Really need advice for upgrading a project studio...

WATYF · 11th September 2006

OK. I'm stuck in a quandary here, and I need to make a reasonably quick decision, so I'm looking for some honest input.

Here's my situation (as brief as I can make it). I have a (veeeery) humble project studio. I first started just recording my own stuff (on really crappy equipment), then I got a digi 001, and I started recording other people's stuff as well, and then people started paying me to record their stuff, and now (due to word-of-mouth) I actually have a reasonable amount of paying projects. I have very heavily upgraded my software side. I have tons of nice plug-ins and all that crap. After tracking, I can make things sound much better than they sounded going into the mic.... but as you all know... that only goes so far. Due to various reasons, I have waited quite a long while to upgrade one of the more important aspects of recording... the signal chain.

I am still using almost the same exact chain that I was using when I got my first PT LE rig (I'm now on digi 002... but I've been using a Focusrite penta platinum comp/pre for my main vocal pre since my digi 001 days).

Anyway... I just finished a CD project that netted a pretty decent return. I would like to use most of that return to pay for upgrades to my chain. After some initial looking, I was actually fairly set on this upgrade for pres/converters and a mic.

Mini Me and AKG 414.

...then I came here.

I found out about the Digi 002 mod and how I could improve pretty much everything about my 002, so that I wouldn't need to use an external clock (which was one reason to get the mini-me), and I'd also get 4 much better pres in the process (vs just 2 pres on the mini-me)... all for less than half of what I was gonna spend on the Mini-Me (which means more money for mics). So that one was a fairly clear choice.... so then my upgrade looked like this.

BLA Digi 002 mod and AKG 414.

You might be wondering, "Why the 414?". Well... I wanted a nice workhorse mic that would be a step up from my current main mic (a C1

). But I quickly started to realize that just getting a decent workhorse mic wouldn't be the best way to spend the upgrade.... and that's where my quandary came in...

So now for the stuff that you can help me with (hopefully

). This is where I'm at right now... I have to decide which direction I want to go with my mic purchases, and from what I can see, I have two good upgrade paths...

Option #1) Buy one mic that's really nice for around $1K.

Option #2) Buy a few well-touted mid-range mics and get some of them modded.

Arguments for the single mic upgrade: The overwhelming, vast majority of what I record is acoustic guitar based styles. The single most important aspect of this upgrade is that my acoustic guitar sounds noticeably better. I don't do (screaming) rock vocals or anything that requires odd mic choices, and I rarely record anything other than acoustic & vocals, so needing something that sounds great on a bass cab or an amp or whatever isn't really a high priority. By focusing on a single mic, I could find something that sounds great on my acoustic (and possibly others' acoustics) and sounds great on most vocals. While having other mics to choose from might be beneficial, if I get a nice mic, chances are that nothing will really sound "horrible" on it... at least, I wouldn't think so, especially considering that I've been using just one main mic up to this point. Another factor is that my brother has a fairly well-equipped studio in his home, and he (and I) are friends with a number of people who work in the industry and have various mics available to them, so if I really needed a different mic, I could always borrow something from him (or one of our friends), but still use my single mic for most of my recording needs.

Arguments for the multiple mic upgrade: Obviously, there is no one be-all-end-all mic. What sounds great on my voice might only sound OK on someone else's. What sounds great on my acoustic might not sound so good on someone else's acoustic. And having more mics to choose from would come in handy when I get someone with a very different acoustic sound, or who wants to mic an amp or what have you. I can get three or four mid-range mics for the price of one of the single mics I've been looking at, which would mean that I could go for different "sounds", even on the same person or instrument. And, of course, there's always the chance that there might not be much of a noticeable difference between any of the mid-range mics and a single $1K mic. I'd be pretty ticked if I dropped 1200 bucks on a mic, only to end up working with one of the mid-range mics in the future and find out that I can't hear any appreciable difference between them.

Here are the $1K mics I've been looking at:

Pearlman TM 1
Peluso 22 251
Soundelux U195
Neumann TLM49

Here are a few of the mid-range mics I've been looking at:

ADK TC 22 251
MK319 (modded by OktavaMod)
AKG 414 (I can easily pick up one of these, used, in the "mid-range" price range)
AT 4050
and possibly some modded Nady RSM-2's.

...so basically, knowing everything that I've laid out here... if you were in the exact same position as me, which upgrade path would you go with (#1 or #2), and why? I've posted a poll to make it easier to track the feedback. Also, if you recommend a particular path, feel free to suggest the mic that you would go with (and if it isn't listed, then throw out any others that you think I should look into).

Thanks for any help on this (and sorry for the long, rambling post

).

WATYF

numrologst · 12th September 2006

I would buy the pearlman,..

You do need some all around mics though. Like some audix i5s, 414's are always good to have around. 421's, sm7... Try to find a used md441

Jay Kahrs · 12th September 2006

What other mics, micamps & outboard gear do you have now?

One of my favorite acoustic guitar mics if I need a bright tone is an AKG C460 which is WELL under $400 used. I scored mine for $150...

If I need a 'fuller' sound with less top detail then I might reach for one of the Baby Bottles.

The 4050 is a good all-arounder, I'd rather have one of those then a 414!

A Sennheiser 441 can sometimes work on acoustic guitar too...

I've even used an SM57 when the condensors were too detailed.

WATYF · 12th September 2006

Thanks guys.... I have a feeling that I would really like the Pearlman, but it's just outside the high-end of what I'd really like to pay for just the mic (I didn't know the exact price when I posted this).

I'm leaning towards the Peluso 22 251, based on everything I've heard about it (and the price), but I can't find anywhere online where I can hear a sample of it.

