overhead mic for me

  • Thread starter Thread starter gitrokr
  • Start date Start date
G

gitrokr

New member
i was set on getting a pair of 603s for my overheads but since i also need to get some other stuff for my rack and crap like that i have to use my money really wisely...

my room is all covered with acoustical ceiling tile (on the walls too) and the floor is carpeted, so its a pretty dead sounding room with no reflections and such...

i have a beta 52 on kick and a 57 on snare, what would best compliment these mics for a heavy rock sound

the 603s being the most i would spend if i had the money to spend, i also started looking at behringer ecm8000s, and i saw some mca sp1.....are the behringer and mca total crap without having to use a bunch of eq and compression because i'm just getting into rack gear and would like more of a straightforward mic that i wouldnt have to sit down and eq day and night....do the behringer and mca catch more bleed than the 603, please help me out with some pros and cons of each mic

thanks alot guys
 
gitrokr said:
do the behringer and mca catch more bleed than the 603, please help me out with some pros and cons of each mic
Click to expand...

The behringers have a much wider pickup pattern and will thus give you a wider image and more room sound, if that's what you mean by bleed.

As far as whether you'll need to eq and/or compress all day to make them sound good, that depends almost entirely on the sound of your kit.

Pros and cons:

ecm8000 -- As mentioned, more room sound. This could be a pro or a con, depending on your point of view.

It also has a much flatter response; in other words, it sounds very neutral with very little coloration. This could also be constued as either a pro or a con, depending on your situation and/or personal tastes.


mxk603 -- Tighter pickup pattern; less room. Pro? Con?

It also has more of a high-end lift. Could be a pro if you're using good mic pres and quieter, darker-sounding cymbals (think Zildjian Custom K's or similar). Could be a major con if using heavy, harsher cymbals with cheaper mic pres. Mic pres play a relatively smaller role in the bigger picure, but this is one area where the bad ones will often show their warts.

The largest variable with be the sound quality of the kit and the skill of the drummer, followed by how you position the mics.
 
gitrokr said:
i have a beta 52 on kick and a 57 on snare, what would best compliment these mics for a heavy rock sound
Click to expand...

I use to have two Behringer ECM8000 mics, but I sold them because I didn't like them. Get the Marshall MXL603SPR or a matched pair of Oktava MC-012's if you can afford them.
 
say i'm using the mics...in a live recording situation, behind a drum wall, with some compression, on a quite decent sounding kit, about head heighth in xy configuration for stereo imaging???

with this is there any difference? or will the behringers pick up more of the room sound even if the mic capsules are pointed towards the drums and amps and stuff like that are pointed away from the capsules...and i know i wont get perfect 100% No Bleed...but i would at least like it were the compression and effects on the overheads are more towards the drums and whatever bleed does come in doesnt get affected much
 
gitrokr said:
say i'm using the mics...in a live recording situation, behind a drum wall, with some compression, on a quite decent sounding kit, about head heighth in xy configuration for stereo imaging???
Click to expand...

If that's your situation, I wouldn't go anywhere near the ecm8000's. Wouldn't touch 'em with a 30-foot pole.


Look, the only close stereo mic'ing application (close as in within inches; XY type) I can think of that works well with omni-directional mics would be if you were to use them in a binaural sphere - type setup.

XY would be pretty damn close to useless in that you'd be better off just using one mic.

And no matter what setup you use, you're going to get tons of bleed with them. That's just how they work. Use cardiods or even hypercards if bleed is even a remote issue for you.
 
okay, thanks alot chessrock....with what you said....im still gonna get the 603s, and then maybe the 8000s for live live concert recording...thanks man
 
chessrock......i just read your post again.....what are some cardoids you'd recommend for overheads
 
would the 603s work because i dont trust mc-012s because of the quality control issue....why or why not would the 603s work?
thanks for the help
 
Nothing inherently wrong, at all, with them on overheads. I use them about 50% of the time, and the mc012 the other 50%. But I also have a couple of Zildjian Custom K Darks, and Paiste Dark & Crisp Hi-hats that cost around $350 or so.

The 603's work great with darker cymbals. With most traditional cymbals, however, they're just very bright -- and a lot of us have been discovering this.

Another advantage of the mc012 is the -10db pad. If you're close-micing drums, it's just safer to engage some sort of pad. It's easier on your mic pres and prevents undue stress on the rest of your signal chain.
 
would you consider paiste 302s more of a dark or higher sounding cymbal???or do you think i could skate by with 603s without lots of eq
 
This is the part that I know you don't want to hear. :D And it's where Chessrock says you just have to try it and find out for yourself. I'm just trying to help you out by pointing out some of the potential pitfalls you may / may not encounter, based on my own experiences. (translated: the 603's are very bright on most cymbals)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top