What's The Worst Microphone For Over $1000?

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I agree that a mod'ed U87 is very worthy. But the pair of late 60's U87's we have at the studio get VERY little use. Too gritty for most stuff.

Not a bad mic, just that most of the time our other LD condensors sound better for the track, and all of them cost FAR less.

So, I would say the U87 is the worst mic over $1000.

Ed
 
sonusman said:
I agree that a mod'ed U87 is very worthy. But the pair of late 60's U87's we have at the studio get VERY little use. Too gritty for most stuff.

Not a bad mic, just that most of the time our other LD condensors sound better for the track, and all of them cost FAR less.

So, I would say the U87 is the worst mic over $1000.

Ed
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Here,here...........The mic has the Neumann name. It MUST be you. I am sure if you visit the Neumann factory, they will "re-educate" you as to why your hearing needs help.
 
acorec said:
Here,here...........The mic has the Neumann name. It MUST be you. I am sure if you visit the Neumann factory, they will "re-educate" you as to why your hearing needs help.
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Indeed.

I will add that just about every professional engineer I have ever talked to has claimed that the stock U87 is the most overrated mic ever!

Ed
 
acorec said:
Here,here...........The mic has the Neumann name. It MUST be you. I am sure if you visit the Neumann factory, they will "re-educate" you as to why your hearing needs help.
Click to expand...

That's one dum comment from someone who doesn't know who he's talking to.
:rolleyes:
If your statement was valid every pro studio should be filled with Neumann mics, and they are not. What you WILL find in a lot of high end studios however is 'vintage' Neumanns. Alas if only they made them like they used to.

And just in case you think I'm just beshing Neumann, I'm not, I'm just stating fact. Besides that, Neumann's new digital mic is something really special............finally something you should expect from Neumann.
 
Sjoko2: Might wanna turn your sarcasm detector on......

-Jett
 
sure sounded like sarcasm to me, as well...

and by the way, as far as Microtech Gefell being the "real" Neumann, that may or may not be true. (Who cares?) But while they make some decent mics, I still think a lot of other companies who don't limit themselves to 6 micron technology make better ones today. I haven't tried every flavor of Gefell, but i haven't been blown away by the ones I've tried.
 
Fair enough guys, but MG won't be charging you $1800 for a mic that's worth max $1000-1200.

But by the time I'm gonna buy some $1k+ LD condenser, I'll probably end up with a Soundelux U195 (or some Brauner).
 
recently, i was recording a vocal track and i set up three mics to test out -- c1, u87, and u47, which my neighbor just got back from blue after they gave it a little maintenance. i chose the u87. a lot of times i choose the c1 of the neumanns. don't get me wrong, i love the u47, but it really didn't blow me away on MY vocals. hell, i use a radio shack mic occassionally for a really gritty sound. each mic has its uses. i do believe that the u47 is worth the $7k when it's used on the right source tho.
-teddy
 
by the way, something is worth as much as the consumer is willing to pay. no more, no less.
 
Speeddemon said:
Fair enough guys, but MG won't be charging you $1800 for a mic that's worth max $1000-1200.

But by the time I'm gonna buy some $1k+ LD condenser, I'll probably end up with a Soundelux U195 (or some Brauner).
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True that, but if you're interested in buying a Soundelux, I would seriously advise you to at least try a Lawson first, and save yourself a lot of money
 
Littledog: Any chance of you ever posting anything with vox done on your Lawson. I'm curious.

-J
 
sjoko2 said:
True that, but if you're interested in buying a Soundelux, I would seriously advise you to at least try a Lawson first, and save yourself a lot of money
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I think the U-195, at $999 new, can be had for $1000 less than the cheapest Lawson, though.
Whats wrong with the U-195? My new one so far seems to be very smooth, although very hyped on the top end, but its smooth hype, not brittle pain.
Have you tried it? Its pretty nice for its price.

Although....

I dont think there is TOO much any mic can do that a Sennheiser MD-441 cant do also... THAT is the mic to grab a pair or 3 of.... and great used prices to boot...
 
tubedude said:
I dont think there is TOO much any mic can do that a Sennheiser MD-441 cant do also... THAT is the mic to grab a pair or 3 of.... and great used prices to boot...
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You obviously don't read the ad's in the recording magazines. Dynamic mic's are no good in the modern digital age. Now, cheap large diaphragm condensors are the only mic's worth having. ;)
 
Shit....
well... anyone wanna trade my MD441 for an MXL v67? I guess I'll even throw in a couple mogami mic cables and a stand with it.
 
tubedude said:
I think the U-195, at $999 new, can be had for $1000 less than the cheapest Lawson, though.
Whats wrong with the U-195? My new one so far seems to be very smooth, although very hyped on the top end, but its smooth hype, not brittle pain.
Have you tried it? Its pretty nice for its price.

Although....

I dont think there is TOO much any mic can do that a Sennheiser MD-441 cant do also... THAT is the mic to grab a pair or 3 of.... and great used prices to boot...
Click to expand...

Oooops, sorry!! :D Got my mic models messed up
 
jet-rocker said:
Littledog: Any chance of you ever posting anything with vox done on your Lawson. I'm curious.

-J
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I don't post audio because:

•My internet CPU is not connected to my studio computer, so it's a hassle.

•The subtleties of mic comparisons don't lend themselves to MP3 format.

•Posting parts of finished mixes off of mastered CD's is not going to allow you to hear the "dry" mic sound in most cases. (Given EQ, Compression, Reverb, etc. that may have been added).

•Too much trouble to go get permission from the artists.

Sorry. If you are REALLY interested, you can PM me and I'll give you some CD's you can buy where I used the L47 on vox. (NOTE: you probably won't have ever heard of most of the artists.)

More useful alternative: Contact Gene Lawson, as he may probably can provide a list of some more well known (and more easily available) CD's using his stuff.
 
Sjoko, were you replying to me about the difference between the Soundelux U47FET and the Lawson L47 then?

Seems as if both are 'remakes' of the legendary Neumann U47.
I believe Soundelux charges somewhere in the $4.5k area, right?

Got any links to Lawson mics?
 
http://www.lawsonmicrophones.com/
That's Lawson's website. Lawson only sells direct from the factory, and therefore the dealer / distributor margins are absent.
If they sold through retail their mic would most likely cost the same as Soundelux.

Tested as a trio, our vintage 47, the soundelux and the lawson, the lawson came out a clear winner (not just in my opinion, all 6 engineers present were unanimous). Its sound is closer to the sound of a good vintage 47, it has all the fullness, and stays beautiful throughout the frequency range. In addition its continuesly variable pattern has added benefits, at some settings its top end is boosted to a sound similar of a vintage C12.
Despite having a very good microphone collection here, the Lawsons are without question are most used microphones. The first one arrived here just over a year ago, and they have been flawless. There are other 'plusses' as well. They have an internal shockmount, so that does away with all the traditional shockmount crap, they are very well manufactured, and the clients seem to love the look. Last, a feature I almost forgot is the 3dB boost swith in cardioid pattern, which is another useful thing.
 
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