Worlds best microphone

[IEDlabs]

Originally Posted by deeper

The most expensive mic in the world might sound like *dog doo* on the wrong singer. And some great vocal tracks have been recorded on mics that cost less than $75.
)

didn't bono record a lot of the early U2 albums with an sm58?

[Goliathus]

There is no such thing as the best microphone in the world, however there are microphones that have unique qualities. Fortunately I am in a position to search for excellent microphone because I have the money. Here is what i have discovered so far

The Josephson Engineering 700s is not only a great sounding mic for all types of instruments and voices but you can control the pattern after recording. It has an output for each of the 3 capsules which adds another dimension for eq. Skies the limit for this one. rent one if you can.

The Geffell KEM 970 is the best microphone for recording large ensembles and moving sound sources. There is no mic like it in the world and it is expensive

I really like the manley Gold reference microphones it sounds great period and records 10 hz to 30 khz

The neumann D01 is a super clean recording microphone. It is exactly what another gearslutz said "its like you cleaned the windshield"

The Soundfield Mark V is B format recording mic with a lot of control over the 3 dimensions of sound. Sounds good in stereo too.

The Josephson 720 is an excellent vocal mic that has a unique built in windshield made of an aluminum alloy that really works. Unfortunately the 720 was a limited edition but a variation of the 720 was released with the windscreen, the Josephson 715

I also like the Telefunken 251 T. only 3 have been made that I know of and I own 2 of them. I suggest you go to the telefunken website and read more about it. It is similar to other 251 models except the capsule. I am not a vintage mic guy but it was the capsule technology that sold me. Having been a machinist i understood completely what they were saying.

I also like to record outdoors so i use Neumann 191 and a tetra mic.

In conclusion it is the application that you must consider and there is mics for all of them. I agree that a good room is going to bring the best out of your mic. I also listened to those cd's for microphone comparison. Have fun

[Arlo]

Originally Posted by integrated

hi i am using neumann u87, akg c414 gold xl II .
i want to buy the best microphone, price doesn't matter..

im planning to buy Sony C-800G,
or what ever u suggest..

Asking a question like that in a place like this, where a million emotional arteeeeests are busy defending their massive gear purchases and a hunnerd gearpimps are following along snapping at their heels, maybe not the best idea.

Do some driving and some testing and comparing. Then, buy what YOU want instead of what someone else wanted when they pulled out their plastic.

[mdf25]

My fave mic is the AKG C414 XLS, followed closely by the M-Audio Sputnik (yes its cheapish but its pretty damn good on vocals, and I have even used it live before and it worked and sounded much clearer than the venue's stock SM58 dynamics. It has 3 selectable polar patterns and the rejection on the cardioid mode is stellar. Just rolled off a tad of bass with their outboard and it worked a treat.

[waldie wave]

Whatever mcrophone Britney Spears uses is the best microphone in the world. Britney Spears uses a Manley Cardioid Reference Microphone. Therefore, a Manley Cardioid Reference Microphone is the best microphone in the world.

Bono used a Shure SM58 and is a great vocalist. Therefore, the SM58 must be a great vocal mic.
On U2s earlier recordings Bono went into a Neve 1073 mic-pre with a Urei LA2A compressor. The mic-pre and compressor are critical variables in the chain. They can make or break any sound regardles of the quality of the microphone.

One of the best recordings I recently heard was from Sharon King and the Daptones. Most of the mics the Daptones used on their tracks were very cheap ones from Radio Shack. Therefore, it must follow that mics from Radio Shack will help you to produce some of the best recordings.

Knowing how to get the most out of different pieces of gear and how to incorporate all these elements together is an art which takes years of experience. That experience cannot be bypassed from purchasing an expensive or inexpensive microphone.

[funkytracks]

no such thing a sm58 can do a lot of things better than a u87 u47 and all the u,s put together . it all depends on what sound your after , the sighn of a good mic is that is gets you there quicker .

[mattg082]

Why spend all that money just buy a few neve flavor pres like a great river and a sm7b, sm57, re20, sm81, u87 done with instead of that sony. haha

[thelube]

so far for me:

Shure SM57


universal and cheap = the best mic ever!

[Cathedral Guitar]

For me, the world's best microphone is the one that can NOT be improved upon by modding, i.e., "improving."

With this in mind, the SM57 is certainly not the world's best mic, because it can be greatly improved by simply removing the horrible $2 transformer they put in there. The AMI replacement transformer improves it by a factor of 10.

I believe Stephen Paul once wrote that the only mic he couldn't improve upon was the Neumann KM53, which for me is a pretty strong nomination as the world's best.

[Showcase]

Todays sound, If you add a little top boost on U47 through a Telefunken V76, its just insane In my world, it blows the manley and even the elam 251 away, have owned this mic for several years and everytime I listen to the song track alone I always wonder, how is this possible its true

[cinealta]

The human ear. All else is crude emulation.

[skybluerental]

if i could only have one mic i would want it to be a Neumann U67.

that is my personal favorite mic.

there is no accounting for taste.

[anguswoodhead]

BeesNeez Arabella.