WATYF

mrbowes · 12th September 2006

I would round out your mic collection with several mics that you won't ever sell, such as the following:

SM7 ($300)
MXL V77 ($300 ok you might sell this, but it's a great vox mic)
Beyer ribbon, M160, M500, etc ($250-300)

Those three mics won't set you back more than a G and you'll have a lot of quality options.

View Poll Results: Which upgrade path should I go with...?
Find an "over $1000" mic that sounds great on acoustic and vocals.	6	85.71%
Get a few good mid-range mics so you have more sonic variety and tracking options.	1	14.29%
Voters: 7. You may not vote on this poll

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11th September 2006	#1
WATYF Gear maniac Joined: Jul 2002 Location: Smiling back at you... Posts: 248 Thread Starter	Really need advice for upgrading a project studio... OK. I'm stuck in a quandary here, and I need to make a reasonably quick decision, so I'm looking for some honest input. Here's my situation (as brief as I can make it). I have a (veeeery) humble project studio. I first started just recording my own stuff (on really crappy equipment), then I got a digi 001, and I started recording other people's stuff as well, and then people started paying me to record their stuff, and now (due to word-of-mouth) I actually have a reasonable amount of paying projects. I have very heavily upgraded my software side. I have tons of nice plug-ins and all that crap. After tracking, I can make things sound much better than they sounded going into the mic.... but as you all know... that only goes so far. Due to various reasons, I have waited quite a long while to upgrade one of the more important aspects of recording... the signal chain. I am still using almost the same exact chain that I was using when I got my first PT LE rig (I'm now on digi 002... but I've been using a Focusrite penta platinum comp/pre for my main vocal pre since my digi 001 days). Anyway... I just finished a CD project that netted a pretty decent return. I would like to use most of that return to pay for upgrades to my chain. After some initial looking, I was actually fairly set on this upgrade for pres/converters and a mic. Mini Me and AKG 414. ...then I came here. I found out about the Digi 002 mod and how I could improve pretty much everything about my 002, so that I wouldn't need to use an external clock (which was one reason to get the mini-me), and I'd also get 4 much better pres in the process (vs just 2 pres on the mini-me)... all for less than half of what I was gonna spend on the Mini-Me (which means more money for mics). So that one was a fairly clear choice.... so then my upgrade looked like this. BLA Digi 002 mod and AKG 414. You might be wondering, "Why the 414?". Well... I wanted a nice workhorse mic that would be a step up from my current main mic (a C1 ). But I quickly started to realize that just getting a decent workhorse mic wouldn't be the best way to spend the upgrade.... and that's where my quandary came in... So now for the stuff that you can help me with (hopefully ). This is where I'm at right now... I have to decide which direction I want to go with my mic purchases, and from what I can see, I have two good upgrade paths... Option #1) Buy one mic that's really nice for around $1K. Option #2) Buy a few well-touted mid-range mics and get some of them modded. Arguments for the single mic upgrade: The overwhelming, vast majority of what I record is acoustic guitar based styles. The single most important aspect of this upgrade is that my acoustic guitar sounds noticeably better. I don't do (screaming) rock vocals or anything that requires odd mic choices, and I rarely record anything other than acoustic & vocals, so needing something that sounds great on a bass cab or an amp or whatever isn't really a high priority. By focusing on a single mic, I could find something that sounds great on my acoustic (and possibly others' acoustics) and sounds great on most vocals. While having other mics to choose from might be beneficial, if I get a nice mic, chances are that nothing will really sound "horrible" on it... at least, I wouldn't think so, especially considering that I've been using just one main mic up to this point. Another factor is that my brother has a fairly well-equipped studio in his home, and he (and I) are friends with a number of people who work in the industry and have various mics available to them, so if I really needed a different mic, I could always borrow something from him (or one of our friends), but still use my single mic for most of my recording needs. Arguments for the multiple mic upgrade: Obviously, there is no one be-all-end-all mic. What sounds great on my voice might only sound OK on someone else's. What sounds great on my acoustic might not sound so good on someone else's acoustic. And having more mics to choose from would come in handy when I get someone with a very different acoustic sound, or who wants to mic an amp or what have you. I can get three or four mid-range mics for the price of one of the single mics I've been looking at, which would mean that I could go for different "sounds", even on the same person or instrument. And, of course, there's always the chance that there might not be much of a noticeable difference between any of the mid-range mics and a single $1K mic. I'd be pretty ticked if I dropped 1200 bucks on a mic, only to end up working with one of the mid-range mics in the future and find out that I can't hear any appreciable difference between them. Here are the $1K mics I've been looking at: Pearlman TM 1 Peluso 22 251 Soundelux U195 Neumann TLM49 Here are a few of the mid-range mics I've been looking at: ADK TC 22 251 MK319 (modded by OktavaMod) AKG 414 (I can easily pick up one of these, used, in the "mid-range" price range) AT 4050 and possibly some modded Nady RSM-2's. ...so basically, knowing everything that I've laid out here... if you were in the exact same position as me, which upgrade path would you go with (#1 or #2), and why? I've posted a poll to make it easier to track the feedback. Also, if you recommend a particular path, feel free to suggest the mic that you would go with (and if it isn't listed, then throw out any others that you think I should look into). Thanks for any help on this (and sorry for the long, rambling post ). WATYF

12th September 2006	#2
numrologst Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 1,955	I would buy the pearlman,.. You do need some all around mics though. Like some audix i5s, 414's are always good to have around. 421's, sm7... Try to find a used md441

12th September 2006	#5
mrbowes Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2005 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,452	I would round out your mic collection with several mics that you won't ever sell, such as the following: SM7 ($300) MXL V77 ($300 ok you might sell this, but it's a great vox mic) Beyer ribbon, M160, M500, etc ($250-300) Those three mics won't set you back more than a G and you'll have a lot of quality options.