Tube Overheads!

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DuoToneBand

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Wat are some decent, CHEAP, tube overheads that have a sound reminicent of a vintage C12A? I dont want them to be crap, but i dont have much money for them! SP TB1?
 
Ha! I dont really know! I am using a firepod as the interface, and it is a great sounding deal, but the preamps arnt very warm sounding. Also, Josh Freese, my fav. drummer says that he loves his beloved C12A's and used those on some of my fav. albums.

Listen to the cymbals on Mer De Noms, and you will see wat i mean!
 
There's a lot more variables than just the mics. Cymbals, room acoustics, and mic preamps are all equally important.
 
You realize C12's are like $5000, a pair maybe $9000. And if they have mics like that, they would also have primo mic pre's and excellent sounding drum room, not to mention great reverb. You just have to do the best you can with all of these elements.
 
On the other hand, you might want to investigate the Antares Mic Modeler. I've never used it, but i've heard a few positive reports. The idea is you can use cheap mics and the plugin digitally emulates expensive mics including c12's. Hard to believe, and my guess is that it may not work well with multiple miking situations (phase problems) but like i said, i havne't tried it.
 
ya, and C12A's (tube version of the 414) is like $2500 for so for 2

hehe, i wish!
 
I have an Apex 460 which I replaced the 12AX7 tube with a Telefunken 12AT7 that sounds really good. I also ordered a Nady TCM-1150, 'cause they were going cheap on eBay. Found out they are EXACTLY the same mic. Also put the same Telefunken tube in them and they match perfectly. There's only 2 left at the price I got them at: $159.00 plus shipping. Some studio in Vancouver compared them the the original C12 and the C12VR and thought they were close in sound with the stock 12AX7. I'd bet with the tube replacement they are alot closer in sound. The original C12 and the C12VR are probably better than the C12A.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41466&item=7313356263&rd=1

I haven't yet tried them as overheads and don't have original C12's, but they are VERY close in sound to the MXL V67's I modified with the "Royer" tube mod.

I loaned two of the Royer modded V67's to Simon Phillips and he loved them. (I had to install a 10dB pad later) I may build 2 more for him, but he really liked some Rode tube mics also, and is leaning more towards those. I don't know which Rode model they are, but I'm sure they are way more expensive than even the modded V67s. The price on the Nady's is about half the cost of modding a V67.

I would imagine the modified Nady's would sound good as overheads, since they are very close to the Royer mod. The studio in Vancouver said the Apex model (same mic) worked extremely well as drum overheads.
 
wat is the "royer" mod on a v67??? please tell me. I can get 2 v67's and 2 603's for 210 brand new
 
Well, I tried getting a link to show you, but apparently that website has a problem right now.

The Royer mod was developed by David Royer of Royer mic labs, and is a way to take the electronics for an MXL 2001 or a V67 and replace it with a tube circuit. There's a kit available from mojaveaudio.com (down right now) which is $300 for each mic. I was able to read the schematic, make my own printed circuit boards and buy the parts for alot less.

You essentialy take all the guts out and replace everything with a tube circuit, replace the audio transformer, build a power supply out of an ammo can and make a cable and, boom! You've got a really good tube mic.



Just finished another of my own, taking a Nady SCM900 and coverting it to a Sony C-37 clone. I'm still working some bugs out of that, though.
 
ahh, i dont feel like dropin $300 on a tube conversion for a cheap mic
 
I agree its expensive. Then again, it makes a cheap $100 condenser sound like a $1000-$2000 mic. (know I'm gonna get flack to the contrary, but it really does!)

If budget is the main constraint, I'd get the Nady's I mentioned and some better tubes. Only one day left on that auction and two mics left.
 
How much do those Nady's run regularly? How much are those tubes u bought? How sensetive is the mic? How much would it cost me for 2 Nady's and 2 new tubes?
 
They retail for $230-299. The tubes can be anywhere from $15 to $60 each depending on the brand and quality. NOS (new old stock) are the best quality. Telefunken and Mullard are the top 2 brands to look for. GE, RCA, Sylvania, JJ, Ei are all good to and will be less expensive.
 
Phil, did you see that schematic on the web? I took a look around the Mojave Audio site and couldn't find it. How does the modded mic sound on vocals? I've got an MXL 2001 sitting here just itchin' to get took apart. :) Thanks!
 
The link to the original article is here:

http://www.prosoundweb.com/recording/tapeop/tube_mic_25_1.shtml
http://www.prosoundweb.com/recording/tapeop/tube_mic_25_2.shtml
http://www.prosoundweb.com/recording/tapeop/tube_mic_25_3.shtml

I have a pdf with the parts list if you need it.

http://www.monkeyworksinc.com/samples/tape_op1.pdf

It sounded way good on vocals. I posted a country vocal track I did with it. (not me singing, a friend. I don't do country)



Simon did a TV commercial track with one and it sounded great there too. can't remember the singer's name....
 
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Phil, Vocals on that track sound great. The whole track actually sounds awesome did you record the drums on that also?
 
The Groove Tubes GT44's are excellent OH mics. GC was running a specials on them for $199 each. You might still be able to find some at tha price if you call around to some GC's.

A very 251ish, C12is, 414ish tube mic is the new Peluso 22 251. I posted a bit on it here. There's a studio owner in LA who has C12's and 251's in his mic cab who is now using the Peluso 22 251's as drum OH's. They're parked on the stands. He's says they sounds like what he would expect from a vintage 251. And he'd rather use some less expensive mics than have to pull his expensive mics out and put them high up on stands every time he wants to mic drums.
 
VWYF11 said:
Phil, Vocals on that track sound great. The whole track actually sounds awesome did you record the drums on that also?
Click to expand...

No, I just mixed it. I have a friend who is a songwriter in Nashville who sent me the basic instrument tracks done at a studio there. I discovered the singer here and told him I'd get him I'd do his demo. We set it all up here and recorded the vocal tracks at my studio, then I mixed it down.

I do get a similar drum sound on my stuff, though.
 
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