Overhead Shootout!!

[nuss]

Please give me your choice and other options.

I am considering either a matched pair of Shure SM81's Or Audio Technica AT4041's to use as an alternative for drum overheads.

I know that they are both excellent but I can only afford one pair at a time..............so which ones first?

 

[Meshuggah]

To add to this I'll add Oktava MC012, Marshall XLM603 and Rode NT3....

Good Luck

 

[Henri Devill]

Don't know about the AT 4041s but the Sm81 is a real nice mic..10db pad and 2 position roll off.I'm sure that the ATs are a good mic also, so I think that you would have to try them both.
Good luck in your search.

Don

 

[Dot]

hold on a sec

The 4041's run $600 a pair, and the 81's run $670 a pair.

IMO, you have a choice of two different mics that are not only sonically superior, but also cost way less.

Oktava MC012's w/ multi-caps and db pads – $300 a pair
Studio Projects C1 $400 a pair

Either of those choices will give you excellent results and provide a lot of recording flexibily in other applications.

My 2¢.

 

[Dolemite]

MXL 603S - $60/ea.

They're very similar to the Oktavas with their omni capsule. Don't let the price fool you, these are damn good mics. Just save yourself some money and go with the Marshalls and if anybody mentions the Sound Room, just cover your ears and start humming loudly!

 

[Fishmed]

AKG C418 are one of the best mics I've heard for overheads.

 

[getuhgrip]

I heard a local using C1000's and was impressed. But my curiousity got the best of me when it came time to order. I went with the SP C1's.

I said in another post that I was replacing Samson R11's, so a comparison is irrevelant for the most part. I can hear cybmals now! Drums sound more like drums than coffee cans! And my acoustic guitar doesn't sound like it's next door.

I'd like to get either an NT2 or a SM57 now for vocals. I'd also like to find a cheap used C1000 to compare with the SP.

 

[The Axis]

The AT4041 is only $400 per pair at 8th Street. I used to own a pair, and they are very good mikes, but a little on the "brittle" sounding side, but very accurate in the low and midrange. basically, they sound just like you would expect from their frequency response curves.

Bargain of the year right now (IMO) is the Earthworks SR71, on closeout for $330 ea, at their website. I just bought another one. The similar, but slightly less perfect SR69 can be had for $269 ea. at digitalproaudio.com. And if you want omni overheads, check out the SRO.

NT3, SM81, C1000,...all pretty good sounding if you like the particular color that they add, but they are not very accurate. SM81 is probably the best of that group. It seems like high-frequency accuracy and transient response would be crucial for drum overheads, bu I have never actually recorded them.
You might need a DSP9024 to control the peaks ! (inside joke)

Peace,
Rick

 

[electricbeats]

SR 71

one more for one of the greatest sounding mics on the planet in a price range you can afford ;-)

Another advantage I found out, even they are 'just normal' cardioids they are highly directional due to e very even off axis frequency response - if you carefully point them out on a jazz drumset you can get away with one more (bd) mic - the result is a realistic drumset, basically stereo recorded with some low end added for the bassdrum.

And another one:
The 71s act pretty similar to the EW Z30 studio version: The frequency response from 30Hz to 30kHz is plus/minus 1,5db at 15cm
when 1 meter away from the source theres a loss of bass starting at about 250Hz and cuts down to about 50 Hz where the plotted line leaves the grid...
This means less wobbly lo end on the overhead channels -> less eqing - sometimes I just leave them flat -> less phase change due to filtering -> an accurate image of the source.
In other words: This is as natural and accurate we can get without messing around with the signal...

add directionality and phasing:
(the SR69 is even better at this - you can sing into it even at 90degrees with minimal change of sound)