Home studio mics. What do you think
sjonrokz4u
2.0 PRO Posts: 1,287
I’m more of a live guy than a studio guy so I’ve got no real background on studio mics. I know all about condenser sizes and pick up patterns etc but I’m wanting to get a mic in the $300 range and just curious what input you all might have. I’m looking at the at4040 have looked into the nt1 and some others in that price range. Just looking for others thoughts and experiences not limited to those two mics but limited to the $300 range thanks all!!
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"KNAC.COM: What was it like working with Paul Rogers in the studio?
NORMAN: Paul sang all those songs on the record at the time we put the tracks down. He only sung them once. He's used to singing with a Shure SM57 hand held microphone. So we taped the cable to his arm. You don't use any compression on him at all. He moves the mic in and out. He has amazing mic technique! As he would sing, you get the needle to his arrow and it would stay there. He would just hit zero all the time. Even if he was doing a long note, and he's constantly moving the mic in and out. You don't see singers doing that much anymore. He's probably one of the best singers that's ever been really."
Michael Jackson "Thriller" -- Bruce recorded him with a Shure SM7 (honestly, a lot of records are made with these). There are pics of Stevie Wonder in the studio with an EV RE20. 441's are great, but maybe a little out of the price range.
https://youtu.be/e4TFD2PfVPw The Parcels.
This is at Hansa Studios (Berlin). Those RE20's go on EBay for not much more than $300. I think those thinner ones are AKG D190's, which are even cheaper (when they come up) -- they're basically an 80's live performance mic.
But you have to keep in mind that mics aren't the only thing in the chain. If you give me a choice between a $300 mic and a $1500 pre or a $300 pre and a $1500 mic, I'm taking an SM7 and a BAE 1073, all day. On "Thriller" or Paul Rodgers or the Parcels example above, they are all going to some choice analog front-end before hitting digital (or tape). You can't really get the preamp headroom from USB bus power, especially if that 5V or whatever (at a pretty low current) is doing ten different things in the interface.
In fact, the A to D converter is the critical step, if you ask me. It's kind of overlooked in today's all-in-one prosumer market, but it really is a separate thing. It's the old "a chain is as strong as its weakest link" thing. The drag is that you don't catch on to the limitations until you are really trying to get the mix where you want it. That's when you find out if the audio "takes" the EQ and (maybe) compression well or not. This is a hard one to explain if you haven't been through it.
I think condensers are overrated in that price range. I think the real jump happens at the AT4050/TLM 103/Bock (Soundelux) 195 level, which is more like $650-1000. Below that, a lot of it is manufacturers putting the same parts (ahem...797audio...ahem!) into mics and then putting their name on it. And the mics come out pretty good, because the technology has advanced to the point that mass production works in that sphere.
Room/environment is important too. Even hanging heavy blankets can help. The dynamic mics let you get closer to the mic without crazy things happening, so this can be helpful in marginal acoustic environments.
(Oops, for clarity: Dynamic microphones are a different class from condensers, working on entirely different principles. Shure SM7, EV RE20, Sennheiser 421 and 441, also Shure SM 57/58 are examples. Because of the design, the tolerances for high performance are really different. It's the audio version of comparing a muscle car to a Tesla).
I'd rather get a cheap MXL large diaphragm condenser off Craigslist or EBay (just to get used to the workflow and the color) and then an SM7 or something, and then start saving for the big $$$ condenser, like a U87. Once the drums are done, you could realistically do every other track with an SM7/RE20/441 and a U87 and never need another mic. And none of those is ever going down in value, so they pretty much represent "money in the bank," almost literally. "Honey, I'm not wasting money on audio gear, I'm just parking some of our savings in something I can UUUUUUUSE!"
But don't forget to think of it as an entire chain: source/room/mic/preamp/dynamics+EQ/AD conversion. The realistic compromise here is that if the chain is otherwise good, the dynamic and EQ processing can be done digitally. So really, if you're on a budget when you (eventually) go preamp shopping, I'd say be biased towards the ones with fewer knobs/features. Some of the absolute classics -- API 512, Neve 1272 -- even just have one knob (or a level knob plus a trim pot).
I know this seems like it complicates issues, but engineering audio is the merger of art and science, and it (unfortunately) inherently complicated to an extent. Or, better yet, it is a realm where, if 100 things go right but one thing is off-base, the whole track might be unusable. So the details become relevant regardless.
I would say that, depending on where you set the "bar," the prosumer revolution is either the best thing ever or a "trap" and the worst thing to happen to audio. Some of this also depends on the sound of the record you are trying to make -- does it demand pristine audio, or is there some lo-fi grit?
And here's a little extra info: I managed to score an NOS Mullard 6922 tube for my buddy's NTK, and it went from pretty cool to amazing, seriously. Those tubes aren't in demand like the 12AX7's or 6V6/6L6 type stuff, so the prices are still really low. EBay has a bunch -- Sylvania, Siemens, Amperex, Bugle Boy. I'm not sure if newer stuff like JJ's or Electro Harmonix would be better than what's in there. I don't think they'd be an upgrade. In my experience, no one really got it right since the 80's, except maybe Sovtek. If you find a Telefunken, grab it. With these kinds of circuits, like in guitar amps, the tube is the engine that drives it, so it's a different beast when you get the right one.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/428847380
Test driving a Rode NT2 -- this is one of the older ones.
YouTube search 'podcastage', the neat king bee was this guy's favorite 2019 mic.
I walked away with the Aston Origin as the perfect balance of price and fidelity.
But what it really all comes down to is how it responds to your voice, and ultimately, personal preference.
One size does not fit all