Low Cost Mics for Biggest Bang for Buck!!!

[iflyinmymind]

Need to do mic shopping on the cheap...

I have:

Oktava mc012 x 2
CAD E-200
Sm57 x 3
Audix D6
AKG d190 x 2 (like 57's)

Here are some well reviewed pieces on the cheap!!!

KEL HM-1

Shiny Box Ribbon - W/windscreen mod's

(This is like the Nady but has a smaller body and u can swap output transformers.

Older Oktava mk219 w/ mod's

Behringer ECM8000 - omni's - w/mod

Mxl V69 or V77 - Tube Condeser

[warhead]

What do you need your new mics to do that your current collection can't?

War

[iflyinmymind]

I would like them to Sound better!!!! Hahaha
Not that I think they are bad..

Plus I have a small selection and cant choose between a few to get the sound i want!!! I had a Lawson L47... sounded great...but I can get a lot of mics..for what that 1 mic cost!

I also dont have enough mics track 16 tracks at once...

I have no ribbons...

Or omni pair...

No Tube LD Condenser..



__________
Todd Seibel

[JoePooch]

I'm no expert but Audio Technica AT2020 is a fantastic mic for the money

[orange]

Originally Posted by iflyinmymind

Plus I have a small selection and cant choose between a few to get the sound i want!!! I had a Lawson L47... sounded great...but I can get a lot of mics..for what that 1 mic cost!

I also dont have enough mics track 16 tracks at once...

I have no ribbons...

Or omni pair...

No Tube LD Condenser..

get omni caps for the mk012s - best for the price
get the cheap nady ribbons - or shinybox equivelant
plus get ONE decent mic - better than having loads of cr*p mics

you don't need a 'tube' mic. There is a bit of myth behind 'tube' is better than transistor. - A good mic is a good mic - the technology behind it is irrelevant.

si

[Hulk]

Some of the T.bone mics from German Thomann.de are ridiculous cheep and sound great!

[petsematary]

Studio Projects and ADK!

[cpatch]

The KEL and the AT2020 are both great condensers for the money ($100). Look at the Heil PR-20s too for budget (around $120) dynamics. All best suited for vocals.

Craig

[iflyinmymind]

I am trying to build the Cheapest most versitile mic collection..

I used to have a Lawson L47 and think it is way over priced for the budget minded slut...I do love the tube compression warm thickness thingy happening with a great tube/capusule combo..

I like the variable polar patterns like the lawson and the rode classic etc..

It just seems the cheapest tube mic for the money would be to buy a mxl v69 or v77 and replace the tube with a NOS $$$ tube.

stereo omni's - Modify a pair of behringer ecm8000 measurement mics $100.00

Stero Ribbon's - Shiny Box '46 $300.00

Omni Dynamic - RE50 $100

KEL hm1 - different flavour than oktava mc012.

Hoping that this will satisfy my slutty / effecient self..

____________
Todd Seibel

[tINY]

The Sennheiser e609 models are worth looking at too.

As far as the "tube" sound, the FET based mic amps do a really good impersonation.....



-tINY

[junior]

Originally Posted by rufus13

Biggest bang for buck? EV 635A or RE-50 dynamic omni. There's a reason you see them in every location video scene: they tend to always work and sound at least okay even when the user has no idea about using a microphone. New: less than $150, used: as low as $9.99 or local thrift store. They work fine in any application where the source is loud or close, or loud AND close (no rejection/no proximity effect -omni pattern).

can i get an amen?

[pebis]

Audio Technica. . the 4050 is great with multi patterns. . 4047 is nice FET (this has been gone over a lot here, just search for Audio Technica. . )

one word of advice, get them on Ebay, find one of the vendors with a ton of good feedback that sells them new in the box, ive had good luck with "Musician's Advocate". . you can always get them AT LEAST 150 dollars cheaper than any other online vendor. .

[kenm]

I put up my Marshall MXL V67G on a female vocalist last night and it sounded great.

Ken

[WideawakE]

would the 4050 be a good choice for vocals? rap vocals? say paired with a FMR RNP/RNC combo?

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by cpatch

The KEL and the AT2020 are both great condensers for the money ($100).

Speaking of which, can anyone confirm my suspicion that the KEL HM-1 and the Audio-Technica AT2020 are in fact *the same* mic?

This conjecture is based purely on the physical similarity of their housings & mounting hardware; I've never heard a 2020 so I don't know whether they sound alike. But they look more identical than any other pair of Chinese condensers I've seen! Just wondering.

[iflyinmymind]

That is a good question Bob!

I dont know the answer, but here is a response by KEL to my question about a matched pair!

'We no longer offer matched pairs, per se. Because of the volume we no longer produce individual frequency response plots. However, every mic is still audio tested by ear and when folks order two mics we guaranteee they will sound essentially the same and have consistent output. All of our mics come with a money back guarantee.

