studio projects c1

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anton

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I am kinda looking around at my next mic purchase. Right now i am just embarking on a small computer recording setup, with the Mbox, a presonus blue tube, and an AKG C1000s. I am primarily recording solo fingerstyle guitar. I was thinking that my next purchase might either be a set of Rode NT-5's, or a studio projects C1.

Its frustarating, becuase i am tempted to just bypass the mediocere mics completely and just wait till i have enough money for a pair of those small diaphram Neumanns, KM 185's, i think. Its like buying anything else, do i get somethinh decent in the near future that i might out grow in a few years, or do i wait and get something awsome that will last me alot longer.




anton
 
Hey Anton,

The C1 will compliment your AKG nicely, but I'm not a huge fan of the C1 on guitar all by itself. I'd personally go for the pair of NT5's as you can then get into stero micing- which I've found does acoustic guitar great justice.

Take care,
Chris
 
anton said:
Its frustarating, becuase i am tempted to just bypass the mediocere mics completely and just wait till i have enough money for a pair of those small diaphram Neumanns, KM 185's, i think. Its like buying anything else, do i get somethinh decent in the near future that i might out grow in a few years, or do i wait and get something awsome that will last me alot longer.
Click to expand...

That's what I'd do...... you can always buy some cheaper budget mic's later.
 
Id think about upgrading that preamp also......

maybe a pair of Marshall MXL603's or V67G's (depending on whether you like SDC or LDC) and a RNP..........
 
Gidge said:
Id think about upgrading that preamp also......

maybe a pair of Marshall MXL603's or V67G's (depending on whether you like SDC or LDC) and a RNP..........
Click to expand...
What HE said... If you can't swing the RNP, I'd get a MAudio DMP-3. Either way, I'd dump the PreSonus blue tube so fast it'd make your head spin. Most of PreSouns stuff is pretty good, but the blue toob is clearly a marketing ploy to sell something to people who think they have to have a tube and a far step in the opposite direction of what they're famous for.

I have a bunch of mics, among which are the SP C1, a SP B3 and MXL 603s. The C1 can work for Acoustic, but by far the best for the money is going the B1/3 or the 603s. You can get a pair of 603's with shochmounts or a pair of B1's for around $150 these days. Some folks around here are getting the DMP-3 at Guitar Center $120 after having a duel with the manager. ;) You can pick them up all day long between $100 and $159 on eBay.
 
How do you think the DMP-3 compares to the AudioBuddy?
 
O/T, Gidge, your PM mailbox is full.
I'll try to send you a PM later this evening in response to your
questions.

Back on topic...
The DMP3 is quieter than the Audio Buddy, and provides full 48v
phantom power, whereas the Buddy does not.

Anton, if it were me, I'd sell the C1000S and Blue Toob,
then use the $$ towards better stuff.
How do you like the Mbox pre's?

Chris
 
chessparov said:

Back on topic...
The DMP3 is quieter than the Audio Buddy, and provides full 48v
phantom power, whereas the Buddy does not.
Click to expand...

Hey chess, is that the only difference you found? No sound quality difference? Everyone usually complains about the buddy being noisy, and the dmp3 has quite a few fans.
 
My experience with the DMP3 is limited to playing around with one a few times at a Guitar Center with an employee that was a fellow gearnut. He was quitting pretty soon, so he wanted to try some things out too, before leaving he wanted to take advantage of his employee discount. "Helping" me was a good
reason to allow us to play with the toys!


It was rather amusing to have full run of the soundproofed room with all the expensive items, trying out the DMP3 and Audio Buddy!
Got to try out the Neumann TLM-103, U87ai, etc. :)
Lest I digress...

I think Steve Langer's review at www.mojopie.com is quite
accurate, and Steve has a much better idea of how it works with
instruments as I'm "only" a singer.
To me, "quieter pre"=sound quality difference.

Chris
 
Thanks for the input guys.

Yea, the blue tube is pretty noisy. I bought it a few years ago when i got one of those blue tascam control surfaces, i forget the name, the 428 i think. I ended up selling the tascam unit, but kept the blue tube.

