perhaps too MUCH information

[2low]

Great forum. I have learned a lot by reading your posts but I am now trying to put something together. At this point can't see the forest through the trees.

I am a hobbyist and I will only be recording myself for the most part. I am buying a korg d1600 and a pair of event ps6 monitors. I own a Shure beta 58 dynamic mic. I will be recording a variety of electric guitars, bass guitars, steel string guitars, nylon string guitars, drums, and an acoustic bass. My voice is in the tenor range (but limited) and not particularly big sounding.

My mic budget is about $350+or-. I am thinking a studio projects C1 for vocals...it seems like the consensus is that these are warmer sounding than the B series and might add a bit of thickness to my voice. I also need mics to record the acoustic instruments (I figure the shure will be okay for micing amps). Perhaps a pair of marshall 603s? Or perhaps a Studio projects B3? I also read praise for CAD mics.

Since its only me playing I suppose a stereo pair of mics is the most i will use at one time. The goal is a decent vocal sound and flexibilty on recording the instruments. Am I on the right track?

Thanks for your help.

Bob

 

[wjgypsy]

guitar amps: shure sm57
bass: (record it direct for good clean sound)
drums:

snare: shure sm57
overheads: mxl 603s
kick: beta 52

vocals: studio projects c1, akg c3000 (not 3000b) or nady scm900
aco. guitar: akg c3000 or mxl 603s.




zeke

 

[battleminnow]

I think for $350 I would do this:

Studio Projects B1 $80 or MXL V67 $90
MXL 603s (pair) $160
Audio Buddy Mic Preamp $80
Pop Filter $20

I have the Korg D1600, and with a LD condenser you will need a pre like the Audio Buddy. I have one and it works fine. The 603s are just about the best mic available for guitar recording at this price point. I am hoping for some for Christmas The B1 is not a mic I have used, but the V67 is. The V67 seems very complementary to softer singers, as I blew mine away. I have a pretty powerful voice, and it couldn't take it. My friends who are softer singers loved it, and I loved it on them as well. I recommend the B1 only on it's reputation, so take that with a grain of salt. The pop filter is a necessary thing too, or you can make one out of nylons. It works as well or better.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Pete

 

[battleminnow]

BTW, the B1 should be able to double as a kick mic, and the 603s make excellent overheads. I would be hesitant to put a V67 out in front of my kick drum.

Pete

 

[2low]

more info

I forgot to mention that I have a Mackie 1604 mixer...its about 10 years old (not the VLZ) but I suspect the preamps in that board are good enough to get started with. In reality, my engineering skills, or lack thereof, will probably be the limiting factor no matter what I get.

Thanks again for your responses.

Bob

 

[chessparov]

2low, a budget suggestion from one of the "resident experts"
here is the Behringer ECM8000's that go for around $35 each.
They can be used for your drum overheads.

Do you already have compression and reverb units?
That'll impact how much money to spend on mikes and pre's.

Assuming you do, the other $280 could be spent on a Studio
Projects B1 & B3 combination, and you'd still get $$ back.
I know Alan Hyatt like the B3 & C1 combination so he
may chime in later with his reasoning.
Not being a drummer, I'm completely ignorant how well the B and C series sound on drums.

Chris

 

[chessrock]

The 603s are just about the best mic available for guitar recording at this price point.

They're the best thing since sliced bread on mandolin and some types of accoustic guitar, regardless of price . . . and they make damn fine drum overheads. I would put these on your list as a "must have" item.

The mackie mixer will probably get you by.

On vocals, if you have a tenor voice without a lot of lows, I'd think a Marshall mxl v67 would be fine.

 

[battleminnow]

The ECM's are a great buy too. I have a pair and I found a great room so they sound great on my acoustic. I even have blended them in on vox a couple of times. I just assumed that one could sidestep them and go straight to the 603s. BTW Chess, you have the ECM's and the 603s, don't you? Do you find that the ECM's are good to have for OH even w/the 603s around?

And the reverb in the D1600 is actually a really nice one. I haven't played w/ the comp much, but I have a 266xl that is ok if it carefully used. @low might be able to get by with just the internal effects for now.

The Mackie probably is as good as the Audio Buddy as far as pre's, but I don't know the differences between the old mackies and the vlz's.

Pete

 

[2low]

OTHER GEAR

I was planning on using the on board compressor and reverb in the korg d1600. I also have an old yamaha spx90 reverb/delay unit. In my experience the start of the signal chain is the most important piece. I have great sounding instruments (bass and guitars), I can't do much about my voice, but it seems like the dollars should go towards mics so I get a good initial signal and use the korg effects for now while I learn how to use this stuff effectively. Is this the right approach?

Bob

 

[chessparov]

Does the Korg have compression too?
That's a missing link in the chain if it doesn't.

Chris

 

[chessrock]

2low: I've actually heard some pretty decent/acceptable reverbs and other effects out of some of the portable multitracks. But to be honest, I think their biggest shortcoming is in the compression. They all pretty much suck at that. With the RNP available for "the price of a bag of weed," (as Steve Albini so elequently puts it) I don't see any excuse not to have one.

Battleminnow, the only use I've gotten out of the ecm's is for embient micing. Picking up the room seems to be what these buggers really want to do . . . it just seems like it's their calling in life. I figure, by golly, why not just let 'em do that?

I've taken dry drum tracks (recorded with the mxl603's or oktavas) and re-amped them in my "live room" using the ecm8000's positioned somewhere in the middle/back of the room (I have a very large, wide, living space with wood floors -- used to be a printing press before it was converted, actually).

I've then mixed these embient tracks in with the original with some pretty good results most of the time.

But to be honest, I grab the okatavas when I want a good, fairly neutral sound, and the 603's when I want more "skin." There's something about the 603's . . . like they're tuned to the wood of the guitar or the skins on the drums . . . and I just really dig it. (I'm still convinced there is no better option for mandolin).

 

[darrin_h2000]

Those ecm 8000s work only for me because almost every square inch is covered with foam in my room. theres alot of options availible for you in this price range, best being the C seried mics by studio projects. You may be best served to wait for the sd condencers to be released after the new year, Ive heard they were 200.00 for a matched pair. I have had good luck with the mxl 603s on acoustic instruments.

 

[littledog]

vocals: studio projects c1, akg c3000 (not 3000b) or nady scm900

I don't know the nady at all, but recommending the c3000 as your main vocal mic is certainly a frightening thought. Next time it's Halloween, just give Zeke some candy, and maybe he won't play such a cruel trick on you!

 

[2low]

thanks and a bit more info

Thanks for your insights.

Maybe a better question for the "rack" forum but do any of you have experience with the korg d1600 compression and is there a dramatic difference between that and the RNC?

Bob

 

[wjgypsy]

"recommending the c3000 as your main vocal mic is certainly a frightening thought."


now wait just a second! my friend has a c3000 and i think that it sounds real good. but i have heard that the c3000"B" sucks!

(no candy please! i'm on a diet!!!!!!!)


zeke

 

[Vurt]

The compression (and limiter) of the D1600 is actually pretty good, especially if you've got an idea as to what you're doing and can dial in the right settings. Definitely put some good outboard compression on your wish list for the future, though.

 

[littledog]

"recommending the c3000 as your main vocal mic is certainly a frightening thought."


now wait just a second! my friend has a c3000 and i think that it sounds real good.

Compared to what?