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Mics you / I own, what's good?


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When I asked "what should my first $100 condenser be?", a friend (local recording pro) strongly recommend spending a little more on the Aston Origin (around $300 at this writing).

 

OK, so you asked about spending $100, and got an answer for spending $300. There are many good options at $300.

 

You would probably be better served getting a Cloudlifter for a dynamic mic you probably already own.

 

Shure SM 57 and a Cloudlifter CL-1 and you are golden. :cool:

:nopity:
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When I asked "what should my first $100 condenser be?", a friend (local recording pro) strongly recommend spending a little more on the Aston Origin (around $300 at this writing).

 

OK, so you asked about spending $100, and got an answer for spending $300. There are many good options at $300.

 

You would probably be better served getting a Cloudlifter for a dynamic mic you probably already own.

 

Shure SM 57 and a Cloudlifter CL-1 and you are golden. :cool:

 

 

Just noting that an SM57 is $100 and a Cloudlifter CL-1 is $150 so that's $250, not $100. Certainly a useful rig.

You could buy a King Bee and a Worker Bee for under $250.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Just noting that an SM57 is $100 and a Cloudlifter CL-1 is $150 so that's $250, not $100.

 

thanks for the math lesson ;)

 

Was more a "how did we get this thread moved to Gearslutz?" kind of comment to be honest. Not a math lesson at all.

Tom wants to know about a specific condensor mic and mentioned $100 mics.

 

Never tried an Aston Origin so I steered him towards 2 very nice condensor mics in the $100 price range.

 

It's been pretty much off the rails off the rails after that. Hoping we can bring it back around. Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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The previously-mentioned Audio-Technica AT-2035 is $150.

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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The previously-mentioned Audio-Technica AT-2035 is $150.

 

 

Yes, and it is a good choice.

 

Neat was founded by Skipper Wise, who also founded Blue Microphones. Neat was part of the Gibson group of companies.

The King Bee was designed to out-compete the $350 market, it includes a quality shock mount and a snap-on pop filter.

It is brutally ugly. When Gibson started unraveling they dropped Neat.

 

Neat bought back their mics and resold them. Sweetwater has the King Bee for $129 with free shipping. There is a limited supply.

Truly, we can't get a better mic for that money right now. I've got one, I've had a Shure KSM44 and KSM27 and a Rode NTK. The King Bee compares favorably with the KSM44 but lacks the multi-pattern (cardioid only), the pad and the HPF.

Bang for the buck it is impossible to beat for a new cardiod LDC, at least until they are gone.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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First of all, my apologies if I have hijacked the thread. I probably should have started a new one. Moderators are welcome to excise and move this to a separate thread if it serves the user base better; that won't hurt my feelings.

 

Second, I am sincerely grateful to you all for taking the time to advise me.

 

I'm blessed / cursed with good, knowledgeable advisors (both local and online) all of whom know more about this stuff than I. And with varying opinions. So far I have been given great reasons to consider (new or used) the Aston Origin, the King Bee, the Roswell Mini k47, and Cloud Lifter. BTW, and I shoulda mentioned this up front, my main expected usage distribution is vocals (80%) and hand percussion (20%).

To steal from ST TOS: Neumann, coordinate! :pop:

 

Anyway, I think I will have chosen within one more day.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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First of all, my apologies if I have hijacked the thread. I probably should have started a new one. Moderators are welcome to excise and move this to a separate thread if it serves the user base better; that won't hurt my feelings.

 

Second, I am sincerely grateful to you all for taking the time to advise me.

 

I'm blessed / cursed with good, knowledgeable advisors (both local and online) all of whom know more about this stuff than I. And with varying opinions. So far I have been given great reasons to consider (new or used) the Aston Origin, the King Bee, the Roswell Mini k47, and Cloud Lifter. BTW, and I shoulda mentioned this up front, my main expected usage distribution is vocals (80%) and hand percussion (20%).

To steal from ST TOS: Neumann, coordinate! :pop:

 

Anyway, I think I will have chosen within one more day.

