Could you stretch my mic budget, baby?

[copperx]

Hmm ... I was wondering if this was possible. Let's say
my mic budget is around $400. My objective is to record
drums, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and vocalists ... rock
bands.

My mic preamps would be: 1 SCA N72 (Neve-type) 1 SCA A12 (API-type),
2 I88X preamps (Think RNP clean). Thats 4 quality preamps. I have a
stereo M-Audio Buddy lying around if necessary.

I have a SM57.

Yes, I've read dozens of inexpensive mic threads but
what I'm looking basically is for 3 or 4 mics that can
serve as many purposes as possible. For example, I was
thinking about getting two Oktava MC-012 for overheads,
which I could also use for acoustic guitars. Then I found out
about the KEL HM1, which is a .5" diaphragm mic, which
can be used for overheads, acoustic guitars AND sometimes
voice. So, the KEL HM1 kills the Oktava in "multipurposeability".
Now I need a kick mic that could serve more than one purpose well
(please don't tell me that all mics can be used for something, I know that,
what I'm looking for is mics that are well known to serve more than
1 purpose well). Any suggestions?

[themaidsroom]

sm7

[Harley-OIART]

400 is close but a little under budget in my experience....

Good Luck in your investments though.

[natpub]

$400 for all those apps is rough man.

A couple Octava 012's will do for overheads and Ac gtr. - $200

Your 57 is fine for elec gtr. - already owned

Audio Technica or Marshall makes some very affordable large diaphram condensers for vocal that you can maybe find used. - figure $200

For toms on drums, you could get a couple more 57's at $50 each used, probly. - $100

For kick, an Audix D6? used D112?

I dunno, already over budget.

Heck, to record bands, just put the two 012's up in the air in an XY and experiment with the room and the balance until it sounds good. No shame in that.

[T9c]

An RE20 for a good all around mic that works great on kick and some vox. It needs a good hd stand though. They are around $400 new, used cheaper on ebay.

Rick

[AlexLakis]

The MXL990 (1" LDC) just got bumped down to $49.99 new. I love this mic, I've found all types of good uses for it (room mic, acoustic guitar, vocals...) Just bought another one. Can't beat it for the price.

[Nu-tra]

I would rather buy two new AT2020 over the oktavas.. way more consistant and you arent buying real oktavas at guitar center they are Chinese knock offs... I'm not a Audio Technica freak but ATM25 is a great kick mic for really cheap the EV ND868 is another underrated mic that donesn't have a hyped kick sound.. very natural sounding. That should cover for all apps.. I would use the AT2020 and a 57 on the guitar cabs!

[cominginsecond]

If you're willing to go for a mono overhead, you could get a used AT 4033 for vocals and mono overhead (on ebay for around $250), you already have a 57 for snare and amp, AT Pro 25 for $59 on kick, and a couple more used 57s on toms. That puts you around $400. That said, I think you should up your budget. That Pro 25 is barely usable on kick, IMO. A D6 is twenty times nicer, but it's another $140 or so new.

[Norman Lindsey]

An RE20 for a good all around mic that works great on kick and some vox.

i agree. the re-20 should be in everyone's mic cabinet . useful for bass cabs too . voiceover and that screechy female voice that doesn't like condensor.
beta '57 is worth it too .

[hickoryfubar]

Limit of $400 made me think super hard.

Here's my best shot:

Sennheiser 421 - $250
AT4041 - $125
Pair ECM8000's - $70
PZM - $25

Everything listed in the second-hand ballpark. I'm a bit over at $470 plus shipping of used mics. If you could evenutally forgive me,...

I think this combo leaves you with some interesting options, so its not the same setup every time. You've could potentially track a 4-piece band all at once, but still have loads to work with tracking seperately. Here are insta-thoughts:

----------
Drums:
Mono overhead - 4041 overhead (mono), PZM and/or 421 working on kick, 57 on snare, ECM's on toms (maybe ride and hats). Or same combo without ECM's.

Stereo overhead - ECM's overhead, PZM and/or 412 and/or 57 on ze kick, 4041 on snare.

Guitar:
A 57 and a 421 is always a classic. 4041 is great here too. I like to use ECM's as Earthworks suggests using their omni's. Maybe for room tone. Maybe close enough to the cab so there is no perceptable room tone. Maybe on the guitarist's pick (or clothes or feet) for that "realism." Perhaps a little pzm slipped in the opening of the amp, behind the speaker.

Bass:
Eh,... about the same options as you'd come up with for guitar.

Vox:
My least favorite part about this mic cab: Vocal options. 421, 4041, 57. Fortunately, you won't have the notorious 57 buildup should that be your call.
----------

Plenty of room to change up my mic selection or use to taste (i.e. swap out a Beyer 201 with the 4041, or scratch the PZM and add an Beyer M88 (vox friendly), or anything that's not freaking Beyer, damn!). Many happy alternatives.

Couple places I'd like to point to are Earthworks site - loads of great info on using omni's, and Mercenary Audio's "Police Blotter" section of the site - particularly awesome article on drum techniques using 3 microphones.

****, this is a novel.

END

[hickoryfubar]

Also note on overhead pair selection:

Scott Helmke's DIY Alice mic - $50 and some time and patience for an damn nifty cardioid pair. People are digging these on acoustic guitars, and on the overheads too. Constant banderings these are far superior to 012's. Constant banderings with the Alice mic in comparison to the 012...

MXL 603's - somewhere around $100 for a pair. Lot of folks claim these are identical to the 012's.

I like watching dogs eat grass, and I really hate, dispise, and lothe those moving animated face graphics inserted everywhere.

[copperx]

Excellent! I really didn't know how to start a decent mic cabinet. Thanks to all!
The ECMs on guitar cabs look like a nice experiment I should make, DIY mics too.

[r0ck1r0ck2]

Old Chrome Electro Voice's = really cheap
beat old 664 $50 to $75?
664a $50 to $75?
660 $50
Re 15 $50
i can't suggest these old EV's enough...

AT pro 37r? a little on the bright side

SE small diaphram pair $300?

used Shure ribbon mics?
model 300? got mine for 275....fresh mic

Skip the large diaphram....
tho the ADK Hamburg/Vienna looks nice
i gotta ADK TC for around $400...