Medium Priced Mic Recommendations

[Andy Howell]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Hi Andy - when I saw this, I felt I needed to comment. When you say 'acoustic tiles', what do you mean - Auralex foam or something similar? They WILL suck all the top end out of our sound and still leave the low and low-mid frequencies to muddy up recordings. Bass traps (full frequency absorption) is the answer.

You are right, although it is not quite as bad as it seems!

When I moved into this house I took a 'loft' conversion as my office and recording space. This is a long, thin room with solid brick wall on two sides and partitions on the other two (and ceiling). The liveliness of the space was freighting.

Eventually I realised I would have to treat the room somehow. I spoke to an acoustic treatment provider about various kits — you probably don't need bass traps he said!

I kind of struck luck.

M<y desk/computer is at one end next to a solid wall. I put a lot of tiles on the back wall, on the sides and on the ceiling. This works in some ways in that voice overs done here (and I do a lot of these one way or another) sound like the BBC!

As I moved back along the room I laid the tiles more sparingly thinking that if a spot was too dead I could introduce some more 'life' by moving back. This really does seem to work!

My biggest problem is the combination of my guitar and mics. The guitar has rich mids. The mics are not so good on the high frequencies. This much I know.

However, you are right — thinking about acoustic treatment is important. I would start off small on the basis it is easier to add more than take away!

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by Andy Howell

I hesitate to ask here but ...

I'm looking to upgrade my home recording mics.

My vocal mic is a Rode NT2. This is an OK mic and very good for voice/speech recording but I'm not so sure for vocals.

My voice is quite strong and rich and certainly doesn't need any extra help in the mids if anything a little more top would be helpful. For this reason I have been a bit wary of valve mics in the past.

Any suggestions for a mid range model?

Also, small condensers for guitar recording. I've been thinking about upgrading to Rode NT55 (or that Russian company whose name I have forgotten). In bad moments I think about a stereo pair of Neumann K184s! Is the difference over say the Rode worth it?

Sensible suggestions please. I'm only looking to narrow down the search to help with audition suggestions!

I can't speak much about vocal mics other than to say they are generally more source-specific than instrument mics. Put another way, vocals mics depend on the singer more than instrument mics depend on the guitar. However, the room's acoustics are usually less influential on vocal recordings than instrument recordings (due to relative mic placements).

As to mics for acoustic guitar, the source still is quite relevant, as are the room's acoustics, the mic placement and your aesthetic preferences. The only way I have been able to definitively choose mics for purchase is to actually try them for my uses, etc. On the other hand, there are numerous good, excellent and stellar mics available for recording acoustic guitar, many of which most folks would be quite satisfied without going through months (years?) of testing and comparing. If your budget is limited, then just scratch Gefell, DPA, Schoeps, along with a few others, off your list. But there are many, many remaining choices available. SD mics abound.

[Andy Howell]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

I can't speak much about vocal mics other than to say they are generally more source-specific than instrument mics. Put another way, vocals mics depend on the singer more than instrument mics depend on the guitar. However, the room's acoustics are usually less influential on vocal recordings than instrument recordings (due to relative mic placements).

As to mics for acoustic guitar, the source still is quite relevant, as are the room's acoustics, the mic placement and your aesthetic preferences. The only way I have been able to definitively choose mics for purchase is to actually try them for my uses, etc. On the other hand, there are numerous good, excellent and stellar mics available for recording acoustic guitar, many of which most folks would be quite satisfied without going through months (years?) of testing and comparing. If your budget is limited, then just scratch Gefell, DPA, Schoeps, along with a few others, off your list. But there are many, many remaining choices available. SD mics abound.

Thanks for that.

This has already been a useful thread in sorting out options for vocal mics. I'd not heard of Mojave before but I can see that many feel they work well for male/baritone type vocals — I shall be trying to audition one.

I take you point about the differences between large and small size condensers — thanks!