 

Tom, this thread is exactly for the sort of post you made, no reason to apologize. What happened is just a blip, it's not the usual MPN we all know and love and I don't see a trend. This is a great place to meet new people and share knowledge.

One thing to bear in mind - you will want a shock mount and for vocals a pop filter. Lots of mics come with the shock mount. The King Bee comes with a snap on pop filter, it works well and is not obtrusive or cumbersome at all.

So all you would need is a mic stand, a cable and 48v coming out of your interface - if it says Phantom power instead of 48+ you are golden.

 

Any mic that is good for vocals should do well for hand percussion.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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One thing to bear in mind - you will want a shock mount and for vocals a pop filter. Lots of mics come with the shock mount. The King Bee comes with a snap on pop filter, it works well and is not obtrusive or cumbersome at all.

So all you would need is a mic stand, a cable and 48v coming out of your interface - if it says Phantom power instead of 48+ you are golden.

 

Any mic that is good for vocals should do well for hand percussion.

 

I use this guy by sE Electronics as my pop filter. Works fantastically and doesn"t muffle your sound like some of the mesh ones might. Pop filters are good to have if you"re recording woodwinds too, or anything where there is air coming out in the direction of the mic.

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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One thing to bear in mind - you will want a shock mount and for vocals a pop filter. Lots of mics come with the shock mount. The King Bee comes with a snap on pop filter, it works well and is not obtrusive or cumbersome at all.

So all you would need is a mic stand, a cable and 48v coming out of your interface - if it says Phantom power instead of 48+ you are golden.

 

Any mic that is good for vocals should do well for hand percussion.

 

I use this guy by sE Electronics as my pop filter. Works fantastically and doesn"t muffle your sound like some of the mesh ones might. Pop filters are good to have if you"re recording woodwinds too, or anything where there is air coming out in the direction of the mic.

 

I have this one, it is excellent. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ThePop--blue-microphones-the-pop

 

I have a couple of these, they used to be much cheaper. They are pretty crap build quality but the clip-on aspect is nice and they do work well. I've got one on a CAD D-82 ribbon and it makes a big difference. Still need to angle the mic a bit or get way back. Plosives really pop on a ribbon. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1Pcs-Mesh-Microphone-Mic-Pop-Filter-Windscreen-Wind-Screen-Studio-Accessories/143629449706?epid=8035736013&hash=item2170fb79ea:g:jLYAAOSw0t5e4uZv

 

I couldn't find a link but I have a couple of cheap ones designed for end address mics. If the mic is small enough, I'd almost rather just use a foam windscreen and get close.

I've got a Heil PR-40 and a Peavey 520i, both are fairly large diameter, it's better to just use the Blue for those.

 

Pop filters are an important component for getting good sounds going in!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Over the last few days I have set up all of my mics (except the Azden shotgun mic) in my homemade "mic booth" and isolation box. There is a thread on that topic here - https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3046069/diy-vocal-booth-iso-box#Post3046069

 

I've tested the mics, one at a time, singing one of my songs and recording them all on the same project. All documented to the extent that made sense to me. I kept track of the distance from the mic and whether or not I used a pop filter or windscreen. I now have a much better idea of what I could or could not do with these mics. I've listed my impressions below. You will see a couple of mics repeat into different categories, I did double test just a few of them and one test was usually better than the other so I noted that. I have a select few that I feel like I got the best results on vocals. Some more testing will be needed for distance and this time with pop filters on all of them unless they really didn't need it.

 

Note that the distances are fairly accurate but estimates based on the different mounts and whether a mic was side address or front address.

I moved the mic stand to the different holes in the isolation box based on the type of mic and my experience regarding output etc.

At a certain point I realized I could get a reasonable gain setting by clapping my hands loudly sitting in my studio chair and matching the meter using that. Primitive by actual standardized testing procedures.

