Let's talk tube mics

Matt C. · Post by **Matt C.** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:56 am

I recently bought my first tube mic, an Oktavamod Apex 460. so far, i'm not too impressed, but I have to spend more time working with it. i've tried in as a mono OH directly above the snare, front-of-kit, and on electric guitar and bass. results seemed "just okay" to me, although my room doesn't sound great so most mics end up sounding "just okay".

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:00 am

vvv wrote:Somebody, mebbe you?, reco'd it for room drums, but in our room it sounded like shite.

I suppose it could have been me, not sure, but that's not somewhere I usually use it. I most often use it on guitar amps instead of an SM57 (which I actually rarely use now). The 635a in that application kind of sounds like an SM57 but since it's omni it's less focused on one part of the speaker. I feel like an SM57 can have a weirdness about it almost like a direct guitar - it's just not picking up the amp as much as one specific spot it's aimed. That makes it great for pairing with other mics, but for one alone I like the 635a better. Yesterday I used the 635a with a 421 (which I know you've now got and love - I've got two and want two more). Great balance, just sounded like the guitar and amp.

mscottweber · Post by **mscottweber** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:05 am

As with any mic, it can sound wonderful on some sources and just plain not right on others. I don't own any tube mics, so I don't have excessive use, but I did one session somewhere else and a Neumann M149 sounded GREAT on this guys voice. So, a bit later, I was doing some of my own material and I tried it on my voice - was really un-flattering. I plugged in my $250 Kel HM-7U and the sound I was looking for was there instantly. Similar scenario, I was tracking another singer, put up an AKG C12vr and it just didn't sound right. I played with all of the polar patterns, and moving him closer/farther away from the mic, but to no avail. Swapped it with my trusty HM-7U and BAM, his voice sounded great! Then, just this past week, I was tracking some female vocals. Decided to start with the HM-7U this time, but it didnt sound that great, way too shrill. So we put up an AKG Solidtube and it really fit her voice well.
I think, sometimes, things like this have more to do with preconcieved perception and expectations than anything else. Like, those times above where I swapped the expensive German tube mics for my cheap Canadian mic, I'm sure if I had just tracked the vocals through those mics, come mix-time, it would have sounded great, and I would have been very happy. I was probably just used to the way my Kel mic sounds and was therefore expecting that kind of a sound. Another example of this, in the past I have NOT been pleased with the way my voice sounds through an SM7, but this week I was tracking a lot of original material quickly and in less than ideal-sounding spaces, so I used that mic almost exclusively for everything, including my voice. Despite rushed performances, SONICALLY everything came out sounding really good, including my voice (well, as good as my voice is capable of sounding).

SO, the moral to this long-winded story? I don't know that there is one. Just a bunch of thoughts and recollections, I guess.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:30 pm

Inna hurry today, hadda do a cuppla-3 vocals, wanted to use the tube.

Lemme see, power unit, power, cables, shock-mount on stand ...

What's this? The 421 on the desk-stand?

Guess what got used ...

I can't see me bringing the tube to a live recording session, if only because we are always kinda time-pressed, and then I gotta be careful with it as I also hump my recorder/mic case, monitor bag, gig-bag, bass, and coffee.

On the other hand, Damn!, I'm cool! I gotta tube mic! And it sounds good.

accordion squeezist · Post by **accordion squeezist** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:04 pm

vvv,
please try it outside of kick drum.
and give us your report.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 4:19 pm

Really?

I been using a e602 ...

Aiight, I will!

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 3:28 am

I've got an Oktava MKL2500 that I had Michael Joly mod for me and it has become my go-to mic for vocals and guitars. I've used it here at home in a wood floored room that sounds ok but isn't optimized at all, and have used it in professional studios with optimized rooms...used it with male and female vocals, used it with a Leslie, guitar amps....it is the bomb! I've compared it to a U47 and the sound is close enough to be very happy with the Oktava and all the money saved. It was merely ok stock but after Joly got done with it, it is superb. I would love to find more of them when I get some money to buy gear again and get them modded too....

Greg

CedarSound · Post by **CedarSound** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 10:19 am

What's with all of this well thought out, balanced and helpful information based on actual experience? Shouldn't we be yelling at each other about how this brand is so much better than the other brand and what not? What's wrong with you people?

*closes TOMB and goes back to GearSlutz"

dsw · Post by **dsw** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 3:50 pm

I'm real impressed with the Miktek CV4. Chinese parts but designed, assembled, and QC'd in Nashville Tennessee. It's got everything you love in a tube mic.....big, rich, velvety, great for vocals. Looks like a C12 or the Avant version which is made still?
sells for a little over a grand. Nice mic.

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:56 pm

I sprung for the Advanced Audio CM-47 a bit ago and it did well on some vocal tracks. I also liked it in front of the kick (outside) but lately I've had a Mojave MA-201fet parked there. I really like what it does with a little EQ and a DBX160X or even an 1176 plugin sometimes

Mike

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:34 pm

soundmasterg wrote:I've got an Oktava MKL2500 that I had Michael Joly mod for me and it has become my go-to mic for vocals and guitars. I've used it here at home in a wood floored room that sounds ok but isn't optimized at all, and have used it in professional studios with optimized rooms...used it with male and female vocals, used it with a Leslie, guitar amps....it is the bomb! I've compared it to a U47 and the sound is close enough to be very happy with the Oktava and all the money saved. It was merely ok stock but after Joly got done with it, it is superb. I would love to find more of them when I get some money to buy gear again and get them modded too....

Greg

I have one of those 2500's that I modded the PS and the mic and into a GAP73 stock, with a lil DBX 160X (modded to open the sound up), it's a cheapest ticket to heaven. I've used it on EVERYTHING and I have yet to make that chain sound bad (according to me).

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 5:14 am

Brian wrote:
soundmasterg wrote:I've got an Oktava MKL2500 that I had Michael Joly mod for me and it has become my go-to mic for vocals and guitars. I've used it here at home in a wood floored room that sounds ok but isn't optimized at all, and have used it in professional studios with optimized rooms...used it with male and female vocals, used it with a Leslie, guitar amps....it is the bomb! I've compared it to a U47 and the sound is close enough to be very happy with the Oktava and all the money saved. It was merely ok stock but after Joly got done with it, it is superb. I would love to find more of them when I get some money to buy gear again and get them modded too....

Greg
I have one of those 2500's that I modded the PS and the mic and into a GAP73 stock, with a lil DBX 160X (modded to open the sound up), it's a cheapest ticket to heaven. I've used it on EVERYTHING and I have yet to make that chain sound bad (according to me).

yah those are nice mics with a lot of potential. I'm on the lookout for more myself as I get the money.

Greg

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