Anyways, yea i need to ditch the blue tube. The minute i try to add some "tube warmth" it gets noisy as hell. I could sell it, throw in some extra cash, and perhaps get a Presonus MP20. One of my favorite celtic guitarists, Al Petteway, uses it in his professional home studio. Of course, he has better mics than i do, but it would be a step in the right direction.


I am enjoying my Mbox. I mostly am recording small acoustic based music, so two inputs is all i need at the moment.

As for recording acoustic guitar, my room is pretty crappy sounding, so i am just close miking stuff with the C1000S. If i got the SP B1's would i have to record in a good sounding room, as they pick up everything around them? I am kinda torn between them and the NT-5's. Eventually i should probably get both.


By the way what do SDC, LDC, and RNP mean?


thanks, this is a great forum.




anton
 
anton said:
As for recording acoustic guitar, my room is pretty crappy sounding, so i am just close miking stuff with the C1000S. If i got the SP B1's would i have to record in a good sounding room, as they pick up everything around them? I am kinda torn between them and the NT-5's. Eventually i should probably get both.


By the way what do SDC, LDC, and RNP mean?
Click to expand...
The SP B1 is unidirectional just like the C1000 (unless you using the C1000’s hyper-cardioid adapter, which emphasizes the upper mids too much….). I used to have a C1000 but I got rid of it and bought a B3. The C1000 wasn’t all that bad if you positioned it in the right place, but the B3 is much better for acoustic guitar, IMHO. It seems to pick up the “real” sound of the guitar more accurately.

My problem with the C1000 (and most other mics) was when I got it close enough to hear the “depth” of the high “e” and “b” strings, the bass strings were way too boomy. When I positioned it to get rid of the boom, the high “e” and “b” strings became too thin. Pointing the B3 towards the to the end of the fret board about 6-8 inches away with the low-cut switch “on” seems to do the trick.

People that have both the B1 and the B3 say the B1’s a little better for acoustic guitar. Trick is, buy them from a place with a good return policy. Then you can send them back if you don’t like them.

SDC = Small Diaphragm Condenser Mic
LDC = Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic
RNP = Really Nice Preamp http://www.fmraudio.com/rnp/
 
Ah, the C1000.

I keep thinking about selling it, yet I keep finding uses for it. In the last few weeks there was a keys guy who sings kind of like Mose Allison but more intimate and there was no way he could work a LD mic and I didn't want to use a dynamic. I put the windscreen on it and asked him to watch the plosives and it came out great. A week later I used it on a jazzer drummer for an overhead and I don't know why other than it just sounded better in that application.

The C-1? I still like mine but they are a bit too bright.
 
Yup- the ol' C1000- one of the first "cheap" mics. I bought my first one back when they were $400 because it was a condensor that didn't need phantom power! I could use a battery and save on buying a preamp!

Ah, the good old days.

I keep thinking of selling mine, too, but today I had a gig where I needed a battery powered condensor. I had just the thing....

And a coworker wants a mobile MD setup to record birdsounds, but it has to be high enough quality for a CD we're producing. I have just the thing! (That hyper-cardioid adapter isn't a shotgun mic, but, man does it do a good immitation!)

One of my students is getting to the end of his rope with the SM57 and is going to want to try his wings soon with a different kind of mic. Did I mention he has no phantom power? I have just the thing!

Its neat because its a mic I don't often use, but I'd be screwed those few times if I didn't have it. I'm glad I have them.

Take care,
Chris
 
anton said:

Anyways, yea i need to ditch the blue tube. The minute i try to add some "tube warmth" it gets noisy as hell. I could sell it, throw in some extra cash, and perhaps get a Presonus MP20. One of my favorite celtic guitarists, Al Petteway, uses it in his professional home studio. Of course, he has better mics than i do, but it would be a step in the right direction.

anton
Click to expand...

I think you'll find the $200 (or $120) DMP3 compares very favorably to the MP20. The MP20 is a nice preamp, but if I was going to spend that kind of money I'd spend a little more for a Grace.
 
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