Be different if I had that sort of equipment. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

 

When I refer to a mic as "One of the best", it means "One of the best I OWN, for what I want to do." Gimme a buncha money and I'll get way better mics!!!!! :laugh:

Worth experimenting further means I feel like I can use these mics but probably not for my primary lead vocal mic. I already know the EV PL95 is great on guitar amps, for one.

Not a contender? Some of these are from testing a mic one way that might be good for another. I am not sure that any mic is truly completely useless for everything...

 

I hope any of this means something to at least a few of you!!!! Cheers, Kuru

 

Mic Test Notes

All mics set up in mic booth and isolation box. Far mic stand hole 14' from front edge of box.

Close mic stand hole 8' from front edge of box.

 

Neat King Bee w Clip-on Pop Filter. Mouth to mic 14' LDC Cardiod

Voice sounds natural, full and clear. Plosives and sibilance almost inaudible. One of the best, probably the best.

 

Heil PR40. No screen. Mic to mouth 6'. LD Dynamic Cardioid

Slight noise. Voice full, natural and clear. Some sibilance. One of the best. Certainly my best sounding dynamic mic.

 

Peavey 520i. No screen. Mic to mouth 6'. Dynamic Cardioid

Voice natural, full and clear. Bass not overemphasized. Moderate plosives, some sibilance. One of the best, a surprise.

 

Sennheiser MD-421 â older. No filter. 5 way tone switch set to B (no roll off). Mouth to mic 10'. Moving coil Dynamic. Cardioid

Slight noise. Voice sounds natural, mids focused, full. Plosives controlled â probably the bar in front of grille. Slight sibilance. One of the best and another surprise.

 

CAD M9. Slip on pop filter. Mouth to mic 7'. MDC tube mic.Cardioid

Some noise. Vocals sound good, bass is not forward or boomy, slight mid peak â might stand out in a mix, clear. Slight sibilance. One of the best.

 

CAD Equitek E-100 (2) No HPF. Mouth to mic 8.5' MDC Super Cardioid

Strap-on Pop Filter. Voice sounds natural, full, clear, a bit bright. Plosives well controlled, sibilance slight. Better than farther back and HPF. Worth experimenting further.

 

AKG D224E Foam windscreen. Mic to mouth 3'. Dual Diaphragm Dynamic. Cardioid

Voice sounds a bit hyped in the mids, clear. Plosives well controlled, mid forward â annoying resonance on some notes, slight sibilance. Worth experimenting further.

 

Shure KSM 8. No screen. Mic to mouth 9' Dual Diaphragm Dynamic (one passive) Cardioid

Voice natural, full and clear. Slight plosives, some sibilance. Worth experimenting further.

 

CAD D-82. Slip-on pop filter. Mic to mouth 9' Mic head angled to reduce plosives. Ribbon Figure 8

Some noise. Voice sounds natural, full, not as bright as most. Slight plosives, very slight sibilance. Worth experimenting further.

 

Electro-Voice PL95. No screen. Mouth to mic 6' Dynamic Cardioid

Low noise. Low output. Voice sounds natural, mids are lower, highs are clear. Could be a good choice for backups or female vocals. Plosives are too sensitive, sibilance is slight. Worth experimenting further.

 

Audix OM2. No screen. Mouth to mic 6' Dynamic. Hyoercardioid

Some noise. Vocals sound clear, good for backups? Plosives and sibilance moderate. Worth experimenting.

 

Shure Beta 87A. No screen Mouth to mic 6' SDC. Supercardioid

Low noise. A bit 'peaky' in the upper mids, full and clear. Plosives and sibilance â needs a pop filter.

Another possible for backups, worth experimenting.

 

Audio Technica conference table mic. I tried this at 14' and 8'. SDC Omnidirectional.

Some noise, picks up everything. Closer reduces noise somewhat but increases 'honk'. This mic sounds 'smooth' back at 14'. Omni mics don't respond the same as other patterns, proximity effect is reduced considerably and all angles sound more or less the same. Good if you are feeling it and like to move around. I work with somebody who will like this one for that reason. Worth experimenting.

