Should I Be Spending More Money??

[borntoplease]

(this was a reply to another thread i started, but i decided it would be better to just start a new thread... so i deleted the old post and here it is)

okay... first, thanks for all the input, great thread. so i think im leaning towards the hamburg. (though it would be cool to get the vienna, seeing as its my birth city...) anyway. i just cant help feeling like i should be spending more money, ya know? 300 bucks for a mic? i dont know. its kinda scary. i dont want people to listen to my records and say, man, it sounds like he is singing on a 300 dollar mic (i know this more to do with engineering skills and mixing and what not, but it starts with a good signal). is this just the idiot in me talking? i dont have the multiple thousands to drop on a "real" german mic, or anything, but i could spend 600 or so bucks. am i going to be okay with the hamburg? would something like the KSM44 sound much better on folk-ish vocals? right now i just have enough scrilla to buy one good LDC for vocals, and i want to make sure i get the right one. im not in a postition to test mics at my studio, because its not assembled yet, and the music stores around here dont carry ADK. (unless someone knows of a store in Austin where i can go and listen to them...)
should i count my blessings and be happy that ADK mics are high quality cheap mics? or should i shell out a few more hundred bucks for something along the lines of a KSM44... (i know you dont know what i should do... tell me what you would do in my position... )
thanks guys.
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[cominginsecond]

would something like the KSM44 sound much better on folk-ish vocals?

I actually doubt it. There'll probably be an improvement but not a dramatic one. You probably won't see an incredible jump up until you hit the $1000 range.

I have however, never heard the ADK, so I could be wrong about that. The KSM44 did not blow me away the time I heard it. It's versatile, so it'll sound pretty good on almost any voice, but it's possible that the ADK could beat the KSM44 on the right voice.

 

[Dot]

If you don't already have a good mic pre, I'd suggest you invest any additional funds you have into a mic preamp. If you already have a good mic pre, then the Hamburg can easily work well enough to track a record.

 

[borntoplease]

i have the RNP... i think its good... but, is there another pre that you feel would work better with the hamburg?

 

[Dot]

You're in good shape then. The RNP is perfectly fine. All kinds of mics are used to track records. A lot of the Chinese-made mics are getting even better and are seeing real professional use. Companies like ADK and Peluso are at the top of those kinds of mics.

 

[darnold]

Is this strictly for vocals? If not than a KSM44 might be a better choice.

If it were me i would probably go for a C414, AT4050, or KSM44. I havnt ever used a KSM44 though so i dont really know which one i would chose over the other.

It really depends on how much you trust yourself and your ear. I personally feel that versatile mics are the better way to go at first, especially something like the AT4050. The problem is, they are just kind of plain mics. But the nice thing about them is they can be shaped very easily into what your looking for. If im not sure what im going to need on a voice, i usually throw up the AT4050. Sometimes it doesnt work dead on, but i can normally find where i like it with some minor EQ.

What i dont like about colored mics for you first selection, is you havnt yet developed what color you need. This can form alot of bad habits i think. If you get a colored mic, and you automatically think everything in the professional world is supposed to sound like that color, then you might have a hard time getting out of it. You are training your ear to that specific tone.

On the other hand, with a neutral mic, youll have plenty of room for alot of expirementation. You will have to expirement a little to get the sound you are looking for. This will greatly improve your skills and at the same time, develop your ears to what works best with what. Over time, you might find that most of the vocals you record need a little boost at 8Khz to get it around the color your looking for. Or youll find it just needs to be a bit brighter, or darker. Then you will know that your next mic purchase needs to be what your looking for. Then when you buy that specific color, your making judgements based on what your looking for, instead of what it seems to supposed to sound like? Understand what im saying?

I dont know anything about the ADK myself so this might not even apply to your situation. But it seems that most chinese manufactured mics are extremely hyped and colored. Not a bad thing if you know thats what you want. But can be bad if you dont know if thats what you want.

It could be an extremely bright microphone that can peel the paint off walls, and the person who recommended it might love that sound which is why they recommended it. They are telling you its a great sound. But when you get it with the thought in your head thats a great sound, and your expecting it to sound very warm and big bottom or something, then your mind will play tricks on yourself. You will have it in you head that thats the better way for it to sound, and you wont know why you cant get it to sound like you want.

Besides that, regardless of what alot of people think. My opinion is the AKG C414, AT4050, and the KSM 44 will be better sounding mics. When you are used to working with one, and you go to a C1, MXL V67, or the ADK mics you will hear the difference. Its almost night and day to me. But i still use the chinese manufactured ones for the flavor but i dont put them to the same standard.

Good luck.

Danny

 

[borntoplease]

Is this strictly for vocals? If not than a KSM44 might be a better choice.

yeah, its just a vocal mic... right now i am just planning on recording vocals and acoustic guitar. some keyboards and synths. i have a pair of earthworks sr71s for acoustic guitar. i assume, i could try them on vocals too, just for shits and giggles.

