Mic Love... List your favorites

[TerryG]

I'd like to get some opinions on the top mic choices of the userbase for acoustic guitar and voice...

And, what's your opinion of best multipurpose mic on the planet for < $300 ; < $600 ; < $1000 ?

[nikki-k]

AT4033, 4040, 4050. IMO.
TONS of choices tho. Just my favs :D

[Sound Drifter]

At4051 and at4033, mc012, u87, Rode K2 and nt5s, sm57

Use them all in all sorts of configs on acoustics. Vox duty is usually starts with the u87 or one of the k2s that has a nos telefunken, or VSM-1. Preamp selection finishes the taylor of the chain to the voice.

$300 At4033 hands down the best all around mic. Love it on bass cabs, acoustic guitar overhead/shoulder paired with a sdc up front, amps.

$600 ???

$1000???

I think you'd be better sharing what you have and what you're looking to achieve. You'd get more direction to an answer that way. Don't forget to tell us what preamps it will run through. It can change the mic's sound and character, limiting it's uses in some cases.

[paulwr]

AT4033, 4040, 4050. IMO.
TONS of choices tho. Just my favs :D

AT's are just such a great value. Gotta love 'em. Been using 3035's on grand piano, voice, flute, oboe, clarinet, oboe.

-Paul

[Animus]

Check out the used Peluso mics. I picked up a 251 for 900 bucks. Great mic. You can get the u47 style for about the same.

[leggy]

I have a pair of AT4033's here that get a lot of use. In that price range you can't go wrong with those. Maybe pick up a couple of pzm's on eBay too.

Rob

[Sid Chigger]

The AT 4050 has been a workhorse for me for many years..

[Sam]

When I need to record a guitar that needs to sound nice but not expensive and larger than life i use a trusty old Beta 57A....I do a lot of rock/reggae vocals just in the control room with the monitors turned up with this mic too....I use them all the time...a bit more expensive than the 57A, but for vocals I love an RE20 or M88 in many cases too.

My other go to mics dont really sit in those prices but for arguments sake - C414's, my trusty swiss army knife U47FET, MD421's (well they fit in the price range), U67's for the most part....

[dcwave]

NT2A - been using a pair with an AKG C 451 B and getting excellent results.
The NT2A is the workhorse of my studio - compliments any other mic well

[TerryG]

...
I think you'd be better sharing what you have and what you're looking to achieve. You'd get more direction to an answer that way. Don't forget to tell us what preamps it will run through. It can change the mic's sound and character, limiting it's uses in some cases.

My new RME Micstasy pres are virtually transparent, so low noise/high detail mics are suddenly far more important...

[Sound Drifter]

Ah...

$800
shure ksm44 :icon30:
(Don't own one)


$600ish used
Akg 414buls
These are older but had the transformers. Has some color. Allow for service if the diaphragm needs replacement. The new ones are transformer-less (XL series)and are much cleaner sounding. They don't sound like plastic as some will say, they are just clean. The difference between the new ones are frequency response.
(Don't own one anymore)


$200->
Rode mics: You'll have to demo them for the top end may or may not work for you. NT2 is a good value for the dosh. Multi-pattern, yadda yadda yadda. I used to have the original ones, but got rid of them after a year or 2. Top-end issues. They sounded better on low quality preamps, weird... Now the K2.. I demoed a NTK in a store and was like huh.. Sounded pretty good and on a whim bought a couple K2.. Not a single regret. The stock tubes give the top end a little sizzle which I really like OH drums and duller sounding sources. The NOS TF tubes give it a smoother, even response. Multipattern to boot! Here's a DIY vid I did years ago when I wanted to do MS with them: http://www.Woodcreststudio.com/ms-dual8s.wmv

$350 ish
Again, the AT4033. Not the most transparent mic, but always provides useable results. I did a session a couple of years ago with a friend visiting from Korea on acoustics. All mono, no processing. The mic position was mostly in front and overhead using the cardioid acceptance angle rule for direct pickup of spaced players. Here are samples of that session:
http://www.woodcreststudio.com/samples/themonosessions

Heil PR35 $250ish
I love this mic. I picked one up for a low-budget recording projects where the drummer was singing and they didn't want to do overdubs. Worked fantastically. I use all the time on main vox for live recording and could see using it in house too. Just haven't given it a chance Could be a dual purpose mic if you need. Always a useable sound. The last live gig, every band came up to me and asked me what mic it was and complemented me on the sound, soliciting me to come there more often to do sound.

One other suggestion is to maybe rent a handful of mics that you're interested in from local joint to hear the differences and help find the one that works best for you. I'm sure if you tell them what you are doing with them they'll cut you a break on the total rental amount. There's also the 3db mic cd.

http://www.3daudioinc.com/mics.html


If I was in your position, I would get a mic that had a little color, especially if your preamps are super clean. One thing I realized, when I went digital was that the recordings lost some of the musicality. So I offed some mics and bought a lot of tube and transformer based preamps to bring back some of the missing mojo.

HTH


TMI??? Just let me know!:D

Good Luck :)

[TerryG]

Thanks Tom.

I was thinking the mojo could be added later... The beauty about getting a super clean source is being able to hear exactly how the UA, Neve, SSL, and Harrison emulations are affecting it.

Prior to now, I've been adding vintage mojo to fog. :wink:

[Sound Drifter]

:icon_cool:


Prior to now, I've been adding vintage mojo to fog.

What do you mean? Vintage outboard things?

[TerryG]

:icon_cool:



What do you mean? Vintage outboard things?

I mean that my recordings up to now have been low end mics through low end pres and low end converters... and then using UAD plugs for "character sweetening".

Now everything gets to start clean....
the days of adding sugar to mud are over. :wink:

[nikki-k]

ahhh! This is why I love my Earthworks pre (LAB 102 dual pre). I love clean tracking for many things/chores, and add "mojo" later, if even needed/desired. Have done vocal tracks with my AT4040 + LAB102 and been asked what I used.. and received raised eyebrows and disbelief, usually followed with a nod and smile :D

[olamo]

I have had a matched pair of Schoeps MK4 for a long time and love them. Will soon add a couple of alternative capsules though.

Recently I got this SE 4400 mic at a fantastic price and am quite impressed. Intended to buy an AKG 414 uls, but the tripple price did not seem to justify the difference in sound quality. Not at all actually..

I have ordered a dual preamp called Forssell SMP-2. I have heard some recordings with this pream that totally blew Millenia and Grace out of the water ( not saying they sound alike ;) ) but the open, clean and WARM sound really got me. Will arrive in a few days, last unit in Europe they said. Maybe that is only sales tactics though... :rotfl:

Cheers,
Ola