Tube Mics

[circle x]

I am looking at a few tube microphones (Rode NTK, ADK TT, GT-67). I will be using them to record acoustic guitar and vocals. I want something to compliment my very limited mic cabinet (SM57, BLUE Dragonfly). I thought about using a ribbon but have even less knowledge on those. I will be using the GT SUPRE as the preamp.

Is there really any benefit to adding a tube LDC when I have the BLUE? I have found the "warm" sound has more to do with the room, instrument, post tracking, than it does with the tubes themselves. Maybe i just really suck. That is very possible.

 

[LP2006]

I owned an ACM-6802t, and was really surprised at how 'warm' it sounded. The "tube" sound is definitely a bit different than the solid state style of condenser.

I own a Blue Kiwi too, which is probably my favorite microphone ever. However, the ACM-6802t still sounded great on a lot of stuff.

Why not just buy one of the tube mics to try out? If you get a decent deal used, you could always sell it if you don't like it.

 

[circle x]

I owned an ACM-6802t, and was really surprised at how 'warm' it sounded. The "tube" sound is definitely a bit different than the solid state style of condenser.

I own a Blue Kiwi too, which is probably my favorite microphone ever. However, the ACM-6802t still sounded great on a lot of stuff.

Why not just buy one of the tube mics to try out? If you get a decent deal used, you could always sell it if you don't like it.

I may do just that! I know Nickelback had a great deal of success with the NTK. I realy like Rode so maybe I will just pick it up and give it a test. Since I am adding to my mic locker, I doubt I will be selling it. Of course, i could sell everything and buy a TLM or something but, that is just not going to happen! BTW, the Dragonfly is great. I wish BLUE would put the cactus on sale for under a grand!

 

[kidvybes]

...your best bet in a moderate price range ($250-300) is a used Studio Projects T3...I have had most of the tube mics in the $200-700 price range (including 2 of the mics you listed) and the T3 stands out as a great value due to it's smooth, warm tone and adjustable polar patterns...upgrade with a NOS 6072 tube for the best overall performance...

...if you want to go for the best overall tube mic under $1000, check out a used Mojave (Royer) MA200...the go for around $650-700 used on Gearslutz classified...amazing mic!

 

[circle x]

...your best bet in a moderate price range ($250-300) is a used Studio Projects T3...I have had most of the tube mics in the $200-700 price range (including 2 of the mics you listed) and the T3 stands out as a great value due to it's smooth, warm tone and adjustable polar patterns...upgrade with a NOS 6072 tube for the best overall performance...

...if you want to go for the best overall tube mic under $1000, check out a used Mojave (Royer) MA200...the go for around $650-700 used on Gearslutz classified...amazing mic!

Please excuse my ignorance on tube-types but, what will the NOS do compared to say, the original stock tube. From my very limited point of view, isn't the tube/valve imparting a specific type of distortion that makes it unique and colorful? I guess what I am asking is, do different tubes have different type of musical "distortion?"

 

[dgatwood]

Tubes don't produce (or at least shouldn't produce) much distortion. However, the stock tubes tend to be Chinese 12AX7s. In addition to having entirely too high a gain for the stock tranformer, they also tend to color the sound undesirably. (The sound ends up somewhat hollow sounding.) I'm not sure why.

I don't know which manufacturer builds the tubes for these things. Unfortunately, the manufacturers polish off the original markings on the tube, so I don't know any way to identify who actually made the tubes.

There are many Chinese tube manufacturers, some good, some bad. Tung Sol gets good rep, for example. I'm guessing that's probably not what mic manufacturers ship, though.

 

[kidvybes]

Please excuse my ignorance on tube-types but, what will the NOS do compared to say, the original stock tube. From my very limited point of view, isn't the tube/valve imparting a specific type of distortion that makes it unique and colorful? I guess what I am asking is, do different tubes have different type of musical "distortion?"

...tubes are rated on gain levels, microphonics, etc...the stock tubes in many of these Chinese manufactured mics are Chinese-made 12AT7 or 12AX7 types...although the Chinese tubes often display low microphonic (noise) levels, they seem to impart a slight harshness to the upper frequencies of the microphone's tone...the 6072/6072A is a high-grade military version of the 12AY7 tube and it has a lower gain rating than the 12AT7, therefore you are likely to raise the gain level on your mic pre to compensate for the tube's lower output...the results are often a more pleasing, less harsh tone..the 6072 is particularly desireable in microphone applications and was used in many of the earlier vintage German tube mic circuits...the NOS (new old stock) tubes made by GE, RCA, etc. were the standard bearers of this particular version and tend to impart the best sonic characteristics...of course, due to their age and how they have been stored/handled over the years may influence their performance...best to buy from reputable tube dealers, but I have had good results from tubes purchased relatively cheaply on eBay as well...

...the Rode NTK and K2 tube mics use a different tube than the Chinese mics and in these particular mics the NOS Amperex and Seimens 6922 variations (E88CC) seem most reliable...Rode mics generally ship with stock Russian tubes (Sovtek) which are similar in quality to the Chinese counterparts...

...frankly the differences in tube performance, due to most of these mic's designs, will not be as noticeable as let's say in a guitar amp's circuits, but many people find the difference to be worth the upgrade cost...but, as they say, your results may vary...

