Could you run a studio with only dynamic mics?

[camus]

Try recording to Protools with nothing but dynamic mics on all sources. Goodbye fake tape sim plugins.

I would be quite happy with a compliment of just 441s, 431s, 421s (vintage), M88s, RE20s, RE15/16s, 201s, SM7s and 635As. Throw in a ribbon or two for room/ambient micing and I'm golden.

[RCM - Ronan]

Not sure that I would want to run a studio with only dynamics but I could absolutely make records I was very proud of with nothing but dynamics.

[waxx]

i suerly use more dynamics than condensors when close micing, but condensors are handy for room or orchestra micing, sometimes also for overheads.

but ribbons and coil dynamics are essential. I couldn't record without, without condensors i did already and it worked for that session.

[larry b]

It depends on what you mean by "run a studio".

If you mean as an experiment just for fun or as an artistic choice, then yes, it is certainly possible.

If you are asking if the idea is commercially viable, i.e. if a studio would pick up clients and/or do competitive work with an all-dynamic mic locker, i would say its less than likely.

[Robert Randolph]

Originally Posted by larry b

It depends on what you mean by "run a studio".

If you mean as an experiment just for fun or as an artistic choice, then yes, it is certainly possible.

If you are asking if the idea is commercially viable, i.e. if a studio would pick up clients and/or do competitive work with an all-dynamic mic locker, i would say its less than likely.

I'm not asking 'if it could be done', I'm asking if YOU could do it, and how you would do it.

I know it can be done. There is a relatively busy studio in the area that's doing it.

[John Eppstein]

Sure!

[metalfan8806]

may i ask why? just curious as to whether you actually want to pursue this as an option...or just starting conversation...

[cyjanopan]

Yesterday I recorded hardcore concert with only dynamics/ribbons, sounds great to me. But I used good mics anyway : Beyers M160, Beyers M201, Sennheiser MD441, EV RE20, D112 and SM57.

[Robert Randolph]

Originally Posted by metalfan8806

may i ask why? just curious as to whether you actually want to pursue this as an option...or just starting conversation...

Both actually. I have a varied collection of decent mics, but I find myself using condensers in general much less. I work totally ITB and dynamics just really make things easier to work with. Everything has a place, but it not everyone is everywhere at once

I'd be very interested if there were folks out there doing relatively substantial work (making a living) just with dynamic mics.

[Seamus TM]

I would love to.
Oddly enough, the only thing I use condensers for (sometimes) is guitar amps.

[Vanman4254]

I dont know why you would want to use only dynamics. Just make sure that the shure sm7b is on that list and you should be doing ok for yourself.

[AllAboutTone]

Only weakness would be the vocals.

[dysenterygary]

if you inlude ribbons like you say you would, then yes w/out a doubt you could run a studio w/only dynamic mics. If you told a client all you had for overheads was a lousy pair of Coles 4038's I don't think you'd lose much business

[rty5150]

Originally Posted by Robert Randolph

Wondering if anyone thinks they could do it... or if there are people who do it, and which mics they use?

Im assuming ribbons are a form of dynamic mic in this discussion (as they are).

sure, some studios have receptionists and they don't give a damn what mics are in the locker!

honestly, though, i couldn't! then again i have option anxiety and love to tinker with mics/pres/comps. like a little kid i am!

[12ax7]

Sure!

Hey, those who really "know their onions" could do so with nothing but 57s if they had to!

[malaclypse]

i love dynamic mics. i usually only use condensers for vox, but i'd be happy just doing it with an sm7 or re20. everything else is ribbons(fatheads) or moving coil dynamics.

[AndrewHutchinson]

I didn't get my first condenser until I had been recording myself and my friends for 5+ years, including one album that I'm actually proud of. All you need is a good performance... and, maybe a few U47's, a 670 and a Neve desk.

[DarkSky Media]

Yes, it could be done. Yes I could do it, FWIW. But I wouldn't choose to.

Also, doing this could lead to an unhealthier reliance on EQ than would be needed in a studio that had a more well-rounded mic cabinet. JMO.