 

CAD Equitek E-100 (2) HPF. Strap-on Pop Filter. Mouth to mic 14.5' MDC Super Cardioid

Voice sounds natural, clear, a bit bright. Plosives well controlled, sibilance slight. Not a contender.

 

AKG D224E No filter. Mic to mouth 8'. Dual Diaphragm Dynamic. Cardioid

Some noise. Voice sounds natural, clear. Plosives well controlled, mid forward, slight sibilance. Not a contender

 

Audio Technica MB4000C. No screen. Mouth to mic 6'. SDC Cardioid

Noisy. Not much below 100hz. Voice sounds clear but thinner, not very bright. Plosives are moderate, sibilance is moderate. Not a contender.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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:thx::rocker::2thu:

 

I'll be referring back to this for some time, I think. Many thanks, Kuru!

 

Keep them coming, folkses!

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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I've been scanning and sometimes reading the threads in the George Massenberg forum near the bottom of the MPN forum page. I've started at the earliest thread and have worked my way backwards to page 214.

There was a discussion regarding mic testing there that I found extremely interesting. Fletcher from Mercenary Audio had much to say on the topic and it brings both clarity and a sense of individuality to mic testing.

 

Upon reading, it may seem futile to bother testing but Fletcher really isn't saying that at all. My interpretation is that he is saying we all need to do our own testing in our own spaces with our own mics and do it in a way that seems to make sense for what we are trying to accomplish.

 

That made me feel better about my fairly "sloppy" and non-scientific methods and observations. It should make ALL OF YOU feel better about that too. As Fletcher points out, there are simply far too many variables to draw any real world conclusions regarding which mic is "better." Personally, I am trying to find out which mic will give me results without having to try and "fix" anything. I have issues with external noise, some of you don't. I've chosen to toss up a home-made mic booth and an isolation box, some of you won't want (or need) to do that either. I tested quite a few mics without using pop filters or foam windscreens, that was intentional. The mics with less tendency to exhibit plosives or sibilance. will respond well to adding a pop filter. In the past, I got a vocal sound that I liked by putting a foam windscreen on a Shure Beta 87a and singing very close to it. That might not work for you.

 

This thread is not about "What is the best mic?", not even close. I spent more on my Shure KSM8 than any other mic I own and it was around $400 for a used one at that time. Some of you will want to spend less, others will have a bigger budget. I have a good friend who bought one mic, an AKG 414B ULS. I haven't tried her mic but she is happy with it. I've been in studios with AKG 414s a few times and didn't think they matched the singer's voice all that well - could be THAT singer in THAT room on THAT day and nothing mroe.

 

Bottom line, I am just hoping that nobody is intimidated at all, I'd love to see more of you chime in with what you have and what you like or dislike about it. Cheers, Kuru.

 

 

"Quote:

Originally posted by 3D Audio:

FWIW, I'll have the BLUE Bottle on the 3D Mic CD. Along with a 251, Soundelux 251, Lawson 251, C-12, U-87, U-67, and about 20 other vocal mics.

 

 

Hey Lynn...how about instead of 20 mics and one singer...why don't you try 1 mic and 20 singers. Something tells me that would open a whole lot of people's eyes to how microphones will couple differently with different voices, in different applications.

 

Maybe...the singer(s) should sing over different backing tracks...so you can get a feel of how different singers sound with the same mic in relation to different 'contextual applications'. The 'acapella' thing is all well and good...but I don't do 'acapella'...I do rock and roll, so 'acapella' stuff is a little out of context to my reality...I guess I could send you down some backing tracks...have the singer(s) sing over that so I can get a good/solid idea of what each mic sounds like with a singer I've never met on a track with which I am intimately familiar.

 

Lynn, there is nothing personal here, but having done these "shoot-out" things...I

can honestly say I find them at best misleading, no matter how noble the intention.

 

Hey, I understand that these CD's are good 'earners'...we made a pretty tidy sum with the 'Boston Pre-Party' nonsense...however, the more we profited from them, the worse I felt. Having been at the 'actual event', I knew the CD paled in comparison. Having done enough sessions, I knew that none of what was on that disk was relevant to any other session...ever.

