mxl 990

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elicantu

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hey i dont have a lot of money so i was trying to get a mic that was cheap and
gave good quality. so i read a ton of forums on this page and people really talked pretty good about that mic...

can you guys tell me what you think of it?
honest opinion
 
It's a pretty bright and present mic. But it sounds really good. If you like bright mics, then you might like it and it would be worthy of consideration. It's certainly cheap enough.

.
 
Considering the cost, it is a pretty decent mic.

However, it is indeed quite bright, even 'brittle" sounding... I can't make a better suggestion in that price range though... any thoughts anyone?
 
The 990/991 combo from MXL is probably the best cheap intro out there to condenser mics. They are bright.
 
maybe im crazy, but i find myself cutting mids more than highs.

its good for the money. it would be a great learning tool
 
it's very usable. and imho, bright is good considering everything else i have is cheap also and takes highs away so what i actually end up with is never bright.

think about it.
 
cusebassman said:
Considering the cost, it is a pretty decent mic.

However, it is indeed quite bright, even 'brittle" sounding... I can't make a better suggestion in that price range though... any thoughts anyone?
Click to expand...

I can think of several. If you don't have to have it right this second, you might look into the group buy elsewhere in this forum. It'll take several weeks to get them, but some of those mics would probably be much better for the price, depending on what the original poster is trying to record.

For example, the group buy tube LDCs cost about half again more, but for vocals, would probably sound a lot nicer. There are some small and medium diameter FET condensers (and a small diaphragm tube condenser) that would be better for other things. You might also seriously consider one of the ribbons---again, depending on what you're recording.

As an alternative, if you need something quickly and have a decent preamp, you might consider an Apex ribbon. You used to be able to get them for $85, but the cheapest I can find right now is $99. I'm not sure why they've gotten more expensive. Normally, electronics get cheaper over time.... :D
 
I use it and I find it to be not nearly as bright as everyone proclaims. It is my main microphone for acoustic guitar and vocals ... but I dont have a big microphone collection either. But I say go for it if you only have a few bucks.
 
The MXL 990 is a 0.78" diamater diaphragm, whereas the one you posted has a 1"... so one would hope they sound at least a little different. I'd imagine a larger diaphragm would mean slightly less harshness on the high-end, but who's to say... I'm sort of curious as to the sound difference between the two now :)
 
I'd bet a nickel that the apex is nicer on most vocals... OK, who wants to blow a little of their refund on one and give a report....?

(I can't we sort of have the opposite of a refund this year... :( :mad: )
 
cusebassman said:
The MXL 990 is a 0.78" diamater diaphragm, whereas the one you posted has a 1"... so one would hope they sound at least a little different. I'd imagine a larger diaphragm would mean slightly less harshness on the high-end, but who's to say... I'm sort of curious as to the sound difference between the two now :)
Click to expand...

oh, and I meant that MF and GC were the "same thing..." ;)
 
Obi-Wan zenabI said:
http://www.frontendaudio.com/APEX_APEX435_Large_Diaphragm_Studio_Microphone_p/7491.htm

***

I have no idea how this mic sounds, but it's probably about the same as the 990, and you won't be buying it from guitar denter or musician's fiend... you'll be buying from like a real regular person with a regular business.
Click to expand...

I have one. I got it for $35 used on eBay about a year ago. It's not bad, but a bit bright. I've heard them described as harsh and brittle. I didn't find mine to be brittle, but your mileage may vary significantly. Like all the Chinese mics, they are probably highly variable, depending on what capacitors and similar components were used in that particular run of mics.

Probably pretty similar to the 990, but it is a true LDC, while the 990 is a medium diameter. For non-vocal applications, the 990 would probably be a better choice, as would an AT2020 for the same reason. For vocals, the Apex 435 would probably sound better. Again, though, your mileage may vary. :)
 
The AT2020 is a GREAT mic for the price. I used it on backing vocals, and it wasnt too far behind my rode NTK. It is my goto mic for guitar cabs when the entire song is overdriven. Overall I had the 990/991, and the at2020 smokes them both.
 
wouldnt be the best for vocals but since he is considering a small diapram anyways maybe he should check out the MSH mics which are dirt cheap. also the gls es 57 and gls es 58 are pretty good mics for dirt cheap all of these mics are cheaper then the mxl
 
The kel HM1 is a great mic for the price but it runs about 130 with a shock mount. I still would go the route of the AT2020. I like i better than the at3035 I have right now.
 
The CAD M177 is still on sale for $99 (until the end of april). I would highly recommend that over the 990.
 
Msh

Some guys like the 990 a lot. I had one. Couldn't get it to sound good on anything so I gave it away. There aren't many mikes as cheap as the 990 but the MSH mikes are and to my ear they beat it, hands down, on everything I tried them on.
 
I ended up ripping out the internal mesh on my 990...it sounds much better to me now. So, now it's usable on acoustic, vox and some percussion.
 
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