The verdict is almost in, what do you think of my choice of mic?

[pM of impk21.co]

I had posted on here seeking help in what to do as far as getting a warmer sound and treating the lab to help cut down on the nasty reverberation, I've did some researching and took some suggestions from my previous thread, (Ive read, and read, but I am still at a blank.), and here is what my guys and I have come up with as far as options.................

These are things we are condsidering,

Either way, we are going to clean out the closet in the room and pad it up, use some drywall to help make the walls more dense and pad it up some more, still deciding on what we want to use for padding though. We are on budget, but if we are going to go with a better mic, why not give it a good home.

Option 1, get a Rode NTK, tube microphone, priced @ $500 and $50 additional for the shook mount. They are nice mics, but still, my concern is it may be too sensitive. We are going to pad up a closet, but its not going to be a professional set up, know what I mean.........?

Option two, I looked at getting a....
PRS TubePre Single Channel Microphone Preamp with VU Meter
And getting a Rode NT1000 condensor mic. The preamp is priced at $100 and the Rode is priced @ $300.

My look at it is that we get a decent pre-amp, unless some one tells me different, to use with other mics as well, and a decent mic to run threw the pre-amp, its Rode, My budget for this gear is $500. So Im not concerned saving $100, Im just looking at expanding resouces as far as having a pre-amp to use with other gear, not just mics, as well. We do mostly hiphop music, but I am still implimenting guitars as well into the mix.

So again, any suggestions, thoughts, blunt statements, LOL, would be cool with me. I just want to make a smart decission, Ive bought things in the past with out doing too much research or getting opinions, then you end up this gear that just lays round, KNOw what Im sayin.............so get at me, thanx for your input.... Im looking at option two, just wanted to see if I could get a second opinion.

pm

 

[sdelsolray]

So again, any suggestions, thoughts, blunt statements, LOL, would be cool with me. I just want to make a smart decission, Ive bought things in the past with out doing too much research or getting opinions, then you end up this gear that just lays round, KNOw what Im sayin.............so get at me, thanx for your input.... Im looking at option two, just wanted to see if I could get a second opinion.

pm

Blunt statement: Spend the $500 on a decent mic or a decent mic pre. Save up another $500. Now buy the other item.

 

[Gidge]

Id go with option 3:

Marshall MXLv69 tube mic and Delta DMP3 preamp ($299+$149)

 

[pM of impk21.co]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

@ sdelsolray, what brands do you use for recording as far as mic and pre-amp?

@ Gidge

I will check out the MXL mic you mentioned, someone else stated the DMP3 is a good pre-amp. But isnt that set pre-amp set up for two mics? I mean if the quality is there, thats cool, but we never record two mics at the same time, know what Im sayin? Either way thanx for the input from both...............pm

 

[Wireneck]

pM of impk21.co- I am not sure if the DMP 3 is a 2 channel preamp or not (never used one) but I can tell you that you should never say never.
Will you never stereo mic an acoustic guitar? Will you never need to mic a guitar and a vocalist at the same time? What about drums and percussion? I find myself using a minimum of 9-10 channels of mic pres for my initial tracking of most bands. You may not think you need that extra channel right now but you will find that there are plenty of things you didn't think you needed lol. Its an illness and you will never be satisfied.

 

[c7sus]

Either one of those mics will be fine.

For your booth, check out John Sayer's site.

I would suggest using 3-lb. density
2" Rigid Fiberglass Soundboard for your treatment. You can buy 96 square feet of the stuff in 24" x48" panels for about $125US. Knauf and Owens/Corning are the two major manufacturers of RFSB. Check with your local insulation wholesale houses to find it. Home Depot doesn't know WTF it is.

You only need to treat about 60% of the surface in your booth. Any more than that and it's gonna be too "dead" sounding.

Cover the RFSB with muslin or other cheap cloth, and hang the panels with Velcro stapled to your walls and ceiling and either hot-glued or contact glued to the backs of the panels.

