Tube Mics & preams

[triton_master]

As i didnt used any tube mic or pre amp yet .i would like to know someting about them be4 i get some :

1- whats the diffrents between the Tube mics ,and the norlam once
2- should i get a tube preamp with the tube mic ?
3- for wich style its usualy used ?
4- should i get one for my studio ?
5- How it sounds ?

I got a sure ksm 44 , behringer B2 , sure sm 57 & Rode NT4


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[phaqu]

I would say....

1- whats the diffrents between the Tube mics ,and the norlam once

For a good one?...about $3000...no really, a tube mic uses a tube(obviously), like a 12ax7(not all the time though) instead of solid state electronics to boost the signal enough to get it to the preamp without noise (or at least minimal). You would have to hear it to know the difference ( you will hear the words "warm" and "rich" a lot).

2- should i get a tube preamp with the tube mic ?

If you want. I do it all the time (but all my mic pres are tube so I really dont have too much of a choice). Theoretically, tubes and transistors should sound the same up untill the point of distortion, but that is subjective.But anyway,some cheaper tube gear isnt all its cracked up to be, so youll hear the word "noisy" to. I think youll probably get more mileage out of a GOOD tube preamp than a tube mic since a tube mic will have more "character" than a solid state.(like I said, youll have to hear it).Personally, I would use it with a good ss pre (if I had one).

3- for wich style its usualy used ?

Any style you want. Just as long as it sounds good.

4- should i get one for my studio ?

Sure, why not. Theyre a bit more picky that a ss mic. I usually let mine warm up for about an hour before I use it( I do that with my tube pres to) But,like I said , a good tube pre should be more flexable(really,a good pre amp of any kind in general would be more flexable) .

5- How it sounds ?

Depends on what its used for. I normaly use mine for vocalists that are too.....brittle? It can tame down some obvious frequencies that arent too appealing. But it can also bog down your sound if the singer or instrument is already....... full?...rich?... But,it can also be the perfect mic for a specific sound. Sometimes,with cheaper mics,if you use it on a large number of track on the same song, a build up of some frequencies can start to occur(but, this can happen with any mic).These are just very simple answers.
Anyway,the best way to get to know the difference is to hear it,instead of reading about it. Go to a music store and compare between a ss mic and a tube one. That would be the way to base a decision on. In all honesty, be prepared to shell out some cash, as real tube gear isnt what you would call cheap.

 

[jkokura]

Out of curiousity - which ones are you looking at getting?

For Tube mics, I've got an NTK, and I've used a few others in the mid-priced range ($500-1500). I really recommend the NTK and the 4047 in the lower price range there. Other ones above that price I don't have enough experience with to tell you one way or the other.

As for tube pres, pretty much all of mine aren't. I have some experience with the Mindprint DTC, and I love it!

Jacob

 

[Farview]

Here is the way I look at the whole tube vs. solid state thing, YMMV:

Proper tube circuitry is much more expensive to implement than SS. If you are buying buget gear, you will get more quality for your money buying SS. A well implemented tube circuit will be just as transparent as a SS one.

Most of the 'holy grail' preamps are SS. Neve, API, SSL, Calrec, Great river,Langevin, etc... are all SS. I have a hard time thinking of a holy grail tube preamp besides the Viper. ($2500 for 1 channel)

Neumann U87, AKG 414, The Sony mics, are all SS.

Simply having a tube in the signal path won't garantee a good sound. Most of the cheap tube preamps are just dark or smeared sounding. That gets mistaken for 'warmth' when stacked up against the preamps in a $100 Behringer or Mackie mixer. (which are bright to say the least)