singemonkey wrote:
I've got an AKG C23 on loan which is way beyond my ability to make good use of it. Also I don't have the power unit jobby for it, or a cable that'll fit it. Will probably need to buy off ebay or have one made up. Apparently considered one of the best mics for recording acoustic instruments. They sell for stupid money now. R15K or something.
I found a little information on the AKG C23. The only one I could find was on the Abbey Road mic list!!! Although, they call it the AKG/Siemens C23. If you've got one it's super rare so hold on to it. Are you sure it's not an AKG C24? The AKG C24 was a stereo version of the legendary C12 and is also super rare and expensive.
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:Rode NTK - I wasn't too enamoured with this mic until I fitted a gold pin RCA 6922, now is my main vocal mic. The only thing is it just does not work well on certain, specific female voices.
Cool, so you upgraded the tube and it improved the sound? I also have an NTK so I'll look into this. Where did you get the RCA? And right on the money regarding it not working well on certain female voices. Especially if they've got a really sibilant voice. It can really be hyped in the top end and become harsh in those circumstances.
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:I need to lay my hands on a good matched pair of SDCs as well as getting a good quality two channel mic pre. More 57s and 58s never go amiss (especially for live stuff). A U87 would make my decade, but not really justifiable at the price - I could get so much other stuff I need for that amount of money.
Have you considered the Oktava MC012's? They have interchangeable capsules and sound really good for the money. They are really affordable and get many praises.
PeteM wrote:I own only 1 mic... a Sennheiser e835. (dynamic)
To me it is similar to the Shure 57 & 58 except that it a little warmer with a more defined bottom end and is more tolerant of screaming high frequencies.
Interesting because I always found the e835 to be quite toppy and way more hyped sounding than the SM57. The top end on the 57 is way more rugged. Although, not all mics are created equal and you might have a better specimen than I have experienced.
And now for me:
I've got a matched pair of Neumann TLM103's, which I use for overheads, room mics, acoustic recordings, and vocals. Their capsules are supposedly the same capsules they use in the U87, without the transformer. However, lately I found some information saying that it's "based" on the U87 capsule so that's a far cry from actually being the same one. I don't think they're flawless mics but I find them quite musical for the applications I use them for and they really do sound great on male vocals and overheads. Female vocals are a hit or miss but with a good de-esser they can sound great.
I also have the usual round up of Shure SM57's that I use for guitars, drums and other high SPL applications. If I need a little more flavour in the dynamic mic realm I will end up renting Sennheiser e604's for toms, e609 for guitar, or an EV RE20 for bass (it also works on kick and voiceovers) from my colleagues.
I have a quartet of AKG c418 mini condensors that I use for a whole bunch of things. They're handy because they're small and you can clip them just about anywhere. I like them for high hat because they've got a VERY trimmed low end and they don't ever get muddy. No EQ required. I have also used them for mono room mics because of this reason. I clip them on the Auralex foam at any position I desire and set and forget. Whenever I need a room mic I just turn it on. Convenient.
Like I said before, I also have a Rode NTK that I use for various things. It works well as an outside kick mic. I can work on vocals but it can be finicky. Works best on male vocals. I have been using it as a floor tom mic and it works fantastically because it requires no EQ to sound great. I recently used it on electric guitar and it also did a great job because there was more high end detail than the SM57, which is what the sound called for.
I use an AKG D112 for kick almost exclusively. My favorite kick mic is a Sennheiser e602 but you can't find them much these days and the re-issue doesn't sound as good. The Shure Beta 52 is OK but it sometimes has too much low end and a hyped top. It works good in a live situation but in studio I find it too tailored. The D112 is more rugged sounding and somewhere inbetween the RE20 and the e602, which I prefer.
I have a pair of C1000's too, but they never get used because, IMO, they are the worst mics ever made. Absolute rubbish. I resent AKG for making them because they make otherwise great mics. I don't know what they were thinking, honestly.
I really want a good ribbon like a Beyerdynamic M160 or a Royer R121 but you don't find them much in these parts unless you want to pay a lot of money so I'm holding out until I happen upon one. Ribbons are GREAT on just about anything.
Cheers ?
