Yet another condenser mic question...

[Magnum Pi]

Let me apologize in advance for once again posting what seems to be the never ending question on this site; however, I really need some input from those of you who have first hand knowledge / use of the following mics.
I am going to purchase one of the following condenser microphones...if you were going to purchase ONLY ONE of the following for use in a small home studio and planned on using it to primarily record vocals, which would you choose?

AT 4040
Rode NT1A
MXL V67
MXL V67i
MXL V69

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[JoeyPazera]

any MXL mic, i have used a few and love them quite a bit

 

[gjdagis]

The AT 4040 since some of the others are "flavored". What I mean is that they boost certain areas, especially in the treble area. If you can only choose ONE mike, you want it to be NEUTRAL. You can always balance to your liking later.

George

 

[Creamyapples1]

You should get a harmonica mic, it would make your vocals sound just like Tom Selleck. Mmmmmmm

 

[studiomaster]

You should really add the AT-3035 to your list alongside with the NT1a.

 

[Daniel Reichman]

If you are only buying one mic I would NOT purchase the MXL's you've mentioned, as they are all coloured. They are good mics, but the more coloured a mic is the less versatile it is.

Studiomaster - how does the 3035 compare to the 4040? When I tried the 3035 it was a bit too harsh for my liking. I tried it against the EV/Blue Cardinal and found the cardinal to have a much warmer sound. But then what do I know - my voice sounds best through a Nady!!!

Cheers,

Daniel

 

[studiomaster]

Well, the 3035 does not sound harsh to me at all. after all, it depends on your signal chain as well. i love its clarity and transparency on the highs.

 

[up-fiddler]

Let me apologize in advance for once again posting what seems to be the never ending question on this site; however, I really need some input from those of you who have first hand knowledge / use of the following mics.
I am going to purchase one of the following condenser microphones...if you were going to purchase ONLY ONE of the following for use in a small home studio and planned on using it to primarily record vocals, which would you choose?

AT 4040
Rode NT1A
MXL V67
MXL V67i
MXL V69

Thanks in advance for your help!

Tell us more about your voice and music. I like the AT mic but it may not be right for you if your voice is already on the thin side. More info=more help

Good luck.

 

[roadwarrior]

As ususal for me I'd opt for the NT1-A. By far the one with the least self noise and excellent transparency. Unless you are dealing with some pretty fine gear you'll find that the NT1-A can make up for several deficiencies. Great for vocal, acoustic gutar and just about anything you can throw at it. Plenty of dynamic range also. Yep......"Give me a Rode or give me a winning lotto ticket".

 

[gcapel]

You should really add the AT-3035 to your list alongside with the NT1a.

I use a At-3035. I works well on vocals and acoustic guitar for me. You can get'em cheap on ebay too.

 

[Enchilada]

Let me....which would you choose?

AT 4040
Rode NT1A
MXL V67
MXL V67i
MXL V69

Thanks in advance for your help!

I have the V67g. From my experience, awesome for female voices and males that have kind of a nasal or an overly breathy voice.
The other LDC I have is the Studio Projects B3. Great all around workhorse. Kind of a jack of all trades, master of few. Sounds good in front of whatever you put in front of it but the main thing I've forund it to really shine on is hip-hop vocals. Didn't sound too bad on my bro's voice when I recorded some tracks for him. Here's a link to a copy of the song. No eq, just a bit of reverb.
(caution, christian lyrics)

I've used the NT1A and don't really rate it.

It really depends on what you want to do with it. Also depends on how many mics you have. If you have no mics at all yet I'd be inclined to suggest a Studio projects B1/B3. If you have mics for instruments, go an AT4040.

 

[Magnum Pi]

Thanks for the info so far. To answer some questions:
This will not be my only mic; I have all the drum mics I need and my overheads should make decent guitar cab mics.
My voice is not overly powerful and probably a tenor.
I would like to use the mic primarily for vocals but be able to use it for other purposes as well....eg. guitar, ambiance, etc..

Thanks!

 

[SRR]

My wife is a alto/tenor and so far we have really liked a shinybox 23 on her voice. Its the same mic as the nady rsm-2. Its a ribbon mic, figure 8 pattern, could work well on somethings including electric guitar and setup as an ambience mic. Not sure how it would play out on acoustic guitar. But SDC's if you have any; usally are the go to mics for acoustic. We also have a V69ME waiting to be used, its one of my birthday presents and b-day is friday, I will know more about it then. But really a ribbon for some voices could work out very well, but as with all mics, it could be a hit or miss. Maybe for flavoring reasons, you could get a ribbon ($165) at www.shinybox.com and a V67i on ebay ($150), or maybe you would hit a homerun with the v69. People can of course only tell you what has worked for them, or via second hand knowledge tell you what they have read, telling you what WILL work geat for you is next to impossible with out hearing you in your room with your gear.

Good luck in the mic search, and remember the more mics you have, the more colors you will be able to paint with.

 

[ljmaxx]

Let me apologize in advance for once again posting what seems to be the never ending question on this site; however, I really need some input from those of you who have first hand knowledge / use of the following mics.
I am going to purchase one of the following condenser microphones...if you were going to purchase ONLY ONE of the following for use in a small home studio and planned on using it to primarily record vocals, which would you choose?

AT 4040
Rode NT1A
MXL V67
MXL V67i
MXL V69

Thanks in advance for your help!

Based on your list above and how you described your vox and other uses for the mic I'd recommend an ADK Hamburg. Best LDC under $300 IMHO. You can pick them up on ebay sometimes for less than $200 used but not often as people who buy them end up keeping them. Good luck.

 

[tadmaz]

If you can spare the cash (little less than $300), go for an ADK Hamburg or Vienna. Big step up from the mics you listed.

 

[DAFFYDRUNK]

How about a CAD M-179?

I'm buying 2 budget LCDs in the nex week or so. Been researching obsesively, and if I was gonna buy today I'd pick the ADK Hamburg for primarily male vocals, and the CAD M-179 primarily for an instrument mic.
The CAD get good props as a good all around budget LDC. The 11db noise level spec suggests that it's very quiet as well. I think if I could have only 1 budget LCD that would be what I'd buy. Plus, the M-179 has variable patterns... www.frontendaudio.com has a deal on the M-179 for $200 with a pop screen, cable and shock mount.

 

[WOB]

gET THE CHEAPEST

Get the cheapest one you can find on ebay probably MXL somthing.
Get a used one and if your not happy with it sell it and try anouther.

If you dont have a cable, pop filter, shock mount and power supply look for a deal with everything included; you will probably save that way.

The diffrences in these mic's listed are very minor.

A ribbon mic is a diffrent thing and not an all round mic.

A good dynamic is somewhat diffrent(an SM7 is great for all round home studio recording because you will have much less external noise ... higher cost ...but saving on phantom power and shock mount and so on.

 

[countrylac]

Go for the Cad, it's neutral kinda like the at4040.