What is a good vocal mic to buy?

  • Thread starter Thread starter FattMusiek
  • Start date Start date
Yeah Alan, you were right about the B1 way back when we talked about it.
If anything, you understated it!
No way I'd correlate it to the C1 unless told beforehand.

I knew we shared the same pet peeve on the current AKG's as being
too bright, although you like the (much) more expensive vintage 414 EB.

Chris
 
chessparov said:
Yeah Alan, you were right about the B1 way back when we talked about it.
If anything, you understated it!
No way I'd correlate it to the C1 unless told beforehand.

I knew we shared the same pet peeve on the current AKG's as being
too bright, although you like the (much) more expensive vintage 414 EB.

Chris
Click to expand...

I always thought the new versions of the 414 was way too bright and a bit weak on the bottom end when compared to the old nickel versions with the C12 capsule.

So that is why we went after that old 414 sound with the B Series. The B3 at $159.00 is a fraction of what you would pay for a 414 today, and just pennies compared to an old C12 414...but not far off in sound.

Oh yeah, RE....I think you can beat up the B1 pretty good without worries!!! :D
 
Last edited:
When a dealer went out of business near me, he loaned me a brand new 414 BULS (or whatever it's called), and offered to sell it to me for a little over $400.

I tried it - and gave it back to him.

It's a shame, really. AKG used to be one of the premier microphone companies. The new AKG 414s and the AKG Cx000 lines hasn't hurt their sales, but it sure has affected their professional image, at least to me.

I'm with Alan and chessparov on this one - all the way.
 
What did you expect from a HARMON INTERNATIONAL company, Harvey!?
 
Last edited:
Actually, Sid Harmon is a pretty cool guy and passionately devoted to good sound, atleast he was when I knew him. Unfortunately, he's piss poor at picking people to run his various companies, except they all seem to have a talent for using a company's great previous reputation to introduce higher profit, lower quality items.
 
Let me get this straight here . . . you are not making a profit on something, which to my knowlege is otherwise known as preditory pricing.
Click to expand...

Now Chessrock.....where did you get your business or marketing degree?

Does the term "Loss Leader" ring any bells?

:D

Almost Every retailer in the western free enterprise world uses them to get you into the door and try their producct or service (or in this case microphones).

That's an entry level business concept.
 
It's seems Studio Prodjects has three (3) "No Profit" or "Loss Leaders" as you call them, the B1, B3 and C1. And if they lower the price of the C3 that might make four (4) "No Profit" mic's? Is that still legal?
 
It's seems Studio Prodjects has three (3) "No Profit" or "Loss Leaders" as you call them, the B1, B3 and C1. And if they lower the price of the C3 that might make four (4) "No Profit" mic's? Is that still legal?
Click to expand...

While I am not exactly an expert in Law but I do have two Bachelors degree's (big whoop) and one of them is in business/marketing and yes this is completely legal.

You local grocery store has hot sale items every week in their add and just about everything on the front page ie pack of Coke for 99 cents or green beans 4/$100 are sold at no profit or a little loss. They are betting you will buy a few more things while you are there that they will make their money back and then some.

Or how about the "Buy 12 CD's now for a $1.00 and buy only 4 more in the next three years at our regular every day low prices..." obviously they are losing money selling the first 12 CD's for only a $1.00 BUT their every day "low" price, shipping charges etc allow them to make a profit in the long run. These are only a few examples.

To qualify as "Preditory practices" that are truly unethical and illegal a major player in their market niche... lets say Walmart moves into a town with two or three competitors and basically sells their whole line of same products for le ss than what they paid for them for the specific purpose of driving the smaller local business out of business. Then when the competition is gone the major player just raises prices back up.

The key points here are a large (preditor) competes unfairly by losing money longer than the competitor can afford to lose money and does so for the single purpose of driving them out of business.

Selling some things close to cost (and even below) to get your name out and develop distribution networks while selling some other products that have a higher profit margin is a completely ethical and accepted business practice.

Building your own designs that match performance (not copy) or beat the competitions designs for pennies on the dollar...that my friend is business genius and the very heart of the free enterprise system.