 

[borntoplease]

hey dan...

i thought sound pure carried ADK? i didnt see them on your website. if youre still selling them... what price can you give me for the hamburg? PM me if you want.

thanks

ben

 

[darnold]

heh,

what dan? i dont think i sell anything or claimed to have any ADKs. Must be someone else.

danny

 

[Dot]

ben, Sound Pure no longer carries ADK as of about a week ago. ADK has some new dealer policies and couldn't reach agreement with Sound Pure. No harm. No foul.

That may change. But that's the status at this point.

I'll still be testing, reviewing, and recommending ADK products. ADK's a sponsor at Studio Forums and on two other sites we have. And on a personal tip, Larry Villella's a friend of mine.

 

[darnold]

BTW,

ive got a gut feeling that ADK makes some great mics. The studio owner before me had just about every mic you can imagine. Vintage and new. A cool collection of ribbons, tubes, and condensers the like. But what he always bragged about when i would talk to him were his ADKs. i guess he had a top of the line one that retailed for $8000 or something and absolutely loved it. Dont remember which model it was, but i was always very confused.

So my guess is they make pretty good microphones.

Danny

 

[Dot]

I dont know anything about the ADK myself so this might not even apply to your situation. But it seems that most chinese manufactured mics are extremely hyped and colored. Not a bad thing if you know thats what you want. But can be bad if you dont know if thats what you want.

Besides that, regardless of what alot of people think. My opinion is the AKG C414, AT4050, and the KSM 44 will be better sounding mics. When you are used to working with one, and you go to a C1, MXL V67, or the ADK mics you will hear the difference. Its almost night and day to me. But i still use the chinese manufactured ones for the flavor but i dont put them to the same standard.

Danny, if you haven't used ADK mics then how can you make that blanket statement? I use ADK TL's and have been a long time user of C414's. And sometimes I like TL's on apps where I used to like 414's. 22 ADK mics were used to record Ray Charles' multi-Grammy-winning CD, "Genius Loves Company", including an ADK TT on his vocals.

You can't throw all the Chinese-made mics into one boat anymore. Just as not all American or German products are of the same quality or characteristic.

 

[Monarke]

Why not consider the Audix OM3 ? A quality vocal mic, super cardioid. Retail is 199.00. You won't have a heart attack if you accidently drop it, and I've seen them completely destroyed with on the housing left and Audix fixed it under warranty! You can see their other products at http://www.audixusa.com . I've used them and love them, and they won't hurt your wallet that much Oddly I thought this was a home recording site? Here I see you all talking about studio class microphones? Audix has a studio line if that also suits your taste. Maybe I am too humble for this group....

Lastly I just took a quick look at http://adkmicrophones.com/ and with the huge mark downs from suggested retail it makes me wonder what the real quality of these mics are? I know the profit margin in Audix is not a huge amount. It's priced in line with the rest of the pro market which is 35 points or less.

 

[darnold]

Hey Dot,

Sorry i didnt mean to make it sound degrading. I havnt used ADK which is why it doesnt matter what i say about them. I think i might have taken it a little too far, but what i meant to convey was that i think he should go for a very neutral sounding mic. One that was very accurate and took well to EQ. And that is what i have found to be great with the AKG C414, AT4050, and the KSM 44. It is definately assuming, and pure speculation, but based on what ive seen with all the chinese manufactured mics i have used, they sound good and flavorful, but definately not accurate and neutral, nor do they take to EQ very well.

But maybe ADK does make a microphone that is very neutral and accurate and takes well to EQ. Then i say go for it.

Of the chinese mics that ive used. Even though they were great for the money, sound good on what i use them on, and i do use them. I still dont put them in the same fidelity as my other mics. There is a difference, but that difference doesnt matter if your using it on the right source.

I am very interested myself to try some ADKs, and some SEs for that matter. Hopefully i will get a chance to try the ones your talking about.

Sorry btw. I havnt been very fluent in my communication today. A little on the scatterbrain side.

Danny

 

[borntoplease]

Lastly I just took a quick look at http://adkmicrophones.com/ and with the huge mark downs from suggested retail it makes me wonder what the real quality of these mics are? I know the profit margin in Audix is not a huge amount. It's priced in line with the rest of the pro market which is 35 points or less.

it seems like everyone these days has a huge markdown. i dont think it really has anything to do with the quality of the product. i have yet to hear one bad thing from an ADK user. everyone seems to be really impressed. i dont see any engineers using, SP or oktava, or MXL mics on such high profile artists like ray charles. hey man, if its good enough for them, its good enough for me.

i've never been very trusting of chinese/russian cheap condensors... but from all the respected critics i have read recomending this mic, and all the happy customers (not newbies), i cant help but feel like this is going to be a great purchase. but only time will tell.