perspective on the latest batch of mics (ADK, MXL, etc, etc)

[creature.of.habit]

hi everybody,

i'm currently very uncertain about the mics i'm gonna get next, and would need some views on this latest batch of mics coming out left and right everywhere lately.

i cant try anything, as usual, so im couting on what you guys have to say about several mics. i really didnt wanna go and blow the whole budget on a LDC unless it's equaly good on vocals and acoustic guitars (my critical applications)..

some background...i have an electro harmonix pre, the much talked about one of course and i'm micing several things...in order of importance:

1. a baritone voice with lots of low end i guess but not too much...i never have to do any drastic eq on my voice or anything like that. i dunno if this rings a bell to anyone, but think of mark kozelek. think of a baritone that can also go high.

1. a J50 Gibby from the 60's

2. an epi masterbuilt, an epi12 string from the 70's, several german 60 year old archtops...

2. an epiphone valve junior

now...there's so many mics coming out now that i dunno where to turn anymore. i dont really have a set budget for this, but what im thinking is like, if i have this very good pre, wich i do, i will be able to get the most out of something like the V67G for example...(im thinking of this mic), and then save for a decent omni only SDC or old dynamic for the amp and the guitar. but then again i want the LDC to be good on acoustics as well, cause i dont think ill get away with the strumming sound i want on a SDC...fingerpicked, ok, but the strumming has to sound big..and have a body to it...

so what i'm thinking...i guess my budget tops at 290 bucks...that being the ADK Hamburg, but ill be damned if i wanna spend that much money on a mic at this point..it's not something i wanna do really...i'm thinking:

1. MXL V67G (this is a favourite here right? but i'm not sure if it would work for me...plus, with all the stelar comments i always read about this mic here, there's one saying it's kind of one dimensional and has a mid range honk to it...)

2. MXL V6 (this is an interesting concept, expensive but interesting...what ive read about it makes me think it would be great on guitar, but not do as well on vocals...it's also a bright mic (right?) but i think the electro harmonix pre can tame that to some extent..at least that's what i hope)

3. the MXL V67i (another interesting concept...my fear with this mic is that ill end up using only one capsule, and that the "warm and lush" one is nothing but the V67G in there.)

4. ADK Hamburg (this is i guess a no brainer...it's probably the best mic out there these days, for the price that is...it's reported to do as well on vocals as on acoustics, and have a very nice sound to it...if i had the money for this, and if buying it wasnt stretching things too much around here, i guess idd get it, but i dunno. i'm curious about how this would measure out against that new V6 silicone valve thingy. getting the Hamburg would also mean not getting a SDC or whatever).

5. Joe Meek JM47A new design (this was another no brainer until someone i trust told me it was essy and had a midrange honk to it...this mic is supposed to be great, and designed to beat the Hamburg and all there is in the price range..but the first batch is coming up short i think)..

6. Oktava MK-012 with all the capsules (this is on ebay regularly from the Oktava official selling site. this mic was the first one i considered when i started recording a few years ago, but never got around to get it. they're offering a bunch of capsules on ebay with the body, including a very large one, similar to the LOMO one but not it...i wonder if this is worth it or not, in light of what i'm also considering...400 bucks for the mic, shockm, and 4 capsules...)

7. MXL 604 (im considering this cause of the omni capsule...but im not very hopefull...what i think about these is like, im sure they will give another perspective of the guitar, and that's also what im looking for, but the omni is bogus and not what im expecting..)


i think this is it...idd like to read some opinions and advice of what would work best for me, giving the voice i have and the guitars im micing...i'm thinking of not getting a very expensive LDC, and not limiting my own options of getting a SDC or whatever...just something that will give me a different sound perspective of the instrument...i know these omni capsules on the modern SDC's are more like a very bad figure of 8 pattern..in that sense i have no idea of what to get that is trully omni, safe for those old EV dynamics, but i dont think that will do the trick on acoustic guitar, not with the detail i need...probably great on my amps, but acoustics...humm...

i should also point out that i want an omni SDC or whatever cause i need the huge detail and absolutely no proximity effect on some fingerpicked tracks...think nick drake sound...i would like no proxy fx and at the same time some room negation..but that's not gonna happen at this price point right?

