Mics

dogooder

dogooder

Well-known member
I moved here a year and a half ago. I bought a drum set hoping to get a drummer over here to record. I bought four AKG C1000 mics, two sure SM57s, and one AKG D112 for a kick
mic and all the stands and cords needed. Never found anyone. Maybe I should sell them as a set?
 
Sadly, C1000s rarely make any money on the second hand market, and as a 'set' they're a bit of a strange one. 57's are so useful in a mic box I'd suggest hanging on to them, and having a mic comfy with bass sounds can't be pointless. The AKGs are just so marmite. There are (I'm told) people who love them, but most drum kit use that I see seems to be confined to hi-hats where their natural er, sizzle, sort of works. Never heard smooth lows from them personally - Tried two on tom duty years back and they just sounded a bit thin, and the little hyper converter has usually been lost - when that actually worked quite well.
 
Track Rat said:
I love C-1000's on toms. Not so much as an overhead.
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We used them as overheads for cymbals during my last recording sessions lol. The recordings came out pretty good, that is why I bought them. None of them cost me over 90 bucks. I should be able to get that back. I also already had 2 SM57s and three SM58s and two AKG C3000s.
 
I had two in, I think 1997? I genuinely found them 'strange' sounding. Oddly - here in the UK the biggest user base are schools, who like Shure 57's and AKG C1000s. One of the exam boards (who I worked for) recommended them as "for example, the dynamic Shure SM57 and the condenser AKG C1000s" in a document and every school and college doing the exam sort of bought them as if they were a rule. They had at that time to record in stereo something that had balance already - so a jazz band, big band, choir, orchestra - that kind of thing and so many were really nasty sounding, because C1000s need accurate aiming, and the kids would simply put them on a stand and set exactly 90 degrees, irrespective of where the mics and the performers were - again, following rules. They would then use the same mics to record a drum kit - so SM57=snare and kick, leaving C1000s as overheads, not to bad, or as tom mics for more heavier recordings - and I remember listening to hundreds of rotten drum recordings. Probably just the wrong mic for a cheap kit in a rotten space - looking back maybe? Schools also universally threw away the little plastic hyper attachment. The idea of students unscrewing the front scared them rigid!
 
Is a C1000 like a 451? That 451 SDC from AKG was their hot little number for drums?

a 451 was up with the SM81's that many were using on kits.
 
unless you have a great room, overheads are kind of yuk! arent they?
my impression is the drums are about the only thing requiring a good room, especially due to overheads.
dont a lot of real drums get samples pasted on the tracks anyway?
as a solo do nothing hobbyist, Id sell them.... drum rooms and mics vs drum-samples and e-drums w'/crap room...Id do the latter.
 
You could put one AKG and one 57 on the bay and put 4 available and 2 available and let the buyers decide how many they want.
 
A 451 is a true condenser, the C1000 is an electret, so will work on phantom, but also via an internal 9V battery. It's also squareish and too big for normal mic clips. It has a small plastic gizmo that slides onto the mic capsule inside which changes the response to a hyper, which most people lose. It's sort of radio mics size, so not exactly thin! 451 mics are excellent and have swappable capsules on the old ones, fixed on the new version. You can't compare a 451 with a C1000 - very different sounding. 451's are bright but smooth, C1000 are a bit sort of 'brittle' sounding - typical to be honest of most electrets. Never actually had an SM81 - not that popular here.
 
rob aylestone said:
are a bit sort of 'brittle' sounding - typical to be honest of most electrets.
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Right, usually try to avoid the electrets for this reason..That AT2020 too..Somebody will pick it up as a novelty.

451 is solid, and on my want list. Then hit Beyerdynamic, just about anything from the M series is awesome. A M201 TG might work well in place of the SDCs mentioned too.. something to consider if you are putting together a microphone locker.
 
You MUST test a 451 purchase lazer. The little spring contact is a very small surface contact point and the springs on some can be a bit weak and your get noise. One of mine does this, and I forget to mark the thing every time it does it. Also check the threads. They are very, very fine and cross threading was common and then they don’t fit properly. Neat accessories too. Video here
 
CoolCat said:
dont a lot of real drums get samples pasted on the tracks anyway?
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Yes. Sample of a crash , right over the top.

rob aylestone said:
. Never actually had an SM81 - not that popular here.
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I saw them around quite a bit. On overheads. At the pet parade, and the Mariano's battle of the bands, and the bitter jester music festival this last July.
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rob aylestone said:
You MUST test a 451 purchase lazer.
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Good to know. Something to keep an eye out for. Thanks.

My locker is a little short on SDC's. Well see.
 
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When the C1000 first came out there weren't many easily available half decent condenser mics at a reasonable price. Calrec had their CM652 but you couldn't just pop down to your local music shop and buy one. AKG had the 451 and Shure had the SM81 but both were a fair bit more expensive than the C1000. Cheaper electret condenser mics were available from electronics shops like Tandy and Maplin but most of them had problems with noise and poor headroom. So the C1000 occupied a useful niche at the time.

35 years later and there are a whole host of better alternatives - not least from Rode who have the very similar looking but better sounding M3 for only £75 in the UK ($85 at today's exchange rate).
 
rob aylestone said:
James - I've never heard an M3. Worth getting one do you think?
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I've only had a play with one in Andertons and haven't compared it directly to a C1000 myself but it didn't sound bad and would certainly be worth considering if you want a small diaphragm condenser from an established manufacturer. The last SDCs that I bought were the Line Audio CM3s which, at the time, weren't much more expensive than the M3 and they are certainly far better than the C1000s.
 
Sell them. You'll get your money back, maybe even a little more if you get just a little bit lucky.
You can use the money to buy something like Addictive Drums, EZDrummer, or better yet, Superior Drummer, depending on needs/desires (budget).

Best of luck!
 
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