Upgradings mics ...need advice

Jim Hollingsworth · From: Way out West

Hi guys,
I am moving up in my recording rig (Mac Pro tower, Pro Tools 10, Waves plug ins, etc)but I need a good vocal mic. I can't afford Neumann or Telefunkin but am looking at Lauten Audio Atlantis or Mojave MA 300. Do you have any recommendations? I am shopping in the $1000 to $1600 range. Thanks in advance!

Jim

Rick Schacter · From: Portland, Or.

FWIW, I don't think there's a right or wrong answer to your question.
The best thing to do is try out as many mics as you can and buy the one you think sounds the best.

Have fun on your hunt. Smile

Rick

John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

There some good mics out there these days at those prices...I recently got a CM67 from Dave Thomas and Advanced Audio- it's a Neumann U67 based mic and sounds great (and I own an original)...also Miktek in Nashville builds a nice tube LDC that I bought recently that is very nice...Mojaves are very nice, too...most of the Chinese mics are way too strident and bright without modifications, which can turn them into contenders with some work....hope this helps
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Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I just bought a couple of microphones from this guy

http://www.oktavamod.com/

and was completely blown away. Got the tip from some classical recording producers.

Keep an eye out for Apex 460's that have been modded also.
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Bob

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

After much research and checking with a bunch of studios in that price range basically everybody suggested an AKG 414 if you could only afford one good mic. You will not go wrong with 414. They are as standard to recording studios as Sure 57s are to live sound.
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Bob

John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

Yeah, I tend to forget about them since they are so standard--I have four, tow old and two of the XL11. Great go to mics for lots of stuff, though not always a first choice in vocal mics for me,,,,
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John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar

Jay Fagerlie · From: Lotus, California, USA

You'd be better off investing in a real good pre amp first-
I really good pre amp can make the mid-price mics sound more like the high $$$ mics.
...but a $$$ mic through a mediocre pre amp sounds like a mediocre mic....

IMHO

Jay

Walter Bowden · From: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

I've heard some engineers/producers say they really like the Shure KSM 44.
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Don Griffiths · From: Steelville, MO

And what might be some good mic preamps Jay?
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Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Jim, one thing to help define the field is what kind of vocal you're wanting to record (Male, female, thick, thin, rock, smooth country, jazz) and what other instruments you might also use it on. There are some great lower priced mice that might really work for you as well. For instance, the Blue dragonfly has a nice clarity and smooth top end on vocals, and GREAT on resonator guitar or fiddle. A lot of studios use Sm-7 or Re-20 dynamics on male vocals for thickness and weight, and of course on voice-over work. I really like the Rode NTK for many female and male vocals and drum overheads and acoustic instruments. And you can budget accordingly, for instance a couple of lower priced mics would leave you room for something like a Golden Age GAP preamp, which gives you a very Neve-y warmth for just a couple hundred bucks.
It's a GREAT time to be a recordist.
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Jay Fagerlie · From: Lotus, California, USA

Hey Don-
Although I am quite biased, I can recommend one pre amp series that has a lot of bang for the buck.

the HV37- two channels at a great price/feature set.
http://www.mil-media.com/HV-37.html
This one best in show at the last AES show, it sounds fantastic, and it has an instrument input for your steel/instrument.

The Millennia Media HV-35 is the single channel module, for people with an API or equivalent power supply,
http://www.mil-media.com/HV-35.html
or

Good stuff...these have been used with the more common mics (SM-57/ AKG-414, etc.) with great results.

Like I said- I am biased, but they really are quite good.

Jay

Don Griffiths · From: Steelville, MO

Thanks Jay, Them links kept me busy reading up for a few hours. You know your a geek when..."you spend more time reading about music than making or listening to it". Idea

What would be an equivalent API power supply?
I used to jump off that bridge into the American river up near Coloma there in my youngster days. Some great memories there.
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Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

The rnp is amazing I found out about there gear because I kept on seeing there stuff at major recording studios.
http://www.fmraudio.com/rnp.htm

I personally lived without expensive pre amps in my home set up until quite recently. The AKG 414 sounded more than fine through the stock Focusrite pre amps in my mbox. I am in favor of working my way up the signal chain by starting with a great signal with a good mic rather than trying to enhance later.
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Bob

Jay Fagerlie · From: Lotus, California, USA

Good point Bob.
Then the next logical step is to make sure your microphone pre amp is the best you can get.

I still make the case that a great mic pre will give much better results with middle of the road mics than a great mic will make with a middle of the road pre amp.

Jay

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Jay,
Have you tried the RNP ? I am very happy with it. The next signal chain issue I need to deal with is A/D converters.

