Oktava MC012 to finish off studio.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Aquanaut
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Aquanaut

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hi,

ok, my home studio is almost done, but i'm only 16, and i want to get the best overhead. ok, here is what i have so far, drum wise.

Pearl Prestige Session Select
22x18" kick - sm57
12x8" tom - sm57
14x14" floor tom - sm57
6x13" tama snare - sm57

zildjian a custom cymbals - have this old TEAC condenser for an overhead

i run it into a mackie 1402 that i just got :) through gadget labs wave/496 into cakewalk pro audio 9.

i was thinking of the rode nt3 for overhead....but i heard lots of stuff about the mc012....mostly better things....but i don't have enough for a matched pair. should i just buy one now, and wait for the other? or wait for the pair. why is the pair so important?

drums are all i need, everything else is sounding great in my studio. not that the drums aren't, just the overheads need to be brighter.

sorry for rambling, thanks>>>michael
 
are you going to get two for overheads? or are you just going to record in mono for overhead? using two different mics for a stereo set isnt really preferable, but it can work really well anyway. cept, i dont know of teac condensors.
 
well, the condenser is from the 70's, its my dads, i have no idea where he got it, but i think it works well, but anything else i got would probably blow it out of the water, right?

why is having a matched pair so important?? i have my toms panned, i love that, and i want the stereo overheads, but with the one overhead, and the tom mics picking up the ride and crash, it sounds kind of stereo, but it could be better. i'll try and get an mp3 up of one of our songs, so you guys can see. but with the mackie, i have 6 xlr ins. 4 are for the drums, then should i have two overheads? or one overhead and a hat mic? is it that important to mic the hat?

i just don't have $700 right now. would it be good to get one mc012 right now? then get the other, or wait and get the pair?

thanks>>>michael
 
matched pair.

matched pairs are good because you get equal response for frequencies. but at home recording level our level that really doesnt matter. however different mics DO matter. having two of the same for overheads is very important to have each side of the kit equally weighted. different mics have different sensitivties, and outputs.

to get a pair of MC012s i think with just the cardiod cap would run you $400. im pretty sure thats the figure. you can get a stereo matched pair of crown CM700s for $420.
 
sweetwaters price on the crowns is 499 for a pair. but are those better than the oktavas? they have the different capsules for all types of applications, which i think would work good in a home studio, because you don't have enough money to get every kind of mic you need. i want the overheads to sparkle, be really bright. i think the cymbals already are, i just need a mic to capture the sound. i'm thinking of getting the oktava, then getting another one later. and until then, use the oktava for an overhead, and use the teac as a hi hat mic, or just not use it at all. but if the crowns are better, i may looking into those. is the nt3 now out of the question?

thanks>>>michael
 
your idea sounds good. one MC012 now one later. then you have the oppourtunity to use different caps. the crowns dont have different caps, but thats why the are $300 less then the oktavas. If you are planning on getting another oktava later i say go that route, it is definitely better in thelong run. and respect to the NT3, its out of its league with these other two mics.
 
I would also think about getting a better mic for the kick. Beta 52, D112, or ATM25. Where are you getting your Octavas?
checkout the Sound Room (I forget the link exactly a search in this forum will turn it up) For $450 you could get two preamp bodies and a matched pair of cardiod caps. Add more caps later as needed. I was going to go this route, but for now I'm going with a pair of AT 3525's. Use those for overheads, but eventually I'll get the full matched set of Octavas when the budget permits.

-jhe
 
Soundroom is supposed to be better quality than Guitar Center for MC012's, according to reviews posted on their website (see Oktava link above that Wallycleaver posted). I think it's $659 for matched stereo pair with cardiod, hypercardiod, and omni capsules for each in a nice wooden box. $299 for one mic, 3 capsules, -10db pad. I will probably get this setup myself in the next week or so.

I borrowed a MC012 from a friend that came from Guitar Center though, and I was very impressed with it's sound on acoustic guitar. Sorry I can't tell you how it sounds for overheads. The standard Guitar Center package is cardiod only with 10db pad in a plastic box and right now it's $150 (this is the one I tried). Exact same thing from Soundroom is $233 (subtract $40 if you don't want the -10db pad and plastic box).

So I think get soundroom if you can. Guitar Center model sounds good though.

Good Luck

Bob

ps If the one you have now is working well, consider waiting, borrowing other mics to audition if you can, and saving for the matched pair. It's easy to accumulate affordable gear, but often in my case I've had to break into the next price range to get a noticeable (often small) difference in sound quality. Real quality is sometimes cheaper in the long run, and the satisfaction of getting a killer sound is worth saving for.



[Edited by onemanband on 01-19-2001 at 15:55]
 
i just got a set of the oktavas from the sound room
will use them for ohs tommorrow
they look nice cant wait to hear how they sound
 
The deal with the GC Oktavas vs the Sound Room one's isn't that GC gets a different model or anything, it's the quality control...So, 1 may sound good, and the next one over may sound crappy...Taylor at the Sound Room filters out all the bad ones, and so you end up with much more consistency, plus the extra caps...If you can goto GC and listen to a bunch of them and pick the best one(s), there's no reason you can't get a good one from there, but I'd go from Sound Room anyways, you get a cool looking box :)
 
to order

how do you buy stuff from the soundroom? there's no order form or anything like that, so do i just email that address under "contact" and tell them what i want?
 
Yup. I recently clicked on the second email address in 'Contact Us' and got a reply from Taylor Johnson, who is extremely helpful. Tell him what you want, and you'll get it.
 
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