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Mic purchase plan


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Okay I hate doing this, but I have read all that I can find, but now I need some opinions. I will preface this that quality is the most important facet of the purchase, however there is a budget. There is about a 20% margin in the budget. I am looking to get a a nice mic for recording vocals and then a pair of mics for stereo micing of ensembles.

 

The bugets is about 1k.

 

Here is what I come up with so far.

 

 

Vocal Mic

 

Blue Bluebird

M-audio Sputnik

Heil PR 40

Beyer Dynamic 160

 

 

Overhead pair

 

Rode NT 5 (I would also pick up the NT45 Omni capsules)

Shure SM81

Beyer Dynamic M130 (Used in M-S with M160)

Beyer Dynamic MC930

 

 

I will most likely us the overheads in a ORTF setup, but if I go with the ribbons I would use M-S. I will almost never need to sum to mono so I while I love ribbon mics, I am hesitent on going this route and inviting the extra work to produce a stereo recording.

 

Please weigh in. If you think there is a better option I am all ears. I do no have a lot of experience with these mics. I have used mostly broadcast mics. However only the Beyerdynamics are close to the budget.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

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I haven't heard the Sputnik but the reviews are very good. Providing you like the sound of it... I'd buy 2. They're multi pattern. You can use them as overheads most likely. Lead Vocal. Spaced Omni for choir. Blumlien for acoustic guitar. ORTF for whatever... a 57 and one of them for guitar cab.

 

But that's me. I like stereo micing. And I don't particularly like MS...

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If you go with the M160 (which I love, but it's not normally my first choice for a vocal mic), then I'd recommend a second one (instead of the M130) for your stereo drum overheads. I personally prefer spaced pairs, or Blumlein for drum overheads over MS.

 

BTW, M160's RAWK on overheads. :)

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Some other options that come to mind for vocals are the AT4060 and the SM7B. Some people seem to think that the PR-40 sounds better than the SM7, I haven't A/B'd them so I can't comment. I do like the AT4060 if you want the LDC sound. Of course different singers sound better on different mics, so auditioning is the safest bet if you can do it. Otherwise buy used and sell on Ebay for about what you paid for it if it doesn't work for you.

 

Regards,

 

John

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If you go with the M160 (which I love, but it's not normally my first choice for a vocal mic), then I'd recommend a second one (instead of the M130) for your stereo drum overheads.

 

 

It would not take much to talk me into a pair of M160s. Do you use them as a spaced pair? I am ruling out the M-S. It is just too much to worry about especially since I will not need mono at this time or in the near future.

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