons and send them in for repair...it's a great way to get a good performing ribbon for a lot less $$...

All the above are low ticket items...save your dough for a large diaphram condenser of your choice and you're up and runnin'...

 

[zoetrope]

"It depends on what you're doing"

Wow, I'm the first with this traditional reply. I'm so proud.
But it's true, what kind of music are you making, how many people jamming at once, etc. If it's just you, I guess I'd rather have one really good mic then a bunch of so so ones.

But then I have a bunch of so so ones, so what the hell do I know.

 

[Dot]

Priorities and applications

Well, there's also applications that come in to mind.

The priority is usually vocals. Most people setting up project studios just need some kind of mic to get started. For the very 1st priority I would recommend a Shure SM57 or an equivalent dynamic mic, as it will always be of use, especially w/ miking gtr amps, snare, toms and some vocals.

The 2nd priority should be a large diaphragm condenser as a main vox mic. For people starting out, I recommend the Studio Projects C1 at $225 or so.

The 3rd priority should be a small diaphragm mic, great for acoustic gtr, piano, percussion, amps, vocals. I recommend the Oktava MC012 w/ multi-caps and db pads. Runs $145 or so at Guitar Center

At this point there's A LOT of ground you can cover and you've only made an investment of around $450 - and you have three great mics.

The 4th priority would be stereo recording capabilites. For this, first pick up another Oktava MC012, or the same model of the small condenser you bought.

The 5th priority would be to pick up another large condenser that matches the first one. At this point, you'll have a pair of large condensers and a pair of small condensers plus a dynamic. Total investment so far for five mics, $820.

6th priority would be to get a few more dynamics, especially if you're recording drums. A total of three SM57's would be good. You already have one, so you buy two more. Total cost for all mics, about $980.

7th priority [ if you ever record kick drums, bass or other low-end instruments ] would be a dynamic "kick" mic. Either the Audio Technica AT125 [ $139 ] or the Sennheiser E602 [$169 ] are great. AKG D112 [$219] is another good choice.

The 8th priority would be a large condenser valve mic w/ variable patterns. You haven't lived until you used one of these. Current recommendation is a Studio Projects T3 [$699] , which will soon be availble for around $599.

The 9th priority would be a nice ribbon mic. This is where you may need to fork over some more $. Oktava has a great omni ribbon, the ML19, which can be had for about $400. The Royer 121 also needs serious consideration. I've seen them available for well under $1000 if you look around and check on Ebay.

The 10th priority, which could also fall earlier in the list – as high as # 4, depending on your needs – is a different large condenser. For this I would highly recommend the Shure KSM32 [ $499 ] or KSM44SL [$699] or the AKG C414B-ULS TII [ $999 ]. I have seen commercial recording studios cover 95% of all lead vox applications w/ clients w/ a Neumann U87 and an AKG 414. The last 5% could usually be handled by trying an EV RE20 or even an SM57. The C1 will cover the U87 bases quite well, and the KSM32 will give a very 414-like response. Or you could pick up a 414.

These days, buying mics don't have to kill your budget. If you bought one mic in every priority I just listed, you would have only invested about $3000 – and that is for ten mics - all of which are great and will cover just about any base I could imagine for a project studio

Of course, when you invest in more mics, the costs are exponential because you need more mic pres, comps, eq, inputs, tracks, etc – which is also another reason to try and get the best price/performance ratio on the mics. All the mics I've listed here are truly great mics, IMO. I have listed only what I feel is the best bang-for-the buck – without sacrificing quality to put truly great recording within your reach.

That's my 2¢.

 

[zoetrope]

11th Priority - Take out a loan

I like that list. Now where'd I put that piggy bank.

 

[Queue]

Whoo hooo I'm at #2!!

Dot,
Great post.

I am happily nestled at step 2 with my SM57 and Studio Projects C1. I'll probably stay here for a while.... Most (if not all) of my needs are covered.

Queue
(where's that "Talent" plugin?)

 

[Wil Davis]

2 x RE50
1 x AT-815a
9 x SM58
2 x SM57
1 x Beta52

2 x Rode NT1
2 x C87-MkII
2 x C1000S
2 x C4000
2 x C4000B
1 x GT MD 5 SC
2 x GT MD 6 TM
2 x Earthworks TC30K (matched pair)

er, that's it...

- Wil

 

[SteveMcB]

My take

I think Dot hit the nail on the head in a generic sense, but I have a situation-specific modification.

If you're recording mostly yourself/one instrument at a time, i think you can cover most situations with the mics below

1) SM57 for all the reasons already sited - amps/snares/percussion/vox/banging in nails

2) Large diaphragm condensor - Vox/acoustic guitar/kick/whatever

3) Large diaphragm dynamic - Kick/bass/amps

4) Pair of SD condensors (still on my "to get" list) - Acoustic/overheads/percussion/whatever

These 5 give you all the options apart from a ribbon. You can do a good job on vox, electric and acoustic guitars, drums (kick/snare/pair of overheads (plus room sound/extra kick mic with the LD condensor), piano (if you experiment with the condensors and have access to a good piano) and anything else miscellaneous along the way.

With the first 3 only you can manage drums with mono overhead plus all the others, but as Dot says, stereo opens up a lot of other options.

I think that's probably the bare bones of what you need to do everything one at a time in a home studio. Adding extra mics (like Dot suggests) adds extra capability and sounds (which is a good thing), but if you're after the bare minimum to cover the bases, I think that's it.

Steve

 

[Gidge]

Steve I like your list...check out mine.....

 

[SteveMcB]

Indeed

Gidge,
They say great minds think alike... and fools seldom differ. I think I'm a great mind, but my girlfriend thinks I'm a mic fool (especially when it's "ooh, look, they're using 414's for overheads!"

Never used a d112 tho... I have a (wait for it) peavey520i. I really wanna get a senheisser 421. (and those mxl 603's)
Steve

 

[Tonewoods]

If you are mostly recording yourself, stacking tracks, I think a good ribbon is indispensable...

If you are getting too many tracks recorded with condensers in the mix, they seem to bite each other...

Tracks recorded with ribbons tend to glide right into the mix with very little futzing around, even if it's something as sonically complex as a piano overdub, and seem to support the track you want to feature (vox, guitar, whatever), which usually features your "best" mic, a large diaphram condeser or ?...

I usually have an M500 or B&O permanantly set up for percussion, toy pianos, pump organ, what have you, for just this purpose...

Rarely does it sound unacceptabe...

 

[8trackmind]

I'm at priority 2 on DOT'S list - the large diaphram condensor. Need one for vocals as well as using it for a distant mic on electric guitar. Any one have any suggestions? Something that will work well for both situations.

 

[Queue]

8trackmind,
Depends on your price range, but I'll assume you are going low budget.

I second DOT's recommendation for achieving step#2, Studio Projects C1.

I haven't tried using mine for distant micing guitar, but IIRC, it can handle pretty high SPLs. Mine works great with vocals.

Queue

 

[darrin_h2000]

Ive recently seen superlux small condencer mics for over heads go for as little as fifty apiece but I havent heard them, the specs seem good.