 

That said...seeing as this "shoot-out" will become a method for people to begin their 'vocal mic from the heavens' quest and we all know that particular microphone is on the same shelf with the 'holy grail' and Jimmy Hoffa.

 

Are you planning on using 1 mic-pre? If so, which one? Why that one? Won't the way that pre 'couples' with the microphone have a profound effect on the tone of that microphone? Will you use several different mic-amps? If so, how will they be determined?

 

I can tell you right now, from direct experience that a mic as lowly as a Shure SM-57 sounds radiaclly different with a GML 8200 and a Pendulum MDP-1...both of which sound remarkably different than the new Great River MP-2NV, which sounds different still from an ill maintained 1073...[oops, back to the original shootout now aren't we...sorry].

 

How will you match levels? Will you do it with a single tone? With Pink Noise? With White Noise? If you use a single tone, at what frequency? Will you take into account a microphones measured frequency response when making this level determination, or will you use a 'metered' level which does not take the

microphone's "characteristics" into account?

As we all know...loudest one wins, so in order to be "fair" you're going to have to work out a pretty precise method for 'level matching'...if you do the measurement with 'white noise', then the overall frequency response of the mic will certainly come into play...if you do it at 1kHz...then the position in the room [unless you've hired an anechoic chamber for the afternoon] comes into play...if you do it with 'pink noise', it's unstable/random nature will make the levels at best a "guestimate". So...where does that leave this test?

 

How about microphone positioning? Will you try each of the microphones in half a dozen different positions? Will you try to find where each mic sounds "best" with the singer(s) or will there be one 'generic' position? If so, how will that 'generic position' be determined? And how will it be determined that all microphones will be placed in the *exact* same relation to the 'singer(s)?

 

What if a microphone doesn't sound best in that position with that singer? Will you move the microphone so it will relate to the singer(s) voice? If you do, how will you level match the 'repositioned' microphone. Who will make the determination as to what position sounds best with the voice...and how will we know if we agree with their opinion?

 

What about the 'character of the room', which in my experience, has profound effect on the tone of a vocal/the interaction of that vocal with the other sounds in the song.

 

Sorry if you feel like I'm breaking your balls...I guess, in a way, I am. My apprehension to these things are that they a get taken as a 'gospel' truth, when frankly, there are no 'gospel truths' when it comes to microphone selection and placement.

 

I found the 'Soundelux advertisement' that claimed their product to be the winner of some 'mic shoot-out in Vegas' *very* offensive, and overall, I quite like Soundelux's products.

 

Sorry if I'm a little preachy on this...but the 'power' these things hold is immense. While they're a fun, interesting, and educational exercise for the people *directly* involved, my experience tells me that these things are at best, misleading, and at worse, a fallacy.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

 

-----

Fletcher

Mercenary Audio http://www.mercenary.com"

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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In the original spirit of this thread:

  • Electro-Voice N/D 267a
  • Roswell Audio Mini-K47

 

Several folks have invited me to share my total-newbie experience with the Mini-K47, so here goes. Be warned, it may be the equivalent of a city kid who just got his learner's driving permit being asked to evaluate a Ford F-150.

 

The Mini-K47 (which I will subsequently just call "the Mini"), as purchased came with a foam-lined hard case, a small fuzzy bag, and a shock mount. I separately purchased a $10 generic pop filter from Amazon.

 

I used a Behringer XR-18 as a preamp / USB interface, and Reaper (on a Windows 10 laptop) as the sound engine. The sample rate was 48 KHz, but my hearing tops out around 12 KHz. The only other serious microphone I have at home is the above-listed EV. I have used it (and its predecessor, the ND257) happily for years / decades for sound reinforcement. My first test was done simply by talking into both mics, mounted very near each other.

 

One more caveat: this maiden voyage was done while my wife was in the adjacent room noisily cooking, and on the second full day of my very active grandchildren visiting.

