Selling off mic collections

[mshilarious]

DISCLAIMER: No, I am not selling off my mics right now!


But reading tkingen's last post and seeing a similarity to my situation, has anybody else pared down their mic collections? Since I don't do live sound anymore, at least I haven't in a couple of years now, I went down to this:

KSM44
KSM141 (3)
AT3060
55SH
SM63
315
520DX (lo-Z XLR out)

Seems like I ended up with a lot of Shures; I used to have more variety. I recently sold my M88, which I was gonna hang on to, but somebody needed it more than I did, so I sold it to them. I would probably like to pick up another dynamic, but I'm not sure which. But basically I can do what I need in my studio with that lot, plus my own.

Mics I've sold/given away:

MD421
M88
M201
Baby Bottle
330
SM7
SM57
SM58
Beta 52
Beta 57/58
SM81
SM94
MX393 ??? Shure's boundary, I forget the model

 

[kojdogg]

yeah I have, though some of it was trying things out and then moving them if I didn't like them or wanted to upgrade to something else. i currently have this:
BLUE Kiwi
Oktavamodded MK-219PE
Philgood Modded Tube Mic
Matched pair of Oktavamodded MK-012s PE
Pair of MCA SP-1's with upgraded capacitors
Karma K-6 Ribbon
Audix I-5
Sennheiser E609

In the past year and a half I have owned and ultimately sold/traded (a couple given away):
2x BLUE Mouse (Mice? )
BLUE Blueberry
BLUE Bluebird
Shure SM57
Shure Unidyne III
MSH mics (they will be replaced )
Nady RSM-1 Ribbon Mic
Three modded Nady Tube mics
One Royer modded MXL V67
2 Rode NT1000's
Audix D-6
Rode NTK
Rode NT4
Karma K-35
Karma K-58
Karma K-6
Oktavamod MKL-2500
Shure SM7b

 

[mshilarious]

Oh yeah, I had an e609, I forgot. Then my Extreme RAGE! broke, and I haven't gotten around to fixing it yet so I sold that too . . .

 

[kidvybes]

...I think we all get to a point where we realize that a good portion of our mic collection is just taking up space... I've been thru a similar sell-off of mics and mic pres...I find that when I learn to use fewer tools to their best qualities, I end up with much more predictable results...

Mics that made the cut:
2-MXL V77s (upgraded w/NOS GE 6072)
1-Royer MA200 (Prototype)
1-Royer Modded MXL2001 (Rascal Audio Revised Mod)
1-Shure SM7B
1-Karma K6 Ribbon
1-Heil PR40
1-SP T3 (upgraded w/NOS GE 6072)
1-Rode K2 (upgraded w/NOS Siemens E88CC)
1-Rode NT2
1-SE 2200A
1-Cascade V55 Tube (upgraded w/NOS GE 6072)
4-Karma K-Micros
1-GLS ES-58
2-GLS ES-57

Mics that went the way of eBay:
1-Rode NTK
1-Rode NT1000
1-Rode NT4
2-MXL V69
1-ADK Generis GT2 Tube
1-MXL 2003
1-MXL 960
1-MXL V67G
1-MXL V63
1-MXL 990
1-MXL-V76t
1-SP B1
1-CAD M179
1-CAD Equitek E100
1-SP C1
1-Joe Meek JM47
1-Nady RSM1
1-Nady RSM2
1-Apex 210 Ribbon
1-Stellar Dual Ribbon
1-Cascade Modded LDC
1-Behringer B2 Pro
1-Oktava MK319

...and a few others that escape my memory at the moment...

 

[kojdogg]

i forgot that i had and sold an sm7b
i will probably replace that one or get something comparable at some point.

 

[kojdogg]

...I think we all get to a point where we realize that a good portion of our mic collection is just taking up space... I've been thru a similar sell-off of mics and mic pres...I find that when I learn to use fewer tools to their best qualities, I end up with much more predictable results...

i completely agree man-- too many choices is counter-productive and inefficient.

 

[kidvybes]

i completely agree man-- too many choices is counter-productive and inefficient.

...the interesting thing about a thread like this is, if we see the same mics showing up on multiple "sold lists", then we indirectly create an "avoid these" mics list (as well as a "keeper" selection)...that may be helpful to others who have yet to try some of these "keeper" and "ebayed" badboys...

 

[bigwillz24]

Hmmm I noticed I have way too many mics. Which ones do you think I should keep?

1 Neumann TLM-49
1 ADK Hamburg
1 SE Electronics Z5600
1 SE Electronics SE5000
2 SE Electronics SE-2 matched pair
2 Karma K-Micros matched pair
2 Beyer M-201's
2 Beyer M-609's
2 Shure SM-57's
2 Oktava MC-012's
2 Oktava MK-319's
1 Behringer ECM8000
1 Oktava MKL-2500
1 Shure KSM-27
1 EV RE-20
1 EV C07

Mind you I mostly record vocals now...

