Quality vs quantity?

[Tim L]

The focus of my studio has been my own music more and more these days and I've been much less concerned with hiring the place out lately. With that in mind...

In your own personal project/ writing studio would you rather have a bunch of different mic's that won't get used all that much or a handful of staple and choice pieces that will more then likely see daily use?

[Teacher]

is that a trick question?

quality always over quantity in my book

[ixnys]

Especially if it's just yourself you are recording. Just figure out what vocal mics sound good on your voice. Maybe you'll need like 2 for different flavors.

[ShellTones]

Quality is what works best for you. Don't keep something just because it's expensive. Keep what works.

[nlc201]

While it would be awesome to have a mic locker from god, it's also darn expensive! Unless you're doing drums or larger ensembles that require a lot of mics at one time, I too would go the quality route. When you really know your mics inside and out, it makes certain things soooooo much easier while tracking. Hard and expensive with a ton of mics.........

[Albert]

Originally posted by Tim L
In your own personal project/ writing studio would you rather have a bunch of different mic's that won't get used all that much or a handful of staple and choice pieces that will more then likely see daily use?

Choice pieces that see daily use. And that goes for all equipment in the studio. If it doesn't get regular use and isn't essential to the process, it has no business being there and is just a waste of money. At least that's how I try to approach it.

[Ted Nightshade]

My thoughts exactly.

[Tim L]

I knew the answer to this before I posted (at least the answer for me) but my "slutyness" keeps getting in the way of my cleaning out the closet so to speak. That and the knowledge that a not so great mic can be the "choice piece" from time to time.

Here's a list of mic's. For a classic rock/ acoustic kind of project (think elect. Stones, acstc Zep sorta thing). Which of these would you keep around? I pretty much know what's going and what's staying out of these but I'm interested in what fellow slutz may think about this as well. The pre's I use are the Pendulum MDP-1a, Phoenix DR2146 (DRS-2), and the mic pre's on my Trident S65. Storing to 24bit/48k.

• Blue Kiwi
• TLM 103
• Royer R-121
• Beyer M160dx (Sank mod)
• Blue Baby Bottle
• Oktava MC012 Sound Room FMSP (hyp, card, omni) w/ S. Dorsey mod
• Cad E-200
• Sennheiser MD421 mkII (x2)
• Sennheiser e-604 (x2)
• SM57 (x2)
• Blue Ball
• AKG D-112
• AT Pro3H (Hi-Z)

I'll probably pick up a Lawson L47mp mkII after I thin these out a bit.

[bjornson]

How could you part with any of them?
Gee I am a gearslut!

[Tim L]

Originally posted by bjornson
How could you part with any of them?...

Well, It's not easy letting go of old friends... (sniffle, sniffle)

So what do you all feel you could lose from that list with out losing all that much tonal diversity...?

[Tousana]

Looks like a killer Mic Closet ,I would hesitate to get rid of anything. You certainly have the quality going for yourself and to me that's most important. If it's all paid for keep it because its yours already.

[Ted Nightshade]

Originally posted by bjornson
How could you part with any of them?
Gee I am a gearslut!

I've bitten the bullet a number of times, and parted with some great stuff, as well as some "pretty good" stuff... to get better stuff!

Bye bye DPA 4011s ... hello vintage Schoeps tube mics!
So long Cranesong Hedd 192 and a couple of Manley Dual Mono pres ... come on in, mr. SLAM!

[Ted Nightshade]

All kinds of stuff has been cleared out to make way for otherwise unaffordable gear!

RME Neumann Too many to list!

Great prices for other gearslutz...

Less gear than ever, and way better!

[Tim L]

Originally posted by Ted Nightshade
I've bitten the bullet a number of times, and parted with some great stuff, as well as some "pretty good" stuff... to get better stuff!

Yup... that's the idea here... I need to finance the L47mp...

[joeq]

"Quantity has a quality all its own."

[ChristopherDawn]

I'll take one of those 421s off of your hands. ;)

[Tim L]

I'll put up a list of the stuff I'm going to move over on the secondhand forum later today... 421's not gonna be in there though.

[Albert]

You need to completely transform your slutiness from quantity slutty into quality slutty. Trust me, the quality slutty is a lot more expensive and a *much* harder habit to break. It is the ultimate in gear slut-osity.

[kevinc]

I`d keep the 421`s , 57`s and R 121 and scrap the rest for a really high end mic like a Soundelux, one of those Korby`s or a real vintage Neumann. Make sure it sounds great on your voice and it will probably serve many other functions also.

You can always add cheaper mics when you need them but that first Super Mic is the hardest one to get and the best one to have.

I`m not sure if the Kiwi falls into that catagorie or not as I`ve never heard it.

[Tim L]

Here's a list of the stuff I'm letting go...

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthrea...253#post142253

[Tim L]

Originally posted by kevinc
... I`m not sure if the Kiwi falls into that catagorie or not as I`ve never heard it.

The Kiwi's a very cool mic IMHO. I don't know if I'd call it a "Super Mic" but I really enjoy the way it pairs with my MDP-1a... particularly on steel string acoustic!... She stays!