So to answer the second half of your question, a pair of mics is $198 USD.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Sincerely,

Kelly Dueck
for Kel Audio Inc.'

Just thought I would let everyone know!!

___________
Todd Seibel

[opentune]

RODE NT3 !!!

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by iflyinmymind

here is a response by KEL to my question about a matched pair!

'We no longer offer matched pairs, per se. Because of the volume we no longer produce individual frequency response plots. However, every mic is still audio tested by ear and when folks order two mics we guaranteee they will sound essentially the same and have consistent output. All of our mics come with a money back guarantee.

So to answer the second half of your question, a pair of mics is $198 USD.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Sincerely,

Kelly Dueck
for Kel Audio Inc.'

Just thought I would let everyone know!!

Yeah, my wife got me a matched pair of HM-1's for my birthday a couple weeks ago, and apparently when she ordered them Kelly told her this would be one of the last two pairs they would be able to offer the matching service for.

Wonder who got the other pair?

[iflyinmymind]

Hey Bob...What do you think of these Hm1 mics?

Thanks

_______
Todd Sebel

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by iflyinmymind

Hey Bob...What do you think of these Hm1 mics?

Too soon to tell, I haven't used them on any real sessions yet. A cursory audition let me confirm that, as advertised, they do *not* have the abrasive treble response of many Chinese condenser mics; they sounded pretty darn anonymous, which should be a good thing. Or a different thing, at least.

After I use them on an actual gig I'll post some more opinions.

[mixerguy]

shure ksm 32 is great bang for $ - about $400 with case and shockmount if you know where to go....

studio projects stuff sounds awful!!!

[iflyinmymind]

I agree with the KSM 32...It generally sounds great for less $$$!

[petsematary]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Yeah, my wife got me a matched pair of HM-1's for my birthday a couple weeks ago, and apparently when she ordered them Kelly told her this would be one of the last two pairs they would be able to offer the matching service for.

Wonder who got the other pair?

Old thread but...dude, where do you find a wife like that? Man, if I found a wife that would give me matched pairs of mics I'd stay with her till the end. Maybe I'm just hanging out in the wrong places? Maybe marriage ISN'T the end of life as we know it...

[hgen]

Having gone through this for a few years myself I have reached the conclusion:

Valve: Studio Projects T3
Fet: AT 4047
All Rounder Condenser: AT 4040 or AT4033
SDC: Oktava 012
Dynamic: SM57
Kick: ATM25

These mics are very cheap and give maximum bang for buck. These mics will stand up in any Major Studio in the World and deliver excellent results!

[nDmusic]

Originally Posted by WideawakE

would the 4050 be a good choice for vocals? rap vocals? say paired with a FMR RNP/RNC combo?

For rap, I'd go with Studio Projects C1 or Rode NT1a or Rode NTK or Rode NT1000. You want an in your face, very present sound. The AT 4050 is not that. The RNP, while very transparent, isn't what you're looking for either. Crushing the hell out of rap vocals is. A lot of people seem to use the dbx 160 for rap vocals. Or to tell you the truth, I don't compress on the way in and get great results using a BLOCKFISH as my first comp after rolling off the lows. Dirty and crunchy and aggressive. Followed by renvox after the second eq.

good luck to ya

[iflyinmymind]

I have heard a lot of positives about the MXL V57M.

Many people have noted its exceptional sound at low cost.

Im also interested in the HEIL pr30 or 40. Either would be a good large diaphram dynamic choice.

The Shiny Box 46 for ribbon.

Any other ideas?

[goddollars]

LOOOOOOOONG time lurker, first time poster. I read on TapeOp a few months ago that the guys who produced the last arcade fire album A/Bed a rode NT-1A vs. a U87. The guys said that aside from the noise from the A/B switch, there were no differences. I would love to get a U87 like mic for recording guitar cabinets along with my 57and 421. Anyone else tried the NT-1A?? Any AT 20 or 40 series mics that get high marks? (i remember Chiccarelli raving over one, but cant remember which)

[hgen]

NT1A is nothing like a U87, its an average budget mic. The At 40 range are all excellent mics and cheap price, nearly the same price as Rode mics but 10 times better!

[absrec]

Don't forget the RODE NT2. They don't make it anymore, but you can still find them used from time to time. I have two. They're a little bright but still impressive sounding for the money.

[T.RayBullard]

Originally Posted by WideawakE

would the 4050 be a good choice for vocals? rap vocals? say paired with a FMR RNP/RNC combo?

I dont know about RAP vocals, as I am a country/rock/punk/rockabilly guy, but
for singing vocals, the 4050 is outstanding. it works well on most anything i throw it on..

and itd sound even better through a DAV BG1 pre and compressor... thumbsup

(DAV is low cost too thumbsup ) /DAV Fluff