MXL 990/991 package

[mooringp]

Hi,

I'm new to all this and I just got a aardvark 24/96 (I found out aardvark was gone after I got it used and I'm still trying to track down drivers), anyway I have a very limited budget to get some mics to record with, I have keyboard, electric, acoustic, and bass guitars that I'd like to be able to record immediately and a drum set that I want to get a mic set for later, I was looking at these http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/273166/ what do you guys think?

 

[scrubs]

Hi,

I'm new to all this and I just got a aardvark 24/96 (I found out aardvark was gone after I got it used and I'm still trying to track down drivers), anyway I have a very limited budget to get some mics to record with, I have keyboard, electric, acoustic, and bass guitars that I'd like to be able to record immediately and a drum set that I want to get a mic set for later, I was looking at these http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/273166/ what do you guys think?

I have 2 990s in my arsenal and find them useful for acoustic guitars and amplifiers, as well as vocals. I have not used the 991, but I have read that it is very useful either alone, or in combination with the 990, for acoustic guitar also. Other mics to check out in this pricerange include the studio projects line. Their B1 mic runs about $80 and many on this board swear by it.

 

[Innovations]

Hi,

I'm new to all this and I just got a aardvark 24/96 (I found out aardvark was gone after I got it used and I'm still trying to track down drivers), anyway I have a very limited budget to get some mics to record with, I have keyboard, electric, acoustic, and bass guitars that I'd like to be able to record immediately and a drum set that I want to get a mic set for later, I was looking at these what do you guys think?

Very hard to argue with that price for two mics...but do you need two mics at once right now? If you only need one mic then you might be better spending the same money on one mic.

 

[mooringp]

thanks for the input right now I'm thinking this mic set will work very nicely, although I'd like to know if anybody has used this mic and the B1 and knows which would be better for acoustic guitars and vocals.

 

[mixmkr]

I bought two of these packages awhile back at Guitar Center for $75, and found out that before that, they even sold the package for $50. However, I would buy the same again for $150 for the single package of the 990/991. I have used both mics pretty much and like them both. I have used the 991 on mando and ac gtr and was very happy. Additionally, I have used the 990 on ac gtrs as well and vocals. Worked good for those aplications too. They are good looking mics, seem to be built ok and aren't especially noisy. Potentially a little on the bright side, but that is ok with me. I might think the 991 is similar to the MXL 603, but I don't own that mic.

I would highly recommend the purchase. For the price, I don't think you'd do much better....maybe different, but not better.

 

[mixmkr]

thanks for the input right now I'm thinking this mic set will work very nicely, although I'd like to know if anybody has used this mic and the B1 and knows which would be better for acoustic guitars and vocals.

If just starting out, I don't think a particular choice is going to win over the other, but again, I think the MXL stuff for the price is a GREAT start...and I've been recording for over 30 years and like it too. A great inexpensive mic.

 

[geet73]

On acoustic, I like the sound of my B1 over the 990.

I bought two packs, I'll be using the 991s for OHs on drums, and the 990s as room mics. Hopefully they do alright.

I don't really like the 990 on vocals.. but it's all I've got at the moment. I haven't had a chance to use the B1 for vocals.

 

[krs]

Out of curiosity what's the difference between the 991 and 603?

 

[chessrock]

Not a whole heck of a lot.

The 990 / 991 pack is a hell of a nice deal for two pretty high-quality small diaphragm condensers.

 

[Dot]

mooringp, I'd actually recommend you buy the 990 mic pack at $59
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/273156/

It comes in a better case and with a very nice shockmount. [ the shockmount fits the TLM 103 and some other mics. MXL makes some of the best shockmounts of any mic company. ]

 

[junplugged]

I got 2 of those packs. Good deal, but no shock mounts. I have a slab in a basement, get no rumble, didn't need them. the 991's are very useful the 990's are a little different from my other mics and still experimenting with them. But the deal is amazing.

 

[JohnnyMan]

mooringp, I'd actually recommend you buy the 990 mic pack at $59
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/273156/

It comes in a better case and with a very nice shockmount. [ the shockmount fits the TLM 103 and some other mics. MXL makes some of the best shockmounts of any mic company. ]

Dan,

Do you like the 990 over the B1? And are you suggesting to not bother with the 991? I'm always looking to improve my mic collection.

 

[Dot]

Dan,

Do you like the 990 over the B1? And are you suggesting to not bother with the 991? I'm always looking to improve my mic collection.