 

[kojdogg]

which ones sound good on vocals? seriously
i imagine you might be able to get by with the the neumann and the ev if need be and if you're only doing vocals. that's kind of the process i'm trying to get myself through as i try to downsize a little bit-- what do i really need and what is redundant. at the scale i'm working at, there's no need for me to have a slutty collection. i like buying mics though...
the upside of selling off a bunch of mics for me has meant being able to significantly upgrade my monitors, focusing my pre selection better w/ an upgrade in overall quality, and to add good quality outboard compression to my tools. i also got a swell new acoustic guitar

 

[bigwillz24]

Well I can honestly say that the top 3 in my list see the most action. I just got the neumann so maybe the "newness" hasn't rubbed off on it yet. I'm thinking of having one of my 319's modded, keeping one of the beyers, and selling the rest so I can get a Peluso VTB which is supposedly a c800g clone.

 

[kojdogg]

yeah that vtb looks nice in a kinda ugly way

 

[ofajen]

DISCLAIMER:But reading tkingen's last post and seeing a similarity to my situation, has anybody else pared down their mic collections? ...

Seems like I ended up with a lot of Shures; I used to have more variety.

...

But basically I can do what I need in my studio with that lot, plus my own.

Yeah, to some degree...

I've sold some dynamics and bought a couple of condensers.

What I have:

AT4050/CM5
2 SM-81s (with 4 SM-80 omni capsules, one of which needs repair)
Josephson C42
4 EV RE-55s
AKG D-19E
AKG D-24E
2 SM-57s

What I've sold:

AT4050/CM5 (oops, gonna buy another one some day)
Sennheiser MD-441
5 SM-57s

I traded the other D-19 for the C42.

Other than getting a second AT4050/CM5 again and another pair of SM-81s, the only other mikes I would consider would be ribbon mikes, but most that I'm interested in are expensive, so that will be a while.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[leddy]

Have:

Beyer M160
Beyer M130
Beyer MC930's (2)
Beyer M88
Shure SM58
Shure Beta 98
EV RE20
EV 635A
Oktava MC012's (3)
Earthworks TC20
MSH1's (4)

Sold:

Nady TCM 1050
Oktava MK319's (2)

 

[xstatic]

Well I can honestly say that the top 3 in my list see the most action. I just got the neumann so maybe the "newness" hasn't rubbed off on it yet. I'm thinking of having one of my 319's modded, keeping one of the beyers, and selling the rest so I can get a Peluso VTB which is supposedly a c800g clone.

I recently became a Peluso dealer and was considering ordering a VTB. I have always been a fan of the C800 I am interested to see how it sounds up against my 2247's. If you do pick up a VTB, let me know how you like it compared to the TLM 49

 

[Ironklad Audio]

i'm a gear hog. as soon as something comes into my possession in stays there, until it either A)breaks, or B)is of absolutely no use whatsoever

 

[pohaku]

i'm a gear hog. as soon as something comes into my possession in stays there, until it either A)breaks, or B)is of absolutely no use whatsoever

+1

I've given away a couple mics to friends, but other than that, I've kept everything I've ever bought.

I'm rethinking that position as I've upgraded my gear and now have some nice intro stuff that I no longer use. I may need to break down and post a sale list and clean house.

 

[kojdogg]

+1

I've given away a couple mics to friends, but other than that, I've kept everything I've ever bought.

I'm rethinking that position as I've upgraded my gear and now have some nice intro stuff that I no longer use. I may need to break down and post a sale list and clean house.

list list list list list !!!!



aw dammit

 

[pohaku]

list list list list list !!!!



aw dammit

We'll get there. I just bought an Aurora 8 and a Central Station and I need to get it installed and working right before I start removing other stuff.

But as a preview --

Aardvark Q10
a couple Symetrix SX202s (these are the moddable 2 channel ones for those so inclined)
Symetrix 620 20 Bit AD Converter
Symetrix SX206 Multidynamics Processor
Symetrix SX208 Compressor Limiter
Symetrix SX204 Headphone Amp
Symetrix SX201 Parametric EQ
maybe a RNP
a couple GT AM30/GT33 mics
a couple Sennheiser E845 mics
a couple Beyer M69 mics
a couple AKG C535eb mics

I'm sure there's more, I just need to dig through stuff.

In fact I have to find some of the stuff I just listed.

I'll do a proper listing in the classified when I get it together and after I test the stuff to make sure it's still working properly.

 

[BIGTYME]

im looking to buy a new mic

 

[yoyo]

this is a VERY interesting thread, and a good read. I'm starting a home recording studio, which i may use to make money off of, so looking at what mics to buy in the future is good. i'm looking for a cheap good instrument mic for demos right now. i'm probably going the audio technica pro 63. i'm poor right now thats why