Let's talk mics!

[woody]

Don’t sleep on the Beyer M160 for a vocal mic, too. That is a fantastic little mic for sure. Looks like a toy but packs a great punch. also the best guitar cab dynamic I own is a 201TG. It’s like everything I dial out of a 57 to get it sounding good and that is the 201 already.

The M160 doubled in price over the last two years in my neck of the woods.
I could kick myself for not getting a pair when they were relatively affordable, though still not cheap.

 

[laxu]

The M160 doubled in price over the last two years in my neck of the woods.
I could kick myself for not getting a pair when they were relatively affordable, though still not cheap.

Yeah the M160 are nearly 800 euros now. No idea what they cost before.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I've been thinking of picking up a mic for the following purposes:

• Micing my real guitar cabs.
• Trying my hand at room micing. I know my music room ain't exactly a beautiful studio space, but it could still offer something interesting.
• Since I'm not micing my cabs all the time, I'd like it to do double duty as a vocal mic for just work meetings and stuff. I'm currently using wireless headphones for that and they kinda suck due to latency, closed back etc.

Yeah I know, "Just buy a Shure SM57 you heathen!" I will probably buy a SM57 used along the line but consider it a "blend it with something else" mic, which then gets more complicated.

If you had to pick just one all purpose microphone right now, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, what would you get? I've been eyeing a used Audio Technica 4050 but what else should I consider?

How big is your room? Not many people throwing room mics up in the typical 800-1200 cubic foot home music space.

 

[laxu]

How big is your room? Not many people throwing room mics up in the typical 800-1200 cubic foot home music space.

Nah, mine is tiny. Room mic is just something I considered experimenting with, or trying to make e.g Fractal Fullres IRs.

 

[laxu]

Posted a little clip with the AT2020 over here: https://thegearforum.com/threads/ncd-bluguitar-nanocab.3670/post-140697

The mic is very easy to use - throw it around the center of the cab and adjust distance. I'll give it a try with my 4x10 cab this week and see the results I get but for "just for shits and giggles" stuff this is probably as much as I should realistically invest unless some really great deal comes for better mics.

It's generally just easier to run the amp into a loadbox and use the cornucopia of IRs and movable mic cab sims instead so you don't have to commit to a mic position.

 

[woody]

Posted a little clip with the AT2020 over here: https://thegearforum.com/threads/ncd-bluguitar-nanocab.3670/post-140697

The mic is very easy to use - throw it around the center of the cab and adjust distance. I'll give it a try with my 4x10 cab this week and see the results I get but for "just for shits and giggles" stuff this is probably as much as I should realistically invest unless some really great deal comes for better mics.

It's generally just easier to run the amp into a loadbox and use the cornucopia of IRs and movable mic cab sims instead so you don't have to commit to a mic position.

The necessity to commit is one of the great revelations when using a mic imo.
As long as you keep "options", each additional track is a complete crapshoot.
For me, at least five out of the ten recording commandments should be "Commit early!".

 

[laxu]

Picked up a pair of SM57s for pretty typical used prices.

Now I just need another stand to be able to use either dual SM57 (one straight, one angled seems to be a typical setup) or SM57+AT2020.

I tried the SM57+AT2020 combo with two separate tracks and when panned a bit left/right they blended together pretty nicely with my BluGuitar Nanocab. SM57 adds the sizzle missing from the AT2020 while the AT2020 brings in more body.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Speaking of the SM7B, I have read some reports of "old ones are different (and of course better) than new ones". Any truth to that?

Its from the same people that rave about magical differences between mic preamps, but when tested end up picking mackies and ARTs. There IS a slightly different new version that comes with its own gain booster. If you are really worried, ask them what they mean by "better" and watch them avoid anything objective up to the point of death

 

[Bruce]

Soyuz mics are lovely but kind of a luxury IMO. JZ’s condensers have kind of annoying marketing but they’re so hard to beat for the quality of the mics vs what they cost. Beesneez are also quite a cool brand, they make some handmade mics totally in house as well as some other ones in chinese bodies that sound great but are more affordable. Their K47 capsule is VERY highly regarded among Neumann enthusiasts. Another condenser that’s tried and tested is a C414 - it’s kind of like a 4050 where it’ll work on everything but it’s quite flat/plain sounding. Austrian Audio OC818 is a more modern take on that. U87 is an expensive version of that, massively overrated IMO.

Beyer m160 and m260 are cool mics and hold their value well. Royer and Coles are pricey but hold their value even better. Cheap ribbon mics work great too, a lot of the time I don’t think they sound inferior to the fancy stuff so much as just having their own voicing.

SE X1R is a fantastic ribbon mic that is useful on tons of sources and costs next to nothing. Their other ribbon mics are also cool and quite affordable.

