your review of the MXL 990

[talontsiawd]

Im curious if theres a way that i would be able to mod my mxl 990. I mean i dont know much about the interior of mics but im definitly willing to learn. Does anyone know of any mods or tweaks to help out my mxl 990. thanks.

I've looked and it seems that nobody has one. I've love to mess with mine now that i have a better mic but i'd defineatly need a step by step process. I haven't looked in awhile but as of the last time i checked, nothing was available anywhere online. Other mxl's seem to have tons of info though.

 

[jaykeMURD]

I've looked and it seems that nobody has one. I've love to mess with mine now that i have a better mic but i'd defineatly need a step by step process. I haven't looked in awhile but as of the last time i checked, nothing was available anywhere online. Other mxl's seem to have tons of info though.

I;ve searched up and down for a guide/kit to mod the MXL990. Oh well, some one with a lot of "know how" should start up a kit thingamabob and sell it to us!

 

[Erockrazor]

I;ve searched up and down for a guide/kit to mod the MXL990. Oh well, some one with a lot of "know how" should start up a kit thingamabob and sell it to us!

I agree. MXL 990's are a good mic to mod if youre going to have to mod one , being that the price is 50 bucks it would be alot less of a loss if you screwed it up. ie. I wouldnt mod a neumann.

I want to upgrade from my 990 .. i try different micing positions all the time for my acoustic guitar but nothing seems to give the right sound. It always sounds dull and boring to me. I can get the highs and lows I want just from mic placement but i cant .. hype the sound at all? I just feel like my recordings are lifeless.

 

[zenpicker]

My only application is solo acoustic guitar and I don't even try to use the 990 anymore. Too harsh, cold, nondescript. I do use the 991 occasionally at the saddle end, and it's not bad. Just today, for the hell of it, I tried the 990 in ambient mode about 3' over my right shoulder, but haven't listened to the result yet.

Generally I am not impressed with these mikes. You get what you pay for. Nonetheless, my cheapo Behringer B1 does a better job at a similar price point.

 

[lochnessy]

I spent about 3 hours carefully cutting away the outer layers of the mesh that protects the microphone (there are 3 layers I cut off 2). When i plugged the microphone in i recieved this nasty hum and i proceded to touch the mic. I got a small shock and the hum went away forever. The mic sounds 100% better now, a little warmer and crisper but picks up breathing noises a lot easier. I'de say this mic is decent for the money once you customize it.

 

[lochnessy]

Oh and i recommend being careful if anyone decides to do this, the electric shock wasn't bad at all, but you should still play it safe and ground the mic some other way than with your hand.

 

[The Wicked]

Good for the price

I just bought one not too long ago, and so far I am impressed with what I got for my money. Honestly though, I don't have a whole lot to compare it to. I can however compare it to an SM57. For miking instruments, I would definatley use the 57, but the 990 works great for acoustic piano and acoustic gutiars. I was very impressd with the latter. an acoustic guitar piece was the first pro-comparable recording i had done. I agree that it is really a piece of shit on guitar cabs though, maybe as a room mic if you're into that, but never close miking. As for vocals, It isn't the greatest, It sounds Very flat. but if you're good, you can EQ it to a decent sound. It works well on screamy or Rap vocals, but I wouldn't use it to record something that involes singing though.

 

[Tele The Truth]

Based on the poll numbers above and some of the comments here, I ordered a 990. I've wanted to try a condensor mic and since I'm only recording into a Tascam 4 track(casette) with an ART Tubepac preamp and a sm57, I figured it would fit right in with the low buck studio theme I have going on.

 

[junplugged]

I have to eq it most of the time. so i guess that means that it isn't a perfect match for anything i'm using it on, but that's ok for the price

 

[talontsiawd]

I have to eq it most of the time. so i guess that means that it isn't a perfect match for anything i'm using it on, but that's ok for the price

Yeah, i got rid of mine, but when i had it, I'd have to eq it a fair amount. I could get what i wanted out of it, just took work. If it was a $200 mic, i wouldn't be the slightest bit impressed. For $50, i don't know anything that cheap that i would actually use besides that mic.