[louparte]

My next mic will be a CAD M79. I've read rave reviews about it.
And right now, my favorite mic is a CAD. So I may buy 2 M79's.

[Ivan Lee]

I can only speak to mics I have owned and there are way more that I haven't owned :-) And I do have a penchant for Tube Vocal mics.

The AT4060 can be had on the used market for ~$750 and I found it to be extremely close to a Gefell M990 ($2500) mic. I was flush on that day and kept the Gefell but the 4060 was really very close and took EQ very nicely.

This mic can also be very nicely employed as the "bout side" mic of a spaced pair on acoustic guitar. I do a very similar thing with a Lawson L47 and a Gefell M300 and besides sometimes using a different arrangement for different sounds - this is my standard setup. The M300 is also an excellent SD condensor but will run $750 ob its own (used can be a bargain if you can find it)...

As mentioned above - vocal mics are very personal. You will find that one suits you much better than another and the only way to know is to try them in your space.

A great mic will last you a LONG time! I've had the Lawson, M990 and M300s for 15 years and still love them all!

[rockabilly69]

The new CAD100s is supposed to be great on AC guitar, and is being discounted to around the $350 mark. Should be a great option for getting a pair. These mics are great all arounders!

[Luria]

Originally Posted by Andy Howell

I hesitate to ask here but ...

I'm looking to upgrade my home recording mics.

Any suggestions for a mid range model?

How good is this mike?
Taylor Swift uses it on her vocals.
-

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CV12

[Andy Howell]

Never heard of these mica before - thanks!

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Luria

How good is this mike?
Taylor Swift uses it on her vocals.
-

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CV12

I have a pair of Avantone CK-1 small diaphragm condensers. Hopefully the CV12 has a better build quality than their CK-1 model. If not, I'd pass.

[alohachris]

Aloha Andy,

FWIW, I auditioned the Avantone CV-12 awhile back on my rig. Though I wanted to like it, my voice did not particularly like the CV-12. It's an OK mic for the price. What I did not like was that it did not sound as open as I like recording vocal condenser mic's to sound. It was a bit constrained, unbalanced, unsmooth & I also did not like the upper-mid boost, which was pronounced on my voice on the CV-12. A good vocal recording mic should have an open ease, smoothness & warmth about it & be effortless to sing through, IMO. I did not find those qualities in the CV-12. Nor was the build quality or self-noise what I look for in a $500 vocal mic.

Compared to the Mojave tube MA-200 or any of the mic's that Ivan mentioned? There is no comparison for me w/ the Avantone CV12. It did not stand up to my tests.

Again, it is important try out any vocal mic first. You never know what'll work or not work for you, Andy.

alohachris

[Andy Howell]

I shall be auditioning the Mojave mic as I'm told it works well with the baritone voices!

[Andy Howell]

Thanks to all of you who gave your advice; I appreciated it.

The first choice in the chain has been made. I've just taken delivery of a stereo pair of Beyerdynamic MC930s. I haven't had a real chance to record with them yet except do some sample tests.

I'm finding these to have a fine 'expensive sound'. As was said they don't have a hyped top end and seem to have a lot of extension in the bass. I'm finding them easy to record without significant eq which is always nice.

Seems to have been a good purchase. I'll leave the vocal mic for a bit and concentrate on putting up some recorded samples.

[whitecloud]

For acoustic treatment you can make your own as described here on so many threads. I opt for the GIK panels for environmental and health concerns. Used moving blankets and makeshift gobos.
Mics for acoustic guitar, I have a stereo bar of CAD e70's(SDC) and a Stellar CM-6 variable pattern LDC and plan on picking up a ribbon soon. Ooops I see you have chosen the Beyer mics for acoustic. Then I'll have to give a big kudos for the Stellar CM-6.tube LDC Google it and you will be hard pressed to find a mic like this for around 5 bills. Serious If you are a baritone like me, you'll love it