On the usefulness of dark-sounding microphones.

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elbandito

elbandito

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So what do you guys use your dark-sounding mics on? Seems to me that unless one's already got a locker full of mics, it's not really worth investing in say, a dual-ribbon that one would probably only use as a once-in-a-while secondary mic on a guitar cab. What other uses have you guys found for dark-sounding mics?

I'm gonna buy me one of those Apex 215 dual-ribbon dealies just for the sake of having it (sales are the best way to part me from my savings)... probably get the Xfrmr modded or try to do it myself. I love fiddling with electronics and a $99 mic is a good price point for screwing around.
 
Well, having a variety of different sounding mics is critical to have the flexibility to record anything that comes along. In fact, I would say that mics with a "darker" tonal color probably come in more handy than mics that are bright. Helps make digital recordings sound more natural.

Primarily, I use the darker mics on vocals, but they can be used on just about anything, really. Just depends on what sound you're going for. I used a BLUE Spark (mixed in with a brighter mic) on my last acoustic guitar recording. I use the SM7 for my bass cabinet, as well as being my number two choice for vocal mic. And my primary vocal mic, the M179, is also more of a darker sounding mic.
 
Well if your source has an irritating high end in their sound, like Fran Drescher. A dark mic could almost make her sound normal. Not that you couldn't do the same with some EQ on any mic. But sometimes you don't want to work that hard.
 
It is far better to use a mic that has the correct sound to begin with, rather than just try to EQ the mic to sound the way you want it to sound. All equalization (even "linear phase EQ") induces phase artifacts that you don't want to have in your mix. The guy who taught me about recording taught me that, if you have to EQ ANYTHING more than 3 db, you're using the wrong mic.
 
Bassman Brad said:
It is far better to use a mic that has the correct sound to begin with, rather than just try to E the Qmic to sound the way you want it to sound. if you have to EQ ANYTHING more than 3 db, you're using the wrong mic.
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Good point and great advice! Thanks. :)
 
The darkest mics I've worked with are an Oktava MK319 (not all of them are dark, but *this* one is), and AKG Solid Tube. The Solid Tube got traded out for a more versatile, brighter mic. The Oktava has stuck around as the flat-out favorite of multiple female vocalists. Dark mics are great for taking the hard edge off of female vocals when they get shrill. They are also great for taming bow-scratch on a violin, viola, cello, psaltry, or whatever. Anything that gives you that feel of a rusty nail on a chaulkboard (yes, I'm old enough to remember them) can benefit from a dark mic.-Richie
 
The dark sounding microphone is great at recording night! :D
 
Richard Monroe said:
The Solid Tube got traded out for a more versatile, brighter mic.
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And this is the reason that I started this thread. I keep reading all over the place that ppl keep getting rid of their darker mics in favour of brighter - more versatile - ones. Makes me feel like it may not be worth having dark ones at all, really. I wonder if there's a mic out there that has an EQ curve switch. That'd be something worth trying out for sure and would make a great addition to a mic locker.

I bought the dual ribbon but haven't had a chance to try it on anything except my voice - and I didn't really like it on that source but then again, I've got a fairly deep voice.
 
I think that as our hearing becomes better trained, we learn that the so-called "dark" mics are often just more honest. There's a difference between detailed highs and highs that are boosted artificially. Many is the time I've wanted that Solid Tube back. The Oktava has proven itself to be the dark workhorse of the studio. I record a fair amount of female voices, backing, main vocals, and voiceovers. Oddly enough, brighter mics with more color often get chosen for voiceovers (C414, C2000b, B.L.U.E. Baby bottle and Bluebird, Rode NTK). The darkest mics of the group, (Oktava MK319, Shure SM7b) are often preferred for singing. The C2000b does pretty well for both. I would describe it more as a "flat" or "neutral) mic, more than bright or dark.You want that switch you asked for? It's on the SM7b. It's called a "presence" switch, and it provides midrange boost for vocal clarity in a noisy environment (it is a broadcast mic, after all). While I almost never use the presence boost in the studio, I use it routinely when I use the SM7 on stage (it's my standard live vocal mic- don't leave home without it.). Note that the people who will choose a darker mic are often the most experienced engineers. It is one of the missions of cheap mic manufacturers to convince the buyer that brightness=clarity. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it's just hype.-Richie
 
I didn't know my NT5s were "dark" for years, and really liked them on acoustic guitars. They seemed to tame some of the high end and make it really smooth.

I didn't know my NTK was bright for years and loved it on my vocals because it made them sit in the mix really well. I didn't know my MK319 was dark either, I just knew my vocals didn't sit right with it, and other's did.

As richie said, I really like the dark mics on acoustics because they sound like the guitar, with no hype anywhere. Dark mics and bright mics have their place, but for everything except vocals, I am starting to prefer what others call 'dark mics'.
 
without dark sounding microphones we wouldn't have the absolutely stunning album Harvest by the bizarrely unpredictable Neil Young.
 
I hate bright sounding mics. I have a few that are...and I never use them. Nothing worse then a mic that gives you lots of "SSSSS" or has weird high-end spikes that feel like icicles stabbing you in the ear...and if you try to roll it off, the sound just goes "dull" on you.

My primary guitar cab mic is a ribbon...which would probably be considered "dark", though to me it's just right.

I prefer mics that aren't necessarily dark, but ones that just do the mid-lows and lows well.
It's pretty easy to brighten up a slightly dark tone, since you don't need a lot of Treble to do it....but if the low end is shit on a mic, you'll be EQing 'til the cows come home.
 
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