With the panels you have left over you can make corner bass traps or more muslin-covered Velcro hanging panels to treat your monitor/mixing area.

 

[StevenLindsey]

$100 Tubepre. Bletch!

Get the NTK. Save up. Get a RNP or something comparable.

 

[pM of impk21.co]

@c7sus, thanx for the idea. I've read about the foam you are referring to, its seems to be used by a lot of people. Again thanx.....................

@ Steven Lindsey, What kinda of mic do you use in your set up? Just curious, Im just trying to get different opinions. I see people post and say, get the expensive mic, I just want to hear what you guys use as well.....................thanx for your input, pm

 

[StevenLindsey]

I've got a Behringer B2, 2 Behringer ECM8000s, SM58, SM57, SM77, Sennheiser MD441, Marshall MXL603, and a Rode NTK. For my vocals, the NTK is just in a different class from the rest. Once you use a good mic for a while, the others just kinda sound sick in comparison. I'm gonna go for a Shure KSM44 eventually and sell my B2 to some unsuspecting....well no not really. The B2's not that bad I don't guess. But you need to get a real microphone for your vocals. Don't scrimp there if you're serious about your sound. The NTK is sensitive but it will take a lot of sound and it's quiet. And you'll have to have a good pop screen to get up close on it. I'm betting that NT1000 is a nice mic too. For hollering and screaming stuff though, a good dynamic mic might work better.

I also have a Presonus Blue Tube that I used for a while. Not too bad but then I got a FMR RNP and then a Sytek...what a difference! If you're really wanting to improve your vocals, forget the Tubepre. Try the DMP3 instead, if you don't want to spend much more money...with maybe a Shure SM7. That'd probably be nice for getting up close and talking some Hip Hop.

Just some thoughts.

 

[pM of impk21.co]

Cool

@ StevenLinsey, I see where you are coming from. We are wanting to get the best quality we can get. period. But as all @ home recording studios, or most of em anyway, there comes a budget. I mean, even if we went with the Rode NT1000 plus the pre-amp you mentioned, Im lookin at $460, shy of $40 compared to getting a Rode NTKtube mic. Its the sensitivity that concerns me. Like I stated in a previous post, I rent, I'd love just to tear down a wall and do what I really want to do, LOL, but I may be here for another year, or maybe only another month. Know what Im sayin. I have a closet in the room, with a little investment I could probably get some drywall and some foam padding, or what ever was suggested and make a decent booth, but it will be far from "sound proof". My hope was we could make it dense enough to eleminate most of the reverberation but yet try to avoid the "box" sound.

So do you have like a booth you record in, or do you just record with your NTK in a treated room? I hear quality recordings with good condensor mics and the person just claims they put the mic in the middle of an untreated room. Im sure I'll get it figure out. Thanx again for you input..

pm

 

[chessrock]

Re: Cool

Its the sensitivity that concerns me. Like I stated in a previous post, I rent, I'd love just to tear down a wall and do what I really want to do, LOL, but I may be here for another year, or maybe only another month. Know what Im sayin.

Alright, given you're situation, here's a few things that would be really useful to you right now:

* SM-7 -- Not just a good vocal mic; a great one. It would probably see more use than the NTK you're drooling over, and you'll continue to use it even after you get your dream studio built.

Not an overly sensitive mic. Most dynamics aren't.

* Poor man's sound treatment . If you're really poor, you can always get the old, smelly kind and save a few bucks.

You just hang 'em up wherever you can find somethig to hang 'em on. Hooks work well . . . even nails. Hange 'em on a makeshift clothesline. You could even drape one accross two sturdy mic stands. Be creative.

 

[StevenLindsey]

I'm just recording in a bedroom with some mattresses up against the walls and a pillow here or there to cut down the flutters. Not too bad even with the omnis on the drums. I close mic just about everything else. Acoustic treatment....bah...who needs it.

 

[kdoggity]

I have a DMP3, and I'm very pleased. It's a great representation of the source, and is pretty feature-laden. Highly recommended.