 

[notCardio]

A new GC opened yesterday in a smaller town downstate, and when I was ther last weekend they had a flyer on the window advertising the 990/991 combo for $50. I don't know if this was at all GC's, just that one, or just that one that day, so you might want to look into it if you want one. Until I saw Harvey say good things about them in this thread, I would have never given them a second look. I figured any condenser that cheap would have to be a POS, not to mention the looks of the 990 make me think they've put all the money into the cosmetics of a showy, gimmicky body. Live and learn. I'm going to be back there this weekend, so if I've got time I might stop in. I doubt if I'll get one though. I think I should just save up for better mics than buying more cheap sh*t just to buy something. Don't have anywhere to use it right now anyway.

 

[junplugged]

wow, the 990/991 combo for $50? that's half what I paid. I got 2 combos at $100 each, but really only to get the 991(603) so since it had the 990 I figured I might as well try it out. But for $50, I'd definitely get a backup for one of my 991 in the pair, But I don't really need another 990.

I'll call my local GC's....

 

[jaykeMURD]

I will agree with all the previous posts. Basically, the MXL990, for the money is OK im my opinion. The SP B1 sounds better but costs more. However, if you're jsut starting off, the 990 is awesome. If you can get the 990/991 combo for 50 bucks, buy a few and re-sell them at normal price!

PLUS, the MXL990 was used in Alterbridge's video "Broken Wings". The singer is "singing" into it...it's beat to hell and messed up looking.

 

[dirtyp]

i recently was asking questions about this mic, i bought a m-audio pre mobile usb and it came with it for free so i returned the peavey dynamic mic i bought, when i ordered i was asking about that mic and the m-audio aries, noone knew nothing about the aries, and almost half the people said bad things about the mxl, i went with mxl, even though the aries is selling for around 120 on ebay, im still waiting for it to come but ill tell you what think in a few days. i kind of think i should of got the aries and sold it, and spent the 120 on a new mic, but i would probaly end up with a shitty mic anyways

 

[sweetnubs]

It is comparing so well with high end super expensive so much microphones that the difference barely isn't even noticable! This is so true!

 

[Garik]

Theres a new G/S opening up tonight @7:00 pm

They have MXL 990+991 combo for $50

Hard to resist...since i have a preamp i might just snag it up

 

[tone_aot]

Dang. nubs rep got murdered since i last saw it yesterday! That's why i'm very careful about what i say now.

 

[travelin travis]

It is comparing so well with high end super expensive so much microphones that the difference barely isn't even noticable! This is so true!

If you're that concerned about people not spending a bunch of money on expensive mics, why don't you buy the mics for us? Otherwise, your pie hole needs some pie.

Why do you think that low end product lines even exist? So that studio owners can bitch about musicians using those products at home? Yea, that must be it.

 

[jeremyball]

Just got a pair of MXL 990 and MLX 991. (it comes in a little briefcase with the microphone molds cutaway in a styrophome fitting, quite a nice setup) They sell them together for $99 from Guitar Center in Pensacola, FL.

I just did a test recording with them both --- LOVE it, love the sound. I record with a Martin D-35. As a matter of fact, it picked up so well, that I could hear the smallest of details in the background of the recording... I think this mike would pick up a pin dropping on a pile of carpet from across a big room. First impression? AOK! Would definately recommend

 

[dmbandtimmy]

I just got a set of 990/991 with case for $50 at a GC Grand Opening. I passed it up at first, but for $50 I don't think I can do much better for 2 mics.

I'm just getting into recording and heard about the firepod. I am trying to decide if I want to purchase it locally or from Bayside Pro Audio. Bayside offers 3 free mics and cords. Not sure how good the mics are, but they are free, plus not tax. But, its nice to buy locally. Hmm...