Members algernon7 Posted July 8, 2013 Members Share Posted July 8, 2013 Hey folks!I'm looking for a bit of advice on picking up some new mics.Coming up soon I'll be recording a friend's band, and I'd like to expand my mic collection a litle before hand.I currently have:Shure SM81 sdcOktava MK-012 sdcRode NT1-a ldcSamson CO-1 ldc (blegh)MCA SP-1 ldc (never really used, just got it for free from some dude.)assorted SM57s and 58s What I am looking at doing is either getting another SM81 or Oktava so that I'll have a matched stereo pair, or getting a pair of Cascade Fatheads, or the Cascade X-15, unless someone has some other recommendations. I'm mainly looking for something versatile, that I can also use hopefully for drum overheads.My budget is right around the $400 range, but the cheaper I go, the more I'll have left over for a kick mic - a Senheiser e604!Any help, advice, reviews, etc would be handy and greatly appreciated! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted July 8, 2013 Members Share Posted July 8, 2013 I think your instinct is right on with getting a second SDC, and you can buy either the Shure or the Oktava and get good results. I would not buy a pair of ribbons or even a single ribbon until you have a pair of SDCs. If you have anything left over after buying another SDC and the kick drum mic, I would be inclined to start saving for a good large diaphram condenser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 I'd probably opt for a second Oktava MC012 and use that as your stereo pair. I agree with Zooey that you probably should prioritize that, and then add ribbons. The Cascade Fatheads are really good mics, especially at the price, but every studio really should have a pair of decent SDC's. After that, I'd recommend adding one or two of the Cascade Fathead BE models (starting at $129 each) to your collection. They're great on guitar amps, and not too shabby on drum overheads either, although you may decide you want to add a bit of HF EQ to them to give the cymbals a little more sparkle.There may be other costs that you might not have thought of if you go with ribbons - remember too that with ribbon microphones, you're going to need a preamp with lots of clean gain on tap - upwards of 70dB, depending on what you're miking and at what distance. A lot of people like to use mic preamps that are specifically designed to work well with ribbon mics, and that's one possible route to take. The Cloud Cloudlifter boxes are another very good way to get some extra gain if your mic preamps aren't up to the task. The Cloudlifter Z is an especially versatile and useful box - not just for extra gain, but as a tone-shaping tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 PS Are you sure you really want to use a Sennheiser e604 on kick? I've never tried one there, but I have used them on toms before, and based on what I heard from that, I don't think I'd expect quite the low frequency response from the mic that I'd prefer to have in a kick drum mic - YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members algernon7 Posted July 8, 2013 Author Members Share Posted July 8, 2013 Thanks for the advice! I think I will go for another Oktava and a bass drum mic.I decided on the e604 after seeing this video: It seemed like the most balanced, and I really liked the sound of it. What other suggestions do you have? I'm all ears! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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