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by MidasHatesGold

if price doesn´t matter...

hire 20 german, 20 japanese, 20 us engineers...stuck them in a room and give them 30 million dollars and all classical mics available...and I´m sure they can built you some kind of

MICENSTEIN

let me know when you sell it...I want one as well

I don't think 30 million would cover this. Do you plan on paying these folks? You'll need some of that American stimulus money to pay for this.

[Fruition2k]

Originally Posted by Cathedral Guitar

I believe Stephen Paul once wrote that the only mic he couldn't improve upon was the Neumann KM53, which for me is a pretty strong nomination as the world's best.

He told the same thing over the phone one day as I was asking advice on buying a pair, he said if I didnt buy them he would. Never heard any pair of mics since sound that good on an acoustic. Sadly I had to sell them due to financial issues.
My vote...the M269c, does is it all superbly.

[carlaperez]

Originally Posted by DreamSound

What's the best song in the world?? I mean THE BEST SONG period.

I willing to go buy it on iTunes right now but PRICE DOES NOT MATTER!!

Thank you.

The best song in the world is called "Rio Part XV", is the last part from Keith Jarrett's concert in Rio de Janeiro. The album is called Rio (CD2).

I don't think price should matter, it's not expensive. Although if you buy it from iTunes you won't have the same quality as in the CD.

[carlaperez]

Originally Posted by integrated

hi i am using neumann u87, akg c414 gold xl II .
i want to buy the best microphone, price doesn't matter..

im planning to buy Sony C-800G,
or what ever u suggest..

Hi, the best microphone available at this moment, that is not used and you can buy new, is the Simpson Microphone Model A. The price for 1 piece is around US$16.000, but their offer a 5-piece matched for about US$70.000. Here is their link: Simpson High Resolution Microphones

[legato]

World's best microphone?

No such thing of course.

Fun topic, though (if approached positively).




Henk

[beautyfish]

I've had two different instances over about a ten year span where we took out all of the usual suspects to do a shootout for the lead vocals on an album. We lined up two different U-47s, a U-48, a C-12, an 87, a Milab VIP50, and on one guy, an RCA 44 added to the mix. In both cases, they all happened to sound like crap on these particular singers. All the other times, I was able to find one or two that were clear winners and sounded great.

The best mic for one guy ended up being a hand held 58. He just couldn't get comfortable with anything else.

With the other guy, it was just the curve of his voice. We did the record with a 57. It legitimately beat out everything else. Console was an 8048, cut to A80 MkII. The album wasn't exactly a classic, but it did well enough to be re-issued on CD ten years later.

Horses for courses.

[vincentvangogo]

Akg d190. I have one for sale if anyone is interested.

[OlofBerggren]

If i had to use only one mic for the rest of My life,

Answer is Sennheiser MD21!

Works on everything!

[claesbjo]

Originally Posted by IEDlabs

didn't bono record a lot of the early U2 albums with an sm58?

Yes, because he tracked vocals in the control room with the studio monitors blasting out at him for monitoring, so he needed something pretty directional in order not too much bleed from the backing tracks..or so I´ve been told anyway.

[Slikjmuzik]

These days you can do so much with even a chinese mic to make it versatile. With that said, if money was no issue, I'd probably be leaning toward the m49 territory, even it meant going for one of the clones like the Wunder or the Flea. I don't think someone could go wrong with that mic for just about any genre. After that I'd get into 47 territory, then c12/c800g territory. But the 49 lies right in between them all and can be sculpted quite nicely.

[nielsb]

The world's best microphone: And what if your singer hasn't got the world's best voice?

[Boschen]

Originally Posted by carlaperez

The best song in the world is called "Rio Part XV", is the last part from Keith Jarrett's concert in Rio de Janeiro. The album is called Rio (CD2).

I don't think price should matter, it's not expensive. Although if you buy it from iTunes you won't have the same quality as in the CD.

Is that disc as good as the Koln concert? Koln was like a rattail to my brain's bare ass.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Goliathus

There is no such thing as the best microphone in the world,

Not so fast.... After a millennia of searching at long last the Holy Grail da dah ....

[Cathedral Guitar]

After giving this question much thought, and believing that there is no such thing as a stupid question, I understand the question is really asking what is the world's best all-around microphone -- what single mic sounds sounds best on m/f vocals AND acoustic instruments, drums AND guitar cabs, etc, and I now agree with Fruition2k: it is the Neumann M269.

[drmmrboy]

Originally Posted by carlaperez

The best song in the world is called "Rio Part XV", is the last part from Keith Jarrett's concert in Rio de Janeiro. The album is called Rio (CD2).

I don't think price should matter, it's not expensive. Although if you buy it from iTunes you won't have the same quality as in the CD.

The greatest song in the world is of course, Tribute, by Tenacious D. Research that session & you may find the greatest mic. The 2 should go hand in hand, yes?

[Fezzle]

M49

[elpedro]

my fav mic is a sm57!-and my beesneez james!
there is no world's best mic,the most expensive mic can sound crap with the wrong singer/instrument,and some cheapies can sound great with them i n stead.