mp3s of m179, NT1-A, AT2020 etc wanted!

T

the dairy giant

New member
OK, here's a subtle variation of the "which cheap mic?" question... for male and maybe female vocals, and acoustic guitar. I am not in a position to try out many mics where I live. I have a pretty mellow voice, amatuer sounding rather than a real singer. alternative-ish. maybe needs an edge to give it some lift. And the kind of acoustic guitar sound I love is lively and resonant, think Mardi Gras by Paul Simon, I've always loved that sound, not some little neat & tidy, timid acoustic sound.

I have narrowed it down to a cad m179 or Rode NT1-A, which I can get for NZ$400. I was keen on ADK hamburg or vienna, but they are hard to get hold of here, same with an MXL V69. There is also the AT2020 for about 300, I can find a used one for about 230...
Theres also a Rode NTK for around 900 which tempted me for a while.

So over at the listening room I didnt actually like the guitar sound of the NTK, but with some blind tests the M179 and NT1-A were a couple of my favourites (of the ones I knew i could find here, and possibly afford.)
I thought perhaps the M179 sounded a little lifeless, and the NT1-A a touch lacking in the middle area... was going to say bright, but i liked the brightness, so maybe it was something else about it.(not an expert at this). And the At2020 seems to have a lot of really great reviews quoted on their website... the figure 8 option of the M179 could help with getting a nice guitar sound maybe, by geting some room sound in there... I've never tried this as I've only ever recorded with a straight stage type dynamic mic.

So if anyone has any links to songs particularly with vocals or ac. guitar recorded with these mics, or possibly any other mics that you think would work, I'd love to hear them to help me make up my mind.

I know all this debate over cheap mics is a bit harrowing, but this is is just a hobby for me, & there's not much (any!) spare cash, so I'd like to be as informed as possible.

thanks, Simon.
 
If you're only getting one mic, the M179 is hard to beat for the money. I would tend to agree that it may sound a little "dull" compared to many other inexpensive condensers, but the tracks sit well in the mix and take EQ better than those other cheap mics. I have an original NT-1, which I prefer on my voice to the M179, but the CAD gets almost all background vocal duties, because the tracks stack so well. OTOH, the NT-1 sounds like ass on acoustic, at least on my acoustics in my room.

Since you asked for clips:

http://www.myspace.com/antipodesrecordingstudio

The lead vocals on "Better" and "Brilliant Failure" were the Rode NT1. I don't have any acoustic tracks with the NT1 because, like I said, I don't like the sound.

I think the acoustics on "Defeat" were the M179, but I'm not entirely certain.

I'll see if I can dig up some others.
 
nice work on the samples. your stuff reminds me of The National (check out their album--Alligator..top stuff!)

baritone voices sound a lot better than tenor to my ear. Bass is my favorite vocal type, but there arent any of us on recordings, oddly enough. (other than Johnny Cash or say..some Handsome Family stuff)


scrubs said:
If you're only getting one mic, the M179 is hard to beat for the money. I would tend to agree that it may sound a little "dull" compared to many other inexpensive condensers, but the tracks sit well in the mix and take EQ better than those other cheap mics. I have an original NT-1, which I prefer on my voice to the M179, but the CAD gets almost all background vocal duties, because the tracks stack so well. OTOH, the NT-1 sounds like ass on acoustic, at least on my acoustics in my room.

Since you asked for clips:

http://www.myspace.com/antipodesrecordingstudio

The lead vocals on "Better" and "Brilliant Failure" were the Rode NT1. I don't have any acoustic tracks with the NT1 because, like I said, I don't like the sound.

I think the acoustics on "Defeat" were the M179, but I'm not entirely certain.

I'll see if I can dig up some others.
Click to expand...
 
thanks scrubs, very nice songs... the rode does sound good on your voice.

i also found i coulg get a SE2200A for around $700, though that is quite a lot more than the rode or the cad.
 