If you want to be able to record really pristine vocals, I think forking out for a decent condenser is well worth it. If it’s mostly for guitars and some other stuff, I don’t think I’d be too precious.

You could also consider some nicer dynamic mics like Beyer m88 or Sennheiser MD441 which sound excellent on guitars and are underrated on vocals.

I think as much as considering what you want to spend, it can be worth thinking about what you can sell it for down the line.

The Beyer 160 and Royer are both fantastic choices. The figure 8 of the Royer do offer some more options, but it is nearly double the price, too. Both delicious on an acoustic or a guitar cab, and honestly I wouldn’t sleep on either for a vocal as well.

Just cracked open the Austrian Audio OC 18 and it sounds better than it should for a sub 1k dollar mic. Yea you’re stuck with one pattern but initial tests here were fantastic on the Mezzabarba Skill 30.

 

[Bruce]

Picked up a pair of SM57s for pretty typical used prices.

Now I just need another stand to be able to use either dual SM57 (one straight, one angled seems to be a typical setup) or SM57+AT2020.

I tried the SM57+AT2020 combo with two separate tracks and when panned a bit left/right they blended together pretty nicely with my BluGuitar Nanocab. SM57 adds the sizzle missing from the AT2020 while the AT2020 brings in more body.

Be sure the 57s are real, it is a widely counterfeited mic. I dont know how to spot well made fakes, either.

 

[laxu]

Be sure the 57s are real, it is a widely counterfeited mic. I dont know how to spot well made fakes, either.

I wasn't aware fake SM57s were even a thing. Checked the things in that video and both the mics seem to be real so I am all good.

 

[Bruce]

I wasn't aware fake SM57s were even a thing. Checked the things in that video and both the mics seem to be real so I am all good.

I have no Idea why anyone would want to fake a notoriously cheap mic. 80 bucks on a used one is a good deal and it is only a net 20 dollar savings. I dont get it.

 

[laxu]

I have no Idea why anyone would want to fake a notoriously cheap mic. 80 bucks on a used one is a good deal and it is only a net 20 dollar savings. I dont get it.

Yeah it's insane, but I assume it's relatively easier because the real mic isn't that expensive so people who buy their first mic are more easily fooled.

 

[Moondog Wily]

I have no Idea why anyone would want to fake a notoriously cheap mic. 80 bucks on a used one is a good deal and it is only a net 20 dollar savings. I dont get it.

I can think of two reasons:

1. Low hanging fruit. There easy to copy and have been around forever so no need to figure anything out.
2. Huge market. You don't want to counterfeit a mic that only 20 people are going to buy. Everyone needs a 57 (and multiples in most cases), so counterfeiting it gives you probably the second largest mic model market in the world. I would put the 58 as the largest mic model in the world sales wise, but I could be wrong.

So, make counterfeit for $6, sell for $50 and do it from a country that does not give a fuck about your actions!

 

[Bruce]

I can think of two reasons:

1. Low hanging fruit. There easy to copy and have been around forever so no need to figure anything out.
2. Huge market. You don't want to counterfeit a mic that only 20 people are going to buy. Everyone needs a 57 (and multiples in most cases), so counterfeiting it gives you probably the second largest mic model market in the world. I would put the 58 as the largest mic model in the world sales wise, but I could be wrong.

So, make counterfeit for $6, sell for $50 and do it from a country that does not give a fuck about your actions!

Well…….id rather get duped on a 100 dollar mic than some counterfeit Neumann for big bucks.

 

[Achilles]

Simple test. If you can use it to bang in a nail and it still works it's legit.

 

[Orvillain]

Behringer B-1 mate. Get it.

 

[la szum]

I have a stereo pair of Condenser Mics incoming to use as some Drum Overheads/Room Mics.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Remember, a lot of "fakes" are just the same mc, made by the same people in. the same factory with the same parts and techniques that the name brand stamps their name on. What makes them fake in that case are that they are being sold by the factory or another outlet that bought them from the factory, rather than the name brand. In that really big case like 12 years ago, where the australian government got involved to shut down the counterfeits, that was the case, so it was truly impossible to tell the "real" from the "fake" there

 

[Deadpan]

Remember, a lot of "fakes" are just the same mc, made by the same people in. the same factory with the same parts and techniques that the name brand stamps their name on. What makes them fake in that case are that they are being sold by the factory or another outlet that bought them from the factory, rather than the name brand. In that really big case like 12 years ago, where the australian government got involved to shut down the counterfeits, that was the case, so it was truly impossible to tell the "real" from the "fake" there

Also, many fakes are made in the same factories, with the same tools and cheap material.