JohnnyMan, I think the 990 is a perfectly good mic. I have one here. I recently used one on snare drum with really good results. I've also used a 990 quite a bit live for vocals. Do I like the 990 over the B1? Honestly, no. The B1 is still the shizzle for under-$100 mics. The B1 is just too good on too many applications. I recommend the B1 because maybe it's the first mic someone buys. They're going to get a hell of a lot better sound out of it than something like an SM57. And as that person grows their mic collection the B1 will still get used - even if later on it's mostly just on toms.

But I do think that the 990 with the case and shockmount for $59 is a great deal. Now the B1 w/ shockmount is running $99 - so you have to figure that the B1 kit is almost twice the price of the 990 kit.

I'd recommend both. The 990 has a little more color to it and will give you a different sound than the more neutral B1.

 

[chessrock]

I think people forget that the 990 is a small diaphragm condenser.

And it's good for things that ... well ... that a small diaphragm condenser is typically good for. Accoustic instruments, drum overheads on some occastions, etc.

More specifically, the 990 is sort of a hyper-detailed SDC, and hence, will be good for things that call for a hyper-detailed SDC.

Mentioning the B-1 in the same sentence is, in at least a small way, comparing apples to oranges. Don't be fooled by the (rather attractive) housing the 990 comes in. What you're getting, for the most part, is an mxl-603. And what makes it such a good deal is the fact that you're getting two 603's for like 50 bucks a piece. That's pretty good.

 

[Dot]

I think people forget that the 990 is a small diaphragm condenser.

Good point! The cap is 20mm - which is just over 3/4", and the same as the 603. The B1 has a 1" capsule.

Different mics. Both good deals. Still for most purposes I think the B1 is the better overall investment.

 

[JohnnyMan]

Good point! The cap is 20mm - which is just over 3/4", and the same as the 603. The B1 has a 1" capsule.

Different mics. Both good deals. Still for most purposes I think the B1 is the better overall investment.

Dan and Chessrock,

Thank you for the replies.

I have read many times on this BBS that the B1 is a great mic for the money. I will probably get one just for that reason.

Now I am looking to take the next step up in microphones. My current collection contains:
2 Oktava Mk012 (so maybe the 991/603s may not be of interest to me now)
1 MXL V67G (thanks to Harvey’s big thread)
1 AKG535EB
2 RODE NT1
1 SM57 and
1 Radio Shack PZM.

I would like to keep the cost in the $600-$800 range. My main interests for this mic are recording my voice and my acoustic guitars. I have read many comments here saying that the Shure KSM44 is a great all round mic. I haven’t tried one yet (it’s such a hassle to have to take time off work and head down to Guitar Center with my M-Audio DMP3 mic pre to test out mics although this is what I’ll be doing during the xmas break). I am also considering a TLM 103 manly because it’s the only Neumann mic I can try to afford.

What do you suggest as a suitable mic for this? I understand that this is a difficult question to answer since you don’t know the sound of my voice or guitars (Taylor 12-string and a Norman 6-string) but I hope there may be a “great-all-round-can’t-go-wrong” type mic that you would suggest. I am also considering the EV RE20 and the Shure SM7 dynamic mics for vocals.

Dan, I have listened to The Listening Sessions and first off I would like to say thank you very much for all the hard work and effort that must have went into this project. I have listened many times to the different mics and have benefited and learned a lot about the different mics and mic pres available. One thing I did notice (and maybe it’s because of my untrained ears) was that many of the mics only had minute differences between them. Sure some mics had bigger differences than others but many, I found, were not that significant or maybe a better phrase would be “their similarities were greater than their differences”.

So what would be a recommended mic for my purposes?

Thanks again,

John

 

[chessrock]

I would like to keep the cost in the $600-$800 range. My main interests for this mic are recording my voice and my acoustic guitars. I have read many comments here saying that the Shure KSM44 is a great all round mic. ... I hope there may be a “great-all-round-can’t-go-wrong” type mic that you would suggest. I am also considering the EV RE20 and the Shure SM7 dynamic mics for vocals.

I think you're on the right track. You've done your research well, and you've gotten some solid recommendations there. And like you noticed with Dan's listening sessions, there are many mics out there that can perform very well, and their differences are often subtle.

That said, I really think the ksm-44 stands out from the pack in a lot of instances where I've used it or where other people have used it. That would be high on my list, in any price range. The sm-7 and re-20 are probably more suited for vocals than accoustic, but they're both professional tools, with the re-20 being perhaps a bit more versatile.

 

[JohnnyMan]

That said, I really think the ksm-44 stands out from the pack in a lot of instances where I've used it or where other people have used it. That would be high on my list, in any price range. The sm-7 and re-20 are probably more suited for vocals than accoustic, but they're both professional tools, with the re-20 being perhaps a bit more versatile.

ChessrocK,

Thank you for the advice.
Sorry, I should have clarified that the dynamic mics were intended for vocals.