I did some quick demos for a friend's band using ONLY the CAD M179. There might be an SM57 on kick or a cabinet, but other than that... every sound you hear is attributable to one or a pair of M179s. Pardon the somewhat ropy production work on my part :o

http://www.myspace.com/cleanfallband

"Audrey" is a good rocker ... "The End" is all acoustic. "The Awful Truth" is kinda long with some piano hiding in the back. "Modern Phenomenon" has some violin, but the sound quality is "gauzy" with some kinda distortion going on (needs to be redone).

Also, live with three tracks only: one drums+guitars, another bass, another vocal. First two in figure 8 stereo, vocals are one in cardioid. I have an alternate mix of this with almost no compression or processing (sounds better), but not uploaded. linky
 
Last edited:
the dairy giant said:
There is also the AT2020 for about 300, I can find a used one for about 230...
Click to expand...

:eek: That's a $99 dollar mic everywhere else, unless ofcourse ur not talking US dollars :confused:
 
thanks jon_s, i will check those out... that will be helpful.

Mentalattica... 1 New Zealand dollar buys US 65c, add the freight and the distributor and the retailer... *sigh*

there are a few distributors selling the Rodes and the Cads direct on our equivalent of ebay, so they tend to be better value than other brands like AT etc.
 
mentalattica said:
:eek: That's a $99 dollar mic everywhere else, unless ofcourse ur not talking US dollars :confused:
Click to expand...

Try $69. The $99 prices are about as high as I've seen it. It's cheaper from a number of companies. This one just happens to be a company I've dealt with before.

That's 105.136316 NZ dollars, according to Google.

BTW, is there any particular use you'd like to hear an AT2020 on?
 
jon_s said:
I did some quick demos for a friend's band using ONLY the CAD M179. There might be an SM57 on kick or a cabinet, but other than that... every sound you hear is attributable to one or a pair of M179s. Pardon the somewhat ropy production work on my part :o

http://www.myspace.com/cleanfallband

"Audrey" is a good rocker ... "The End" is all acoustic. "The Awful Truth" is kinda long with some piano hiding in the back. "Modern Phenomenon" has some violin, but the sound quality is "gauzy" with some kinda distortion going on (needs to be redone).

Also, live with three tracks only: one drums+guitars, another bass, another vocal. First two in figure 8 stereo, vocals are one in cardioid. I have an alternate mix of this with almost no compression or processing (sounds better), but not uploaded. linky
Click to expand...

"The End" sounds nice. You did all that with a 179? Do you know if the sound results are comparable to the 177? Or is the 179 just a different thing entirely?

Also, what mic'ing technique did you use? What effects/ work did you do to the take? Also, what guitar did you use? Is the vocal just dry, straight into the 179? What software do you use?

thanks
 
scrubs said:
Here's a short, unprocessed, acoustic guitar track recorded with the CAD M179 at about the 12th fret. Like I said above, it may sound kind of boring, but it works great in the mix.

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=5228
Click to expand...

Do you have the 177? What kind of guitar was that? What 'work' did you do to the track in your software?

I am just not getting good acoustic sounds at all. I use a CADm177, also some Behringer C2's (the stereo matched pair).

All I seem to be able to record is this really shitty unpro sounding acoustic...even though I have a nice Taylor 110 guitar!

Could have something to do with my strumming. Anyway, I just can't get a nice proish sounding acoustic guitar track. I've tried many mic positions....the only thing I haven't been able to change is the recording room. It's just like a suburban house bedroom, quite small. Plaster walls, carpet.

Anyway, I might do a search for "getting good acoustic sounds"
 
Monkey Allen said:
Do you have the 177? What kind of guitar was that? What 'work' did you do to the track in your software?

I am just not getting good acoustic sounds at all. I use a CADm177, also some Behringer C2's (the stereo matched pair).

All I seem to be able to record is this really shitty unpro sounding acoustic...even though I have a nice Taylor 110 guitar!

Could have something to do with my strumming. Anyway, I just can't get a nice proish sounding acoustic guitar track. I've tried many mic positions....the only thing I haven't been able to change is the recording room. It's just like a suburban house bedroom, quite small. Plaster walls, carpet.

Anyway, I might do a search for "getting good acoustic sounds"
Click to expand...