 

On to the first impressions, then.

 

Once I got the preamp gain where I wanted it -- peaking on Reaper at around -18 dB -- my first test was to thump my fingers on the microphone stand. I know it seems funny, but I have never had a shock mount before, and wanted to see what it does. I was duly impressed -- it easily absorbed thumps that would have overshadowed speech signals without the shock mount.

 

Then I compared Mini by itself, with Mini and Pop Filter. The Mini alone was quite good, with a little noticeable sibilance and a bit of annoying plosives when I spoke directly into it at a distance of about 1" (3 cm). Put in the pop filter at about 3" distance, and put my mouth another inch beyond the pop filter, and the plosives went away; sibilance was reduced but not gone. When I removed the pop filter and maintained the same mouth distance, high frequencies were not noticeably affected -- great for a $10 accessory! -- but the plosives returned, pretty much as we would expect.

 

Next was to A/B the Mini with my known quantity, the EV. I mounted them very close together, with the pop filter 2-3 inches in front of them both. The Mini had more solid low mids (say, 100-300 Hz) and did not have the midrange (maybe 2-3 KHz) peak, as compared to the EV. If I had to assign a word to the Mini's sound at this point in my experience, it would be "Smooth."

 

When there's no background music, I like the Mini's treatment of my voice -- a sort of adolescent baritone timbre that is often mistaken for an answering machine. I think the Mini makes me sound more substantial and meaty than the EV.

 

My next test -- hopefully with less ambient activity in the house -- will likely be an overhead treatment of congas and a djembe.

 

Oh, and I it's not clear: I am enjoying the Mini very much.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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Thanks Tom and well done!!!! I'm sure you'll get lots of good use out of the Mini K47.

 

It's taken some time for me to learn a few "tricks" regarding a more sensitive mic like your Roswell compared to the vocal mics you and I got used to by gigging.

 

They are very different, the EV favors you getting in tight and working the proximity effect (getting bassier as you get closer). We don't need to get as close to a condenser mic.

Another way to reduce plosives is to angle the mic slightly. It should sound great if you are just a bit off axis and that prevents the blasts of air from hitting the diaphragm all at the same time.

 

The tried and true "pencil trick" does work and in fact one of my mics - Sennheiser 421 - has a built in "pencil trick". See photo. I found it very good with plosives without a pop filter.

 

I've also learned (slowly) to soften my S and P pronounciations. Cheers, Kuru

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It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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OK, so you asked about spending $100, and got an answer for spending $300. There are many good options at $300.

 

and you ended up spending $350.00 plus a pop filter plus tax :):idk:

 

Humans are uncontrollable, musicians are worse!! :laugh:

 

Nice mic though...

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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and you ended up spending $350.00 plus a pop filter plus tax :):idk:

A very reasonable point! You're right to ask, since the original question was "What should I buy on a $100 budget?"

 

The answer is no -- with help from a friend-of-a-friend I was able to get it for a substantial discount. Since such bargains are one-offs -- who knows whom, was there a clearance, did I get my buddy Guido to hold a local music retailer at gunpoint, etc. -- I don't feel it's right to give more detail on that.

 

The pop filter was about $10.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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and you ended up spending $350.00 plus a pop filter plus tax :):idk:

A very reasonable point! You're right to ask, since the original question was "What should I buy on a $100 budget?"

 

The answer is no -- with help from a friend-of-a-friend I was able to get it for a substantial discount. Since such bargains are one-offs -- who knows whom, was there a clearance, did I get my buddy Guido to hold a local music retailer at gunpoint, etc. -- I don't feel it's right to give more detail on that.

 

The pop filter was about $10.

 

I haven't told any of my stories as to how I have some of the mics I have. People might not believe them anyway. Almost everything I have is used though.

Still, when I bought the King Bee new it was $108 with tax - free shipping. That is an absurd price for what the mic is.

And yes, I found an Audio Technica MB4000C in a rack full of tools at Goodwill, covered in tape goo for $3.50. It cleaned up nice, works perfectly. Nobody will ever find another one in the same place again.