 

[circle x]

Okay, now I am all excited to start messing with this tube stuff. I was originally just going to buy a tube mic. Now, I HAVE to buy some of these tubes and mess with them in the mic. Great!!!!

Thanks for the good info.

 

[pohaku]

Check your mic's specs carefully before you buy. Some tube mics (recent model GT for example) use mini military spec tubes that are soldered to the board and not easily swappable. Actually, even if you were willing to pull and resolder, I'm not sure what you would swap into these. If you buy one of these, you need to like the sound of the stock mic.

 

[LP2006]

I forgot to add that I put a NOS 12AT7 Mullard tube in my 6802t previously mentioned. It did make a considerable improvement over the stock tube.

 

[pylet2000]

Check your mic's specs carefully before you buy. Some tube mics (recent model GT for example) use mini military spec tubes that are soldered to the board and not easily swappable. Actually, even if you were willing to pull and resolder, I'm not sure what you would swap into these. If you buy one of these, you need to like the sound of the stock mic.

Fortunately, these tubes are probably very decent quality being old military grade parts. JAN tubes are usually pretty solid. So tube swapping likely isn't all that necessary anyhow.

 

[pohaku]

Fortunately, these tubes are probably very decent quality being old military grade parts. JAN tubes are usually pretty solid. So tube swapping likely isn't all that necessary anyhow.

Yup, I like the recent GT mics and they do work quite well, but you do need to like the sound of the stock tube. I was just adding a cautionary note so that the OP didn't buy one thinking he was going to be able to swap out the stock tube for some NOS tube. Personally, my favorite of the recent GT mics is the AM-40/GT-44 tube mic. A really great and useful mic.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I am a moderate fan of the NTK, and also of Rode's customer service dept. My NTK is a perfectly good mic that came with a cruddy cable which Rode replaced free of charge by next day shipping. Can't bitch about that. I wouldn't get so hyped up about the tube thing, though. An NTK sounds like an NTK, not a "tube mic". The sum of the differences between any two mics is a lot greater than whether they have a tube or not. NTK is particularly well suited to acoustic guitar and clean vocals. I think, in its price range, NTK would be a perfectly good addition to your small mic cabinet. Just accept that over time, you will acquire mics, like T-shirts. Just acquire mics that are good for something. I have a moderate mic cabinet, say 30 mics, all told, but about 10 of them do the real work. Only one or two of them are what I really want, but they are the mics I could afford.

Almost everything gets done with B.L.U.E. Kiwi, AKG C414B-ULS, C2000B, D112, D770, Shure SM7B, a pair of Neumann KM184's, Oktava MK319, and a Rode NTK. I haven't found anything I can't record with those 10 mics. Yes, I would like some Royer ribbons, and a U47, an old D12, and some ifet 7's. This is the point- if you have a limited budget for mics (almost all of us do), buy mics that are good for recording *something*, and ones that are time tested. Many times a mic is not really that good for what you bought it for, but it turns out to be good on something else. I bought the Kiwi for a main vocal mic. It works for me- but the ladies I work with, all 3- hate it. What do they use? Mostly the Oktava MK319, which I bought from Guitar Center when they were blowing them out, for $50! Go figger. At least if you buy mics that a lot of people did good work with, they'll probably be good for something, and if not, they're easier to resell.

I bought a pair of AKG C2000B's for drum overheads, and the one that remains turned out to be a kickass cab mic. Who whudda thunk?-Richie

 

[dgatwood]

Check your mic's specs carefully before you buy. Some tube mics (recent model GT for example) use mini military spec tubes that are soldered to the board and not easily swappable. Actually, even if you were willing to pull and resolder, I'm not sure what you would swap into these. If you buy one of these, you need to like the sound of the stock mic.

The submini tubes are rarely used outside of mics where it is impossible to fit a full size tube (e.g. pencil condensers). The GT-66 is an oddball in that regard. I can't imagine what possessed them to use a submini tube in a mic that big....

 

[pohaku]

The submini tubes are rarely used outside of mics where it is impossible to fit a full size tube (e.g. pencil condensers). The GT-66 is an oddball in that regard. I can't imagine what possessed them to use a submini tube in a mic that big....

Yeah, I know. They went from the MD series using swappable 12AT7 tubes, which are really great mics, to the 6Tm which used a 5718M miniature wire-ended triode valve soldered directly to the circuit board, to the Alesis/M-Audio/Sterling line of mics that used a subminiature 6204 soldered to the board. AFAIK, all the Alesis/M-Audio/Sterling tube mics use the same tube, be they GT-44 or GT-67 or MD1b. IME, none of these recent mics sound overtly "tubey" in comparison to the MD series (and especially the MD1). More "hifi" with "rounded edges" IMHO. I once bought a MD1b on a blowout clearance from Musician's Friend, thinking I might be able to match it to my MD1a. Opened it up and it looked like a GT-67 inside. Sent it back.

Of all the recent GT tube mics, I really like the AM-40/GT-44, especially on acoustic instruments. I have two of them. Personally, I think it's the most usable one of the bunch for the recent mics - especially for instruments, but I have lots of other mic options for vocals.