[A LaMere]

... and we're including ribbons as 'dynamics'?? hell yes...

R84 on acoustics...

Coles 4038 on overheads...

Ribbon on vocals...
A few sm57, at least one SM7 and some other decent dynamic choices around...

I'll be honest..
It'd be a fun tryout.

I think the only thing that I'd miss about condensers would be the ability to add that really fast transient, immedicacy that they provide... I tend to like a good 'mixture' when arranging... a decent amount of fast, immediate elements and slow as well..
a good mix of dark with light and mid-range to provide the proper balance...

Ribbons can do a great 'bright' so.. I think I MIGHT just miss the 'FAST' sound that condensers sometimes give instantly..
but... maybe not?? who knows??

Sometimes a figure 8 mic provides that same FAST feeling with the added bonus of having a bit of AIR.

[A LaMere]

It's after reading back posts like my last one that I begin to think I'm spending too much time on this damn site and not enough time actually MAKING MUSIC.

Sometimes.. the stuff that comes out of my mouth sounds stupid.. even to me..
and I'm the one that said it??!!!!

[Dan]

No. That would be silly. Not because it's not possible, but because you need every advantage you can take to run a studio. Why give anyone a reason to not come to a studio?

[vernier]

Could you run a studio with only dynamic mics?

I think the studio would go under.

[baslotto]

It's like asking: can an artist "base his career" on the colors black and white?

NO WAY!

[baslotto]

Originally Posted by Dan

No. That would be silly. Not because it's not possible, but because you need every advantage you can take to run a studio. Why give anyone a reason to not come to a studio?

Not come to a studio because they don't own condensers???
As an artist I would follow the recording engineer tracking techniques, whatever sounds good.

Imagine if a singer was telling you to not use an SM7b because he knows "condensers" sound better on vocals?

As an engineer you are supposed to use whatever sounds the best to your personal taste in that moment on that source, not the cliché standard.

[Robert Randolph]

Originally Posted by Dan

No. That would be silly. Not because it's not possible, but because you need every advantage you can take to run a studio. Why give anyone a reason to not come to a studio?

So every studio should own 100+ consoles, run cubase, protools, logic, dp, sonar etc... and have at least 20 rooms of varying sizes with interchangable lighting, ceiling height etc.. Along with every engineer on earth just dying to get in? I'm sure even then there'd be people who want to record somewhere else.

People can find any reason they want to not go into a studio. We all make choices that limit what we 'can do', but we still manage to do exactly what we need anyways.

[DarkSky Media]

Originally Posted by Robert Randolph

So every studio should own 100+ consoles, run cubase, protools, logic, dp, sonar etc... and have at least 20 rooms of varying sizes with interchangable lighting, ceiling height etc...

Umm - nope. That would be at least equally silly.

Actually it might be sillier.

Three of the many things you can do wrong:

1. Not enough choices (eg only dynamic mics)
2. Too many choices (eg everything under the Sun)
3. The wrong choices.

I'm afraid there are a lot of ways to be silly, and several ways to be sillier than silly. You seem to have managed to hit upon more than one of them in this thread.

Meanwhile, there are only a limited number of ways to run a successful studio, and while it's essential, "silliness" (of a very specific nature, perhaps) is only a relatively small part of the formula.

[Joram]

I personally wouldn't book a studio with only dynamic and ribbon mics.

[Happy Musicfan]

Question : Does anyone know of an affordable dynamic microphone which is sensitive & with a wide frequency response (relative to other dynamic mics) that actually *could* be used as a substitute for a condenser mic ? We all know that one of the (few) drawbacks of condenser mics is their faithful reproduction of bad room acoustics, their need for phantom power, their size and fragility. -------- It sure would be nice to go solely with dynamic mics.

[steelyfan]

sure.
You can record a guitar amp with a sm57, then change to a beta58 and people think you've changed the mic/preamp/room/amp.

So sure. There's still plenty of colors to catch with dynamics.