Any mom and pop operation FMR, Studio Projects etc is free to design, build and market a better mouse trap.

If they really do it well for a very competitive price with good quality for its price point the world will beat a path to its door.

This opportunity awaits anyone willing to put time, sweat and knowledge to work.

Believe me the big mic companies are not going to be put out of business any time soon by Alan but they are going to have to become more competitive.

Like Alan said we don't know him or his motives and should not assume we do but if you read between the lines of his comments I hardly think his goal is to drive Senhiser or Neuman etc out of business. Apparantly he supplies capsules to one or more of the biggies.

Tip of my hat to Alan ;)
 
Last edited:
I know nothing about the laws pertaining to this, but that seems reasonable. Thanks.
 
Well, as a result of this thread, we have raised the price of the C3, TB1 and the LSD-2 back to where they were, and decided not to reduce them.

It seems many of you wish to pay more, so we will be happy to accept your offer.... Thanks :)
 
chessrock said:
Let me get this straight here . . . you are not making a profit on something, which to my knowlege is otherwise known as preditory pricing.
Click to expand...

Ever use microsoft Internet Explorer before?
 
Alan,

Not all of us felt bad about you lowering your prices and I defended you legal right to do so!:D

Can you set up a Happy Camper special hotline to get the discounted price:D :confused: :D

No complaints here although I have not been able to try out any of your stuff yet.
 
I think someone is kissing Alan's butt in the hope of personal gain. All the Studio Projects mic's are akready Happy Camper Specials more or less.
 
Now see what you all did! Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill, now we have to pay more for a good products. I personally don't care what Alan's motives are, whether they are legal or illegal. It seems to me Alan has been pretty successful running his business so far, and if he wants to cut prices down to $1 per Mic, I will just Smile and be extremely happy with the deal I just got. My only hope will be that he is making enough gross profit and good business decisions on his overall business to be able to keep making great products. But you know what, if he doesn't there is little you or I can do about it.

Alan I think we all want you to be successful in putting high quality affordable Microphones on the market and available to us. You make the business decisons and I will be the customer and hopefully you will get what you want and I will get what I want.
 
iwanarock, all I've got to say is "right on, bratha (or sistha)!!!!

I'm retired and living on about half of what I used to have and I appreciate any price break I can get.

Tom
 
All I did was ask questions, and here's another one.

alanhyatt said:
Well, as a result of this thread, we have raised the price of the C3, TB1 and the LSD-2 back to where they were, and decided not to reduce them.

It seems many of you wish to pay more, so we will be happy to accept your offer.... Thanks :)
Click to expand...

You mean we have that much power here? If so, how about giving some free mic's to some needy schools (good tax right-off too, plus good deed credit). But, was it really as a result of this thread, or in fear of a possible lawsuit or investigation?
 
Last edited:
Hey gang, when you see "no profit" in Alan's posts, just substitute "not as much profit as our other products", or "not a big profit", and we can all move on with our lives. Statements like that (like some microphone specs) are not meant to be taken that literally.
 
DJL you are free and have the right to ask any question you want to ask. But isn't this whole forum and Web site about giving us the ability to ask questions about Home Recording and the products we all use so we can all be a little more knowledgeable about the vast amount of products on the market before we pluck down $1 or $3000 on one and not about the Business Economics of running a business. I for one get enough of that every Monday thru Friday at work to last a life time.

And you know what, this forum is powerful to Alan, think about it it, it is great free advertisement and way for him to get instant feedback on his products. I think its great he visit this forum, I have many musical products I have purchased where I would love if the manufacturer seem to care on a daily basis about how I use their product and offered real time help when asked. So Alan gets feedback and we get feedback how great is that.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Hey gang, when you see "no profit" in Alan's posts, just substitute "not as much profit as our other products", or "not a big profit", and we can all move on with our lives. Statements like that (like some microphone specs) are not meant to be taken that literally.
Click to expand...

I can live with that, and I will "move on" as you asked.
 
iwanarock, I own one Studio Projects B1, two B3's, one C1, two C3's and two VTB-1's. I'll ask Alan all the questions I want, thank you. I also think Alan is a good honest man and my questions will not hurt him, and they could help him.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top