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Which mic to go w/ my e609?


Crxsh

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Just sold my Apogee One and am planning to get a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface here shortly, I think. I like the One, but have felt limited by the single input for awhile now and want to get something with 2 inputs so I can dual mic pedal demos and do some simultaneous guitar/vocal stuff.

 

All that said

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I have the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and it's pretty nice but I always having to restart my mac before I record because it doesn't always recognize it. I've only seen this on one or two other reviews so I don't know how common it is...

 

Anyways I also have the Audix i5 and the sm57 but the i5 gets used a ton more. Just sounds better to me, less of the odd mid curve feel and it seems to handle just about everything. Even sounds awesome on acoustic. I think I got mine for $60 used or something

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Yeah for that price you'll get something that's {censored}e or not really that different.


Maybe a ribbon like a Fathead? The CAD M179 is a good cheap condenser.


If you get an MXL, send it to Michael Joly to get modded.

 

I'll check out the M179. And a $300 mod on a $100 mic is a joke. No thanks. :lol:

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I'll check out the M179. And a $300 mod on a $100 mic is a joke. No thanks.
:lol:

 

Not really. He changes the capsule (vintage capsules can cost hundreds even thousands), upgrades the electronics, and replaces the head basket. You basically pay $400 for a mic that can hang with others costing 20x as much. You need to look at the overall cost, and overall result.

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There are two kinds of ribbons: short hand long. Supposedly short ribbons (like tho found in the Fathead) are better suited for amps.

 

What I like about them, in theory, is their simplicity. A ribbon of aluminum, a transformer, and that's it... well, the head basket too. They're apparently much more like the way an ear hears sound.

 

Still need to buy some. :lol:

 

I'm thinking Shonybx ribbons or Joly-modded Apex 205's.

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I had a stock Fathead last year sometime. Got it from SAL. It was good and everything, but I wasn't blown away by it exactly. Not enough to spend that much again. Not for what I want it for.

 

So let's switch gears

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$100. Sell me on something. Or tell me about the MXL R144.

 

I'd avoid a ribbon for your second mic. In part due to your budget, in part due to your preamps - or lack thereof. You really need lots of preamp gain with ribbon mikes - upwards of 70dB or even more occasionally, and the Focusrite has 55dB, or maybe only 45dB if it is like a lot of relatively inexpensive built-in preamps and gets noisy in the last 10-20% of the gain knob range. Also, while I've heard generally positive things about the R144 at its price point, and while they're great on guitar amps, ribbons are not normally the first type of mic I think of / reach for when tracking vocals. Typically, a condenser is what I try first for that, unless I am going for an old-school vibe, in which case the ribbon might get the nod.

 

"Good" $100 condensers are not super easy to find, but there are some options. Probably the first one I'd consider would be the Audio Technica AT2020. Another contender is the AKG Perception 120.

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It's fine on vox.


I haven't used the MXL mikes, but from what I can tell they tend to be bright and overly hyped, which is typical of the budget Chineese condensers.

 

 

Some of their mikes are pretty bright - most of the budget models that I've tried are, with the exception of a few, such as the V67i, which has a bright / dark switch on it. Other mics in their line are far from bright - the Revelation and Revelation Stereo are both admirably flat and neutral, without the huge presence peaks and HF boosts you'd normally associate with Chinese built mics.

 

Another company that builds in China and still manages to not build harsh, overly-bright microphones is Mojave Audio. True, they're on a different price level, but their mics are still a big bargain IMO - I'd put the MA300 up against any U67 Neumann ever built. It's an exceptional mic, and compared to the prices the vintage Neumanns go for, the Mojave is a bargain.

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Nick, it's Nick isn't it? Wait til you've got some scratch, and get something decent. OR go with a 57/58 because they are SOLID mics to have around anyway, especially if you're leaning toward recording or live sound. But if you go out and buy an LDC for $100 or near $100 I have the feeling you'll be disappointed. The live sound / recording market makes its profits off the hobbyist. The guy that spends $100 on a mic, then $200 on another because the first doesn't do it for him. Then $300 and $400 and so on. Until you've paid $1200 for a bunch of mics that you can't resale for near what you paid, instead of just skipping ahead to something that you'll love. You can't listen to these crackpots here in HCFX, go to live sound or recording and ask, okay, maybe not recording because that is a deserted wasteland. (Sorry Phil). They will say don't waste your monies. Anyway, sweet dreams, honey.

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All the comments I made earlier about condenser mics still apply, plus you get the benefit of three switchable polar patterns, which can be very useful for a variety of recording tasks. It's avery highly respected budget condenser mic, and if you can spring the extra $30 above your stated budget point, it would be a very good candidate for you.

 

 

Thanks for chiming in, Phil. Was hoping you would.

 

First things first

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Seriously....I'd agree 100 percent with ryan on this one.

I love 57's. It took me a long time to finally figure it out as a whole, but when i did, i just fell in love.

I just bought an audix i5 which i think is a little more clear then the sm57(i hate it for vocals, sm57 is okay)i've been using them together and it's just excellent results. For vox and acoustic i use a MXL V67g, here's some clips.

http://soundcloud.com/glasssteven/birds-in-a-sack (this is all the mxl v67g)

and this one has mxl mixed with sm57 on lead guitar.

http://soundcloud.com/glasssteven/running

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Nick, it's Nick isn't it? Wait til you've got some scratch, and get something decent. OR go with a 57/58 because they are SOLID mics to have around anyway, especially if you're leaning toward recording or live sound. But if you go out and buy an LDC for $100 or near $100 I have the feeling you'll be disappointed. The live sound / recording market makes its profits off the hobbyist. The guy that spends $100 on a mic, then $200 on another because the first doesn't do it for him. Then $300 and $400 and so on. Until you've paid $1200 for a bunch of mics that you can't resale for near what you paid, instead of just skipping ahead to something that you'll love. You can't listen to these crackpots here in HCFX, go to live sound or recording and ask, okay, maybe not recording because that is a deserted wasteland. (Sorry Phil). They will say don't waste your monies. Anyway, sweet dreams, honey.

 

 

This isn't a matter of me not having the money to spend. It's a matter of me not wanting to spend the money. Thing is

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