MXL 603s

[PaRaNoId]

Just have to give credit where credit is due. I own two of these SDC's and I always end up using them on some of the most sensitive instruments. They sound amazing on drum OH (i end up using them 95% of the time), as room mics, and especially on Acoustic guitar... they sound so damn clean and detailed. I just think it is so funny when people ignore or "knock" these mics just because they don't cost over $500 a piece. IMO, if you need an extra SDC or need some overheads, DO NOT pass up trying out these mics, no matter what your budget . Anyone else using thses puppies? BTW- I do not work for MXL...

[chriscavell]

I picked up a set of 991's on a whim...fifty bucks a piece....and must admit that I've been extremely surprised by how good they sound! I've tried them on just about everything...and they certainly hold their own when they don't take the cake from the bigger priced mics. I'm curious to know what the diff b/w the 991 and the 603s is.

[subspace]

388

[covert]

MXL has been less than open about the differences between the 603 and the 991. When I emailed them the response was that the 991 was "similar" to the 603. No more information than that.

[chriscavell]

One thing I do know for certain is that the 990 and the 991 are identical electronically. The difference in housing and the way the capsule is mounted in the 990 vs. the 991 makes a pretty huge difference in sound. Is it possible there is a pic of the 603 or 603s out there somewhere I could compare to? I can't seem to find one, and there is still no mention of the 991 even existing on the MXL website.

[Brian Middleton]

I agree that the 603's do a great job on acoustic guitar. A nice big, but natural sound, with good frequency balance--the low end is controlled and un-muddy, and the top is surprisingly clear and smooth for such an inexpensive mic. There's nothing peaky or exaggerated about it.

I haven't been able to like them for drum OH, though. They do OK on the toms, but I don't like the way they make the cymbals sound. It's not harsh or brittle, but a bit lifeless and dried out--like sawdust, if you can imagine what sawdust sounds like.

(It just occurred to me that maybe this is a preamp issue. When I record acoustic I'm usually running the 603's through a Buzz MA2.2, but when I record drums I'm using the Buzz on kick and snare and running the 603's through whatever else is handy--usually Mackie or Allen & Heath board pres. Maybe next time I track drums I'll reverse that and see if it makes a difference.)

[sdelsolray]

Originally posted by PaRaNoId
I just think it is so funny when people ignore or "knock" these mics just because they don't cost over $500 a piece.

Many knock the 603s (or the other low end SDs), when compared to SD mics over $500, or even $1,000 each, not simply because of price, but because the 603s (and others) sound like crap when compared to those higher end mics. I certainly wish the sound quality of a Schoeps, DPA or Microtech Gefell (among others) could be had for under each $500. I'd be the first in line to get them. Hasn't happened yet, probably never will.

[AlphaDingo]

i compared the 603s and the 991s to each other through the same setup. They are the same mic.

[maz[music]]

Originally posted by AlphaDingo
i compared the 603s and the 991s to each other through the same setup. They are the same mic.

elaborate please.

[AlphaDingo]

one mic of each, same cable, same mixer, same speakers. Spoke into one, switched mics, spoke into the other. No audible difference. Looked at the frequency responce sheet of the both. They are identical.

[chriscavell]

Have you tried a more concrete approach...like simply unscrewing them? I honestly have a feeling they may be identical, but identical doesn't mean that they simply sound the same in my book. Most importantly, check the FET at the very tip of the mic where the white plastic thingy goes up to the capsule and the bias and leak resistor values.

[AlphaDingo]

nope. just what I did was enough for me. Considering the price I don't think It'll be worth the effort involved to reach a definitive conclusion.

[jeronimo]

What is a 991?

[chriscavell]

Originally posted by AlphaDingo
nope. just what I did was enough for me. Considering the price I don't think It'll be worth the effort involved to reach a definitive conclusion.

Wow, I had no idea twisting your wrists a few turns and opening your eyes was so difficult. (Just kidding...really, these just unscrew real easy and the layout is very clear)

To jeronimo: The 991 is a small di condensor that looks almost identical to the 603s, is made by MXL and is not on their webpage yet. Electronically, it is identical to the 990 (which is really a small di in a normally large di housing). It is currently being sold as a pack with one 990 and one 991 for around $100 for the pack. By all reports I've read, it sounds nearly identical to the 603s and may actually be an "improved" version of the 603s...just using higher grade components and a lower noise fet.

[AlphaDingo]

considering the state of my eyes after the workout my wrists currently get,believe me, it is that difficult.

[Screws]

So Brian, did you try using the Buzz on the 603's for overhead?

[Brian Middleton]

So Brian, did you try using the Buzz on the 603's for overhead?

No, I haven't had any drum tracking sessions lately...everything I've been working on is in the mixdown stage.

[Oldone]

I just opened the 990 and the 991 and they are not remotely the same internally. Why does everyone keep saying this?

Also the 991 is spec'd quite a bit heavier than the 603 so I assume, dangerous as it may be, that there are more electronics in the 991 or even that the case is heavier.