rate my mic locker, tell me what's next

[wesley tanner]

neumann tlm 103
akg c 414 b-uls
akg d112
studio projects c4s (matched pair of course)
shure sm 57
marshall 2001 (cheap chinease condensor)
fender p-51s (58 clones, meaty tom sound, though)
mxl v63m (cheap chinease condensor, battery powered. super crap)

so tell me if I've done well so far, and what's next, mic wise... on my mind are:

cad m9
md 421
studio projects t3
v77


I'm also thinking it'd be nice to have some color in the vocal section, the 103 and the 414 feel pretty flat to me. maybe something that helps against sibilance, as that seems to pop up often enough.


wes

 

[scrubs]

You've got a pretty solid collection going there. I give it an 8.5. I'd say your next moves could be in three directions:

Tube mic - The T3, or something similar, would probably be a solid choice for adding some "color."

Large Diaphragm Dynamic - in addition to the D112, you could go with the sennheiser (421), an EV RE20, or a Shure SM7. Those would be solid mics for vocals, cabs, drums, etc. Sibilance reduction would be more likely with these.

Ribbon - I wouldn't know what to recommend, but I know I want one.

 

[mshilarious]

Well I don't know two things that are important: what you record, and what your room is like. But you should shore up your collection of dynamic mics, including the ones scrubs mentioned. The good news is that the dynamics you need are much cheaper than the condensers you already have.

 

[chessrock]

I give you an incomplete grade, due to your lack of dynamic mics.

Maybe you could sell some of that Marshall crap if you have to. But get some decent dynamics other than that cheapo SM-57 you're probably using as a talkback mic, and then ask me what I think.

I'm thinkin' Re-20 ... MD-441 ... Beyer M-88 ... SM-7 ... would look nice in your locker.

 

[Warhead]

I agree it's probably dynamic time. Chess suggested some good 'uns.

War

 

[Richard Monroe]

First, I agree with Chessrock- Shure SM7B, EV RE20, Sennheiser MD441, at least one of those 3. Next, just bypass the middle stuff and go for a couple of kickass small diaphragms (Schoeps/DPA/Earthworks), a really good multipattern tube mic (Lawson L47 MKII, Soundelux99) and a really good multi-purpose fet mic (Soundelux ifet7, Microtech Gefell UMT8000). Then throw in a couple of Royer ribbons and you're good to go. You'll have lots more time to record stuff after the divorce, too.-Richie

 

[wesley tanner]

yikes.

no freakin' way am I married man, i'm 22. jeeeeezuus. but there is this one girl who's terminally pretty that cuts my hair sometimes....

I've for certain gotta look into some dynamics... the good news is that I just got someone to book an entire month at my lil' studio! So, it'll be spending time soon. I would like to get something that would compliment the work I'll be doing for him, which will be a lot of organic, acoustic tones... he just bought a martin d-28, and we'll also add hand drums and the like, I would bet... any dynamics that would be partial to this kind of recording? I (obviously) don't know much in that vein, i've gone the condensor route thus far.


wes

 

[DJL]

Yea...

I give you an incomplete grade, due to your lack of dynamic mics.

Maybe you could sell some of that Marshall crap if you have to. But get some decent dynamics other than that cheapo SM-57 you're probably using as a talkback mic, and then ask me what I think.

I'm thinkin' Re-20 ... MD-441 ... Beyer M-88 ... SM-7 ... would look nice in your locker.

and MD421, M160, M201, etc.

 

[wesley tanner]

just traded the battery powered condensor for some monster cables. I hated that thing anyways, now someone else gets to start recording. yay, I feel so accomplished! I'm like a drug dealer now-- your first one's cheap, but you're gonna come back and want the goodstuff, I know it.

muaah ha ha ha ha

 

[noisedude]

Richie's post is a little scarey but I suspect he's right - maybe there's no point stepping up to the middle ground. I would add a pair of MD421s for your toms and make sure you have what you need for your snare, then start saving for something really aspirational. In the meantime you'll either become more desperate for it or lose interest altogether!!!!

Glad your hair is looking good, btw.

 

[acorec]

neumann tlm 103
akg c 414 b-uls
akg d112
studio projects c4s (matched pair of course)
shure sm 57
marshall 2001 (cheap chinease condensor)
fender p-51s (58 clones, meaty tom sound, though)
mxl v63m (cheap chinease condensor, battery powered. super crap)

so tell me if I've done well so far, and what's next, mic wise... on my mind are:

cad m9
md 421
studio projects t3
v77


I'm also thinking it'd be nice to have some color in the vocal section, the 103 and the 414 feel pretty flat to me. maybe something that helps against sibilance, as that seems to pop up often enough.


wes

The next mic should be a ribbon. Ribbon mics are really useful when you are tracking stuff that needs to be in the background of a mix. Ribbons mics tend to take off the hard edges that a condensor adds. Great for background vocals, acoustic guitars and elec guitar cabs. They also can make a hammond organ sound very nice.

The other addition can be a tube mic (think GT-44). These mics sound absolutely wonderful and have many sound characteristics of a ribbon on steroids. The .75" MD is great for nice forward sounding ac. guitars, elec. guitar cabs, drums and background vocals. They are also good for drum overheads. A pair would not be out of the question.

 

[Big Kenny]

If you have the jing... aea r84 and sm7 (or RE 20)

 

[wesley tanner]

Well I don't know two things that are important: what you record, and what your room is like. But you should shore up your collection of dynamic mics, including the ones scrubs mentioned. The good news is that the dynamics you need are much cheaper than the condensers you already have.

I record for a living now (well, if you call it a living, I eat ramen and 50 cent loaves of bread... ) so I get a lot of different people in here... mainly full on rock bands though. Sometimes I borrow some nice dynamics, but no one around here had nice condensors so I bought those. as for rooms, I have one really nicely treated room, one long hard surface room, and one treated all to hell for a vocal booth.

 

[EleKtriKaz]

High quality dynamic is a good suggestion...one I'm looking into at this point.

Depending on how happy you are with your C4s maybe an upgrade in the stereo SDC department. Not that there's anything wrong with the C4s, but I find that stereo micing is pretty important for studio work. Maybe a pair of SM81s or AKG 451s.

 

[Supercreep]

Yup, maybe some darker SDCs....