Thinking of buying some new mics.

J

James K

Member
Hi,
I currently have two Oktava MK-219s (matched pair), an SM57 and an AKG D112 to record with. I'm going to be recording a new album with my band soon though and I'm considering buying some new microphones.

I'm currently looking at both SDCs and ribbons. I'm going to be recording electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, piano, percussion, brass quintet, string quartet, hammond organ, banjo and vocals. I'm happy with the vocal sound from the Oktavas and the amplified instrument sound from the SM57 but I'm wondering if the brass, strings and piano would benefit from some different mics. I've heard that brass and strings sound great with ribbons.

The mics I've looked at are the Oktava MK012 SDCs and the T-Bone RB500 and SE electronics X1R ribbons.

So, I'm looking for advice on what to do. Is it worth buying more mics? Which type should I get considering the instruments I'm recording? One? Both? None? And has anyone got experience with the mics I've mentioned?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
James
 
For the brass, I would suggest a non-phantom-powered ribbon with a good preamp. I would also consider upgrading it with a Lundahl transformer for a more open sound. My favorite for brass so far is a Lundahl-upgraded Nady RSM-2.

For the piano, it just depends on the sound you're going for. For a close sound, I've used everything from a Shure VP88 to a pair of omni SDCs. If you have a good room, you could also do distant recording with a good SDC pair (omni or cardioid, depending on what sort of stereo image you prefer) or a VP-88 or various other stereo mics.
 
It seems almost impossible to find demos of things recorded with ribbon mics online. Also, I've read that the TBone RB500 is the same mic as the Nady. Would this be a good choice? The price is very good.
 
You can purchase them as just the cardioid head models and upgrade from there to make them the premium package if you so choose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top