The guitar is a Fender JG26SCE electric/acoustic with D'Addario medium strings. The M179 was in cardioid (I don't have a 177, but it should be similar). I don't remember what preamp I used, but it was probably the DMP3 or maybe the GT Brick. No processing in the software - that's the raw track. It was tracked in a small, untreated bedroom.

I don't have the key to great acoustic sounds, but working on mic positioning seems to be paramount. Good setup/intonation on the guitar, new strings, and good playing technique will also help.
 
I don't think it's bad. Sounds like a dreadnought with lighter strings. There's a bit of fret buzz, so it could probably use a setup. Other than that, treating your room would probably help, as you're getting some low-mid buildup.

Although I love the dreadnought sound, they are harder to record. You might want to look into a smaller-bodied guitar. My Fender is shaped very similarly to a 314ce Taylor, with the thinner, smaller body. It's a chunkier tone, without all the shimmer and boom of a dread. Not perfect for every sound, but it does record pretty well.
 
Maybe it's just my strum technique. It could be like that thing where you don't like the sound of your recorded voice, but everyone else says it's normal.

I think I have a long way to go before I get a sound that I like. And, yeah, my strumming, my whole attack to playing might have something to do with it. Plus, like you said, string type and all that.

ta
 
scrubs said:
Here's a short, unprocessed, acoustic guitar track recorded with the CAD M179 at about the 12th fret. Like I said above, it may sound kind of boring, but it works great in the mix.

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=5228
Click to expand...
Thanks scrubs, that is a sound I like, quite lively i think. Didn't really sound dull to me at all.

Do you find yourself using any of the other patterns besides cardiod? I can imagine for an upfront guitar peice using the fig8 to get soem live feeling form the room might work, but I am only imaigining as i've never been able to try it.
 
Monkey Allen said:
"The End" sounds nice. You did all that with a 179? Do you know if the sound results are comparable to the 177? Or is the 179 just a different thing entirely?

Also, what mic'ing technique did you use? What effects/ work did you do to the take? Also, what guitar did you use? Is the vocal just dry, straight into the 179? What software do you use?

thanks
Click to expand...

Hi... Everything you hear is M179, except for an SM57 in the kick drums which sounds like sh1t anyways. I also took SM57 tracks on the guitars and bass and ended up throwing them away. Never used an M177.

I use a Mackie Onyx 12 channel mixer with firewire card, Tracktion 2.0. Each "rock" song there has various EQ / and several stages of compression, along with very minor M+S stereo adjustment -- fairly doctored.

In "The End", guitars and vocals were mic'd XY with a pair of M179s in cardioid (should be like a pair of 177s), taking a stereo track for guitars and another for the vocals (each singer separately). There is a gentle EQ for the vocals to boost the mids and kill the highs slightly (+1.5dB @ 1kHz, -3dB @ 20kHz), reverb on vocals, and a very smooth compression curve. No EQ on the guitar track, but slight compression. Finally some EQ in mastering, plus gentle limiting to get up to "demo" output levels. The actual sound is quite a bit better than that MP3, which was converted from an M4P, converted from 44.1kHz WAV, converted from 96kHz AIFF. :D

If anyone is interested in more M179 on acoustic, PM me and I can link you to better-quality files of The End and another acoustic song. I feel like I've had a lot more luck with them on acoustic guitars than I have using them as overheads.

Monkey Allen said:
I am just not getting good acoustic sounds at all. I use a CADm177, also some Behringer C2's (the stereo matched pair).
Click to expand...

Your "Test" sounds pretty much what I'd expect from a single M179 in cadioid. A nice neutral recording, actually. Perhaps try adding a C2 up near the frets and mix 'em together?
 
Last edited:
BigRay said:
Bass is my favorite vocal type, but there arent any of us on recordings, oddly enough.
Click to expand...

Aren't ANY is a little strong, Ray! Ever checked out the Fairfield Four a capella Gospel group? Hellacious bass singer! They've been around since the 1940's.

If you PM me an address, I'll send you a free CD of a wonderful local bass R&B singer (think Barry White down an octave) that I recorded in the mid 1990's here in Boston.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top