 

Secrets come and go but that K-47 will serve you very well for a long time!!!!! Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Last night, as we played "The Last Live Music In Washington State", I used my Shure KSM8 as a live vocal mic for the first time.

There are some gigs where I would not be comfortable leaving that on a stand during break. This was not one of those gigs.

 

Now I wonder why I waited so long, truly a great live vocal mic by any standard. Very easy to get a full, clear sound with no feedback, you can back off a few inches and put the mic at a bit of an angle and the sound is still authentic, which reduces plosives and sibilence to to nearly non-existent levels.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Last night, as we played "The Last Live Music In Washington State", I used my Shure KSM8 as a live vocal mic for the first time.Now I wonder why I waited so long, truly a great live vocal mic by any standard. Very easy to get a full, clear sound with no feedback, you can back off a few inches and put the mic at a bit of an angle and the sound is still authentic, which reduces plosives and sibilence to to nearly non-existent levels.

 

I've always wanted to try those for the vocal mics that I use for a "standard setup" at music camps. Not everyone is a seasoned performer and often tend to back off from the vocal mics too far when singing and playing an instrument, particularly when they're singing. The KSM8 has a reputation for having a fairly long range of usable working distance. Seems like it would be a good candidate for this kind of show as well as one where the singer really knows the mic and the music.

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Last night, as we played "The Last Live Music In Washington State", I used my Shure KSM8 as a live vocal mic for the first time.Now I wonder why I waited so long, truly a great live vocal mic by any standard. Very easy to get a full, clear sound with no feedback, you can back off a few inches and put the mic at a bit of an angle and the sound is still authentic, which reduces plosives and sibilence to to nearly non-existent levels.

 

I've always wanted to try those for the vocal mics that I use for a "standard setup" at music camps. Not everyone is a seasoned performer and often tend to back off from the vocal mics too far when singing and playing an instrument, particularly when they're singing. The KSM8 has a reputation for having a fairly long range of usable working distance. Seems like it would be a good candidate for this kind of show as well as one where the singer really knows the mic and the music.

 

Compared to anything else I've tried the sweet spot is large, not only because the low frequencies remain significant even 6" away but also because of the integrity of the cardiod pattern. The frequency response doesn't have significant anomolies when used at an angle, at least nothing I could hear. Putting it a couple of inches below my mouth and angled upwards, I was about 4-6 inches back and it sounded fantastic. FWIW, we used a Fishman Loudbox Performer for our PA system. 180 watts, an 8" 3 way with a sealed acoustic suspension woofer, a 5" midrange and a volume adjustment on the tweeter. It is placed behind us, and angled upwards using the "kickstand". It is the clearest, most natural sounding PA I can recall ever using although a pair of Bose 802s was also really good. The KSM8 is a keeper.

 

There is a KSM8 on eBay right now for $300, new are more around $500. Nothing that low on Reverb...

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I learned quickly when starting out years ago that no one microphone works for everything. I don't own a large collection but I feel I have enough. They are dynamics unless otherwise noted.

 

Sennheiser 441 bought it for a bargain years ago. Love it on acoustic guitar and wind instruments especially brass. Known as a good vocal mic, someday I'll find a singer for it. It has the full bandwidth of condensers but the dynamic response sounds more natural to my ears. I found it works really well for cymbal overhead mic when you roll off everything below 2K.

 

Audio Technica AT2020 plain jane large diaphragm cardioid "economy" condenser but very smooth for vocals

 

Audio Technica AT2021 plain jane SDC that came packaged with the AT2020. Not bad for acoustic guitar, I recorded a live show years and put the AT2021 on a clip at the bottom of a stage front mic stand facing the audience to capture the audience applause, did a great job.

 

AKG C451EB Couldn't believe that a studio owner was selling this mic. Great sounding SDC, integral FET preamp with contour switch. Clearer and a little less "honky" than the AT2021 on acoustic guitar. Love it on hihat. AKG reissued the C451 but owners claim the vintage deal sounds better.