I am now sinking money into getting my music room together but should admit I have recorded quite a few steel parts for label CD's with a shure 57 into whatever cheap interface/preamp was around and it sounded fine.
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Bob

Tim Marcus · From: San Francisco, CA

If you are handy with a soldering iron then you gain access to some very high quality gear at much lower than retail or even used prices. An afternoon of work can yield you some of these things:

http://hamptone.com/kits/

http://www.diymic.com/
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Jay Fagerlie · From: Lotus, California, USA

I've heard good things about the RNP, but I personally have not used one.

I agree, there are a bunch of mics/pres out there that you can use that sound fine.

But with a little research and careful spending, you can get stellar results.

And it does make a difference.

Your recordings will sound better.

You will have an easier time mixing because tracks will sit in the mix better.

You will not get as much fatigue while mixing/listening.

There's nothing quite like having your instrument sit in a 3 dimensional space in a mix, as opposed to your sound-stage being a flat, one dimensional plane.

These are the kinds of things the better mics and pre amps will let you achieve.

I do realize that not all of us are after that result, but if you keep these things in mind while you are putting together your gear budget, you can maximize your $$$/quality quotient.

Tim- those kits are a viable choice, but always be mindful of the specs....a BW of 50K and THD of 1% is passable....but there are consequences to that-namely in the smearing of the upper harmonics and the inability to reproduce them accurately...
I'm in no way saying these kits are not good products- they look like a great product- I am just trying to help us all get better recordings.

I guess it all depends on how accurate you want your recordings to be.
Jay

Jay Fagerlie · From: Lotus, California, USA

Don, sorry I missed your follow up question-

API- whatever will work for you.
They have them from 6 space on up to 10 space. I would not go for the two space- if you want that you'd be better off with the HV-37- it has it's own power supply, that's gonna save you some $$$

Radial has a really cool 8 space rack that has a built in mixer for sub-mixing the modules that are plugged into it. It's the "Workhorse"
http://www.radialeng.com/r2011/workhorse.php

The concept here is to be able to take "your" recording chain anywhere you go- GREAT for players that do studio/recording work away from home.

Jay

Tim Marcus · From: San Francisco, CA

I have the Hamptone JFET preamp. Its very colored sounding and that is why I love it. Compared to the preamp in my Apogee Duet it sounds much more like what you would consider to be "vintage" and that is a good thing for me. The preamp has as nice silky sound. I have heard that his tube preamp is also amazing - its exactly the same circuit as the FET version just a few minor component changes and voltage changes to make it go with tubes.

The FMR stuff is really nice as well.

You might also look into the JLM stuff for DIY options. His preamp based on the Jensen opamps are enormous sounding. Really high quality stuff.
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Daryl Thisdelle · From: New Brunswick, Canada

Jim, a few people on here have said get the best mic pre you can get..They could not be more right. A mic is a mic is a mic put plugged into a top notch mic pre and you got way more than what you ever thought you were in for. If you do not have a top quality mic pre to capture what the mic is reproducing it does not matter how good your mic is.. A great mic sounds not so good through a inferior mic pre but a so so mic can sound unreal though a great mic pre. One of the best out there which I use is the DW Fearn VT-2. A good mic pre can be used on mic and instruments. If they do not have a direct in with an instrument then buy a Passive Direct Box. People do not take enough time to learn what a good mic pre can do for you. It can do way more than any mic can, at any price.
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Jerry Gleason · From: Eugene, Oregon, USA

+1 on the Hamptone JFET. There are not many preamps that sound sound as nice as this for a little over 800 bucks, and that's for two channels. You can buy it assembled for a couple hundred more, but it's not a difficult build if you can solder well, have a good soldering station and a multimeter. It is a bit more on the "colored" end of the scale than transparent, but it's colored in a very good way. "Bigger then life" sounding. It sounds similar to the tube version, because it uses basically the same input and output transformers.

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

I have used AKG 414 versions in my home studio and in local radio stations for decades, and have always been happy with them. The only thing "wrong" with an AKG 414 is that it "gets it all", which isn't always what people want Smile

Ken Metcalf · From: San Antonio Texas USA

In my limited experience and budget I have recently purchased a Presonus Studio Live 24.4.2 and am finding a nice depth and quality in the recordings with budget mics.
57s and 58s

George Schinler · From: Austin,TX USA

The Audio Technica AT-40 series are some great budget mics. Great for vocals, acoustic instruments etc. Avant makes some good ones, too.

James Quillian · From: San Antonio, Texas, USA

I recommend a Rode NT1 or NT2.
My philosophy is to go with 90% as good as the best on the market.

A Rode is not as good as a Neumann but it is 90% as good.
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