What are your favorite recording microphones?

[Steadfastly]

This video should give you an answer to your question(s).

[troggg]

Originally Posted by BluesKing777

These 3 videos from Neumann Mics are really good - "How To Record Acoustic Guitar" Pt 1,2,3:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aivxxQLK9Qw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Fhl-SASMk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVb0ULL6EKE



BluesKing777.

Agree that the videos are really good and thanks for the links.

That said, do they really sound that great?

[wdean]

I have an Audio Technica AT 2020 mic. It is reasonably priced condenser mic and sounds good for my ears. I only have this one mic which for me does a good job picking up my Martin D-28 and my voice. I have been thinking about getting a separate dynamic mike to track my guitar. I would probably get a Shure SM 58.

[JohnDWilliams]

Warm Audio WA87. Recording my next album with a lot of WA gear.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by troggg

Agree that the videos are really good and thanks for the links.

That said, do they really sound that great?

Yes, but only as good as the worst link in your audio chain.

A high end mic won't sound as good as it could if you listen through computers speakers, iPhone, or typical earbuds, if the mic was plugged into a
low end preamp or D/A converter, arguably even cheap cables can degrade the sound.

This poses a dilemma for buyers.
If you're not a millionaire do you split up your limited budget so each link in the chain is of similar quality?
Or you can do what I did, splurge at the beginning of your journey on forever-keeper mics but cheap-out on everything else since it will gradually be upgraded.
If you take care of them good mics last many decades.

Besides all the gear choices the room, it's acoustic treatments, and your recording knowledge and techniques make a huge difference in the sound you get.
Nice mics are just one tool for a very complex job.

[westman]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

This video should give you an answer to your question(s).

does this stuff apply to guitars ? - of course not

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

This video should give you an answer to your question(s).

So interesting. Had to break it up this morning with all the business around here, but I did watch the whole thing. Thanks for finding that!

[Bob Womack]

It is hard. There are so many.

Bob

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by DHart

Good thread. I will be looking for a nice mic to record my acoustic guitars and vocals with. A good quality USB-capable mic would be nice (and convenient) to have.

While a USB mic is indeed convenient, as far as I'm aware you'll trade off at least some recording performance. I believe the usual limits are the self-noise and dynamic range (headroom). By their design, a USB mic contains the mic preamp and a/d converter as well as the mic itself, which requires packing a lot of functionality into a limited budget.

Still, like every other aspect of the recording game, it's a tradeoff along the cost/convenience/performance graph.

Fran

[min7b5]

Just got a matched pair of Josephson C42's, and I'm currently very smitten with them in a vertical X/Y. I should have a few new youtube videos from my kitchen in about a month with them. Very very happy.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

While a USB mic is indeed convenient, as far as I'm aware you'll trade off at least some recording performance. I believe the usual limits are the self-noise and dynamic range (headroom). By their design, a USB mic contains the mic preamp and a/d converter as well as the mic itself, which requires packing a lot of functionality into a limited budget.

Still, like every other aspect of the recording game, it's a tradeoff along the cost/convenience/performance graph.

Fran

I share your concerns about sacrifices and compromise, but I just heard about this new $399 USB mic from Sennheiser.
1" condenser, built in D/A 24 bit / 96 kHz converter from Apogee.
Plugs directly into your computer/iPad/iPhone.

No preamp or Interface needed.

Might be a great product for those wanting simplicity but with good sound.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/usb-stu...g-mk-4-digital

Lots of reviews all over the Internet.

[Dustinfurlow]

Originally Posted by Tico

I share your concerns about sacrifices and compromise, but I just heard about this new $399 USB mic from Sennheiser.
1" condenser, built in D/A 24 bit / 96 kHz converter from Apogee.
Plugs directly into your computer/iPad/iPhone.

No preamp or Interface needed.

Might be a great product for those wanting simplicity but with good sound.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/usb-stu...g-mk-4-digital

Lots of reviews all over the Internet.

That could definitely be a great solution to those wanting to bypass having to buy a pre and interface...Ive been using my Zoom q8 with built-in condensers (not too shabby, not a ton of warmth though) and using it's dual hybrid 1/4'/xlr inputs with my Audio Technica (no eq) and have been pretty happy with the sound. Its not something id do serious projects with though.

[troggg]

Originally Posted by Tico

Yes, but only as good as the worst link in your audio chain.

A high end mic won't sound as good as it could if you listen through computers speakers, iPhone, or typical earbuds, if the mic was plugged into a
low end preamp or D/A converter, arguably even cheap cables can degrade the sound.

This poses a dilemma for buyers.
If you're not a millionaire do you split up your limited budget so each link in the chain is of similar quality?
Or you can do what I did, splurge at the beginning of your journey on forever-keeper mics but cheap-out on everything else since it will gradually be upgraded.
If you take care of them good mics last many decades.

Besides all the gear choices the room, it's acoustic treatments, and your recording knowledge and techniques make a huge difference in the sound you get.
Nice mics are just one tool for a very complex job.

I think we can assume than Neumann was using some top end preamps. And I'm listening to it on my studio monitors, not on computer monitors. There actually are a lot of mic demonstrations that sound pretty darned good even compressed on youtube. As nice as the video is on the Neumann series, I heard what I'd consider mediocre sounds. Of course we are talking about their relatively low end series. But still.

Like whose demos do I consider better? Ear Trumpet Labs, for instance. And they're not even supposed to be intended for studio use so much.

[ManyMartinMan]

I would like the one that makes me sound like Sammy Hagar.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

This video should give you an answer to your question(s).

Selective hearing and industry parroting acknowledged, I heard no differences in the audio this presentation pointed out. Of course, I was motivated not to by the underscored message of the presentation which was, ironically, the very thing the presentation was attempting to tell people not to do. Subliminally motivated aural searching can block out complete bass lines when focused on another frequency.

I did enjoy the audio correcting jar of rocks for $130.00. And, he's right when he frustratingly admits that the audio carpet baggers selling audio elixirs can hide behind the subjectivity of audio. If people claim they hear something then the sellers of that stuff have free advertising from unwitting shills that qualifies their asking prices for the placebos they hawk. There was a $20,000.00 audio cable in that product mix I found a very saddening example of predatory marketing behavior.

Last, when the room response was corrected for the compared microphones, showing them to be basically mirrors of each other, one has to admit that no two responses from a single microphone will be the same, either.

So, the message here is a 1-inch condenser mic of one stripe is still a 1-inch condenser mic by another.