AHHH HELP!!! Im in a MIC WAR!!!!

[Rippo]

I reallllly need some help in the mic dept since you cannot legally try out mics and return them and I am just baffled at the choices of mics out there. I have just plunged into the Home Studio arena for myself and possibly to help a handful of students along the way. So my goals are to record my own compositions tracking one inst at a time and the recording full band sessions in my space. So my first priorities are as follows:
to purchase a great mic for roughly $700/800 that is great for vocals and Acoustic Guitar.
Second, a pair of stero mics that will allow me to capture a live band in the room.
I know it doesnt really matter but I am including my newly purchased gear in case you have any suggestions:
G5 2.0
Logic 6.0 (do you reccomend the upgrade to 7)
Motu 828Mk11
Berringer 24 ch board
Event Precision 8's

I sincerely appreciate you help....Immensely...
Peace
Ray

[Jeff A. Roberts]

Say Ray,

That's a pretty tough gig asking a mic that's under $800 to shine on vocals AND acoustic guitar.

I would humbly suggest that you either get a really good dynamic mic for vocals, or a large diameter condenser, for vocals.

Your stereo mics should probably be small diameter condensers, either omni or cardioid. Personally, I use the heck out of my Stephen Paul 452 omnis, but they're kind of pricy. You did not specify a type of music or budget for your stereo pair. If you're talking under $1000 you should probably take a good look at Audio Technica stuff. Earthworks is probably worth looking at too.

Your small diameter mics will be good on acoustic guitar, and your vocal mic may possibly useful on guitar if it's a condenser, but I'd say your first selection criteria for the big mic should be it's utility on vocals.

If you're doing vocals with acoustic guitar your big mic pretty much has to be a multi-pattern condenser in figure eight mode.

When I do the singing ac. guitar player thing I use a 452 omni on the lower bout, a figure 8 on the upper bout, and a figure 8 on vocal. Nulls on the figure 8's are used to eliminate vocal or guitar in the appropriate mics.

[Jan Folkson]

Where do you live that you can't "legally" try out a mic before buying, I do it all the time. My suggestion for mics in your price range would be the new AKG414, Neumann TLM 103 or for a bit more $$, the Soundelux U195. I personally would NEVER buy a mic before trying it first.

Good luck.

[henryrobinett]

I don't know where he lives but it's not legal to try mics out in California, other than just in the store. There may be some stores that do it but GC is one that won't any longer, unless perhaps you have a special relationship with a sales person. But still it apparently is illegal to do so.

[HudHudson]

Demoing mics outside a store is illegal in Cali? Wazzup with that? It's not like trying on a bathing suit at Sears.

[henryrobinett]

I don't know. There must've been some class action thing re germs. Totally bogus BS of course.

[HudHudson]

Jeez, I can see all the salesdogs at Banjo Center schpritzing their Neumanns with Lysol every time some kid from the Valley tries one out in the demo room.

[WunderBro Flo]

well, it is not impossible to find a mic that is great on acoustic as well as vocals as from my experience a good vocal mic is most of the time also good on acoustic.
the best would be to get a pair of used AKG C451 (the old ones with the exchangeable capsules, the new ones have a fixed one), you can find them for about 250.- per piece, and a BLUE lollipop B6 head for 450.- at www.vintagemicrophone.com ! This thing can be attached to the C451 body. The lollipop shines on vocals as well as acoustic guitar, it has the bright C12 like sound with strong lows but no boomieness. this combo really kills and you do not need to feel you bought a cheap mic that should be replaced soon, in fact the lollipop head is the same capsule as the one for the expensive blue bottle mic.

this way you have spent about 950.- and you have either a pair of small-membrane mics or one small membrane and one stellar sounding large membrane mic at the same time.

Rock on!
Pat

[DirkB]

I would really save up the few extra bugs and go for the U195. It's a good mic that will sound decent on a lot of singers (I had is sounding great on a male rock singer; preamp was TG-2). The AKG 451's are good to start with, but with a little more cash you could buy a matched pair of Josephson C42's which are great SD's.

After that: try to loose the B******r board and save up for a decent stereo mic preamp.

Greetings,
Dirk

[Jan Folkson]

Only in Cali

I happen to like the 414 on both vocals and guitar (depending, of course, on the vocalist and guitarist). Used ones are in that price range and the new ones aren't far from it.

While I love the 451 on lots of things, especially acoustic guitar, I've yet to find a use for it on vocals...but that's just me.

[tINY]

You know... A pair of the new 414s and a pair of Studio Projects mics with the omni and cardioid heads would go a long way. That would only be about $2k total.

The only thing missing would be a couple of dynamics - I imagine that a couple of guys in the band already have an SM57 or something....




-tINY

[ShellTones]

I have no personal experience with it, but I've heard the Shure KSM 44 is good on both vocals and acoustic guitar--relatively speaking, of course.

[musical5]

Originally posted by henryrobinett
I don't know where he lives but it's not legal to try mics out in California, other than just in the store. There may be some stores that do it but GC is one that won't any longer, unless perhaps you have a special relationship with a sales person. But still it apparently is illegal to do so.

They spew that same line here in Az. Those kids always make me laugh!

On most days you can pick up a nice pair of AT 4050s for $800 on the bay.

These mics are great for everything.

While the may not shine as much as some others can on specific sources they are WAY more applicable than most.

I have never pulled a 4050 cause it sucked on a source.
Can't say that about a 451 OR a 414.

D

[sylus]

I have a pair of BLUE Baby Bottles that i like very much. I've used them for many applications but they do very well on both acoustic guitar and vocals. They're very even and smooth, a tiny bit dark, but i'm really happy with them. i've used the blue dragonfly also and it does very well. i got the baby bottles for about $500 each and i think the dragonfly is somewhere around $700 - $800

[jajjguy]

given your budget and what else you're working with, i think you might be very happy with a 414 (a used b-uls might save you some dough) or an AT 4050. either of those would be something you might upgrade in the future, but you'll always find uses for them. you might even have enough $ left for a pair of octavas or something.

[Duardo]

I think that's just a Guitar Center thing. I'd find a place that will let you try a few out and return the ones you don't want to keep. If you don't have anything but GC nearby there are plenty of mail order places that will let you do that.

-Duardo