 

AKG D321 Bought one for stage vocals but in the end I didn't like it on my voice. While experimenting with my mic locker, the D321 won the contest for a mic on the top rotor of my Leslie cabinet. Some things are a one trick pony but do that trick really well.

 

EV N/D 408B bought a pair brand new back in the 80s. Great for toms and percussion and they are very practical with the swivel head and low profile. Often found not working due to the delicate wires between the head and the mount, rotate the head too much and the wires break.

 

Sennheiser e609 Own a pair of these, for guitar amps I use either this or SM57. Prefer the e609 for stage because they are low profile.

 

Sennheiser e906 Similar to the e609 but with contour switch. Handy for snare drum, and low profile.

 

Sennheiser e604 Bought six of these small low profile mics for toms and percussion. The clip is included to mount on the drum rim, and being made of one piece flexible polymer means it makes zero noise from the shock of a drum being struck. Very clear sounding mic, especially on floor toms.

 

Sennheiser e602-II Kick drum mic. Only one I own but it does the job.

 

Shure SM58 Own two of these standard stage mics for vocals. For studio it may not be smooth and flat as large diaphragm condenser mics, but good for alternate tone IE background vocals.

 

Shure SM57 No studio should be without one of these. "Go-to" mic for snare and guitar amps. Not my favorite for my voice but it can work for other singers.

 

Sennheiser e835 Own three of these. Another alternate vocal mic. No one mic sounds good on every singer. This is my current favorite for my voice on stage. The e835 has better off-axis rejection than the SM57/58.

 

RS condenser Go ahead, LAUGH. I bought this condenser years ago from Radio Shack in the early 1980s when I was starting out (you gotta start somewhere). I tried it on many things over the years but its dynamic response was larger than I liked (it's REALLY sensitive to mic distance). After experimenting with my mic locker this SM81 reject sold in RS stores sounded the best on the bottom rotor of my Leslie cabinet. AA battery power only, no provision for phantom power. Don't kid yourself, if you want the SM81 sound then buy the SM81.

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Some fun stuff, Real MC.

Pretty sure the AT2020 is a cardiod pattern.

The Sennie 441 is something I'd love to try, and/or own.

The AKG 451 is a prize as well.

 

I'm workng with a singer who has used an SM58 for 30 years. He has a great voice and can make a less expensive mic sound like gold. He uses a Beta 58 now but still has a well used 58 for a backup.

Somehow, I don't have a 57. One of these days...

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Pretty sure the AT2020 is a cardiod pattern.

 

My bad, you are correct.

 

Just a minor detail but perhaps a bit timely.

 

Craig's forum has a recent thread on omni mics for recording. I have an AT SDC conference table mic that is omni but not really intended as a recording mic. I like it but I would like something without the tailored frequency range, so I've been looking. I haven't found a single LDC that was omni only, there are many with multiple pickup patterns. Lots of SDC with the ability to swap out capsules and a few that are omni only.

Of course, the famous EV 635a soldiers on, a workhorse for interviews.

 

Just regurgitating recent research stuffs, nothing more. That's what this thread is for, I hope! Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I haven't found a single LDC that was omni only, there are many with multiple pickup patterns. Lots of SDC with the ability to swap out capsules and a few that are omni only.

 

There were some early large diaphragm condensers that were omni, but that's because they only knew how to make large mics back then. A small diaphragm makes for a better omni than a large diaphragm because it has less diffraction around the edges.

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I haven't found a single LDC that was omni only, there are many with multiple pickup patterns. Lots of SDC with the ability to swap out capsules and a few that are omni only.

 

There were some early large diaphragm condensers that were omni, but that's because they only knew how to make large mics back then. A small diaphragm makes for a better omni than a large diaphragm because it has less diffraction around the edges.

 

Sounds right to me. Someday I want a pair of SDC with both omni and cardiod capsules.

 

A Blumlein set up with a couple of nice ribbon mics would be fun too.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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