anyway...any views and help would be very very much apreciated...i know some folks here love their MXL's, and i kind of want to jump in the bandwagon cause of the price...despite the fact that they never include the godamn shockmounts but still...above all i wanna choose wisely and i trust this board more than anything (lol) so...

what i dont want is get a hyped mic, with weird freq. humps cause some manufacturer thinks that's what we wanna hear and needs to disguise whatever flaw the mic might have by enhancing other things.

last thing...i'm upgrading from a Studio Projects B1, and a 57...and i have the best tube pre in the world

[red cross]

For $250 of thereabouts I'd suggest a used Sennheiser MD441 over any of the mics you've listed. It will handle the vocal/amp duties very well, perhaps not quite as detailed as you'd want on an acoustic, but certainly useable. In my mind, without question the best dynamic mic you could ever buy for the money. You'll never "outgrow" it either. A keeper.

[jimbob]

The V6 is an interesting mic--it's warm and bright at the same time, if that makes sense. It's awesome on acoustic instruments (guitars, strings) and can work really well on some voices. The low end response is tight and the midrange is smooth, but there is a high end lift around 10K. This is not harsh by any means, but it can make some male vocals sound thin (especially voices like yours). I would not recommend getting this mic as your only vocal mic, but once you get a few other mics, I would get this mic to add another nice flavor to your mic closet. I have the EH preamp, too, and it brings out even more of the high end "air" boost of the V6. I use the GT Brick whenever I want to thicken up the V6 and smooth out the high frequencies.

Unfortunately, I'm not very familiar with the other mics you mentioned.

[creature.of.habit]

For $250 of thereabouts I'd suggest a used Sennheiser MD441 over any of the mics you've listed. It will handle the vocal/amp duties very well, perhaps not quite as detailed as you'd want on an acoustic, but certainly useable. In my mind, without question the best dynamic mic you could ever buy for the money. You'll never "outgrow" it either. A keeper.

Votemiles, thanks. Thing is, in Europe, the 441's dont go for that price, a lot higher actually, unless you're talking about those older ones that look like a weird ice cream/undefinable piece of furniture straight out of the 70's.

the new one, the flat sparkly one goes for a ton of bucks. I know there arent that many diferences between the two versions, but i'm not really looking for a dynamic at this point. I really have to be budget oriented here, and i really need some high detail, especially on the acoustic tracks so..

but thanks for your sugestion..the 441 is a mic i really want to own one day...it's just hard to get any bargains on it these days..very sought after around here.

[creature.of.habit]

The V6 is an interesting mic--it's warm and bright at the same time, if that makes sense. It's awesome on acoustic instruments (guitars, strings) and can work really well on some voices. The low end response is tight and the midrange is smooth, but there is a high end lift around 10K. This is not harsh by any means, but it can make some male vocals sound thin (especially voices like yours). I would not recommend getting this mic as your only vocal mic, but once you get a few other mics, I would get this mic to add another nice flavor to your mic closet. I have the EH preamp, too, and it brings out even more of the high end "air" boost of the V6. I use the GT Brick whenever I want to thicken up the V6 and smooth out the high frequencies.

Unfortunately, I'm not very familiar with the other mics you mentioned.

Jimbob, thanks. Your opinion pretty much sums up what ive been hearing about it. i can see something like this working when i sing in the lowest register possible, wich is not that often...not 290 bucks often for sure. If it wasnt for the high end bump, this could be a real workhouse huh...ah crap. i like the concept. cant begin to imagine how bad/incredibly good it would be to get a real tube mic for the EH. too much mojo, or just the ticket..who knows..

the only tube one idd get would be the T3 though...as ill never be able to afford it..screw it

thanks for the help Jim, the V6 is now scratched from the list.

[creature.of.habit]

ok...

im pretty much down to the V67...be it the G version, or the new "i" version...

if i get the G version, i can also get an omni SDC for the guitar and amps..wich i need..but then there's that story of me not really needing omni..well i think i need "real" omni, wich in my opinion is not what's offered by the affordable SDC's..or is it..anyway what does everyone think about this?

i also need to know if the "i" version is nothing but the V67G on one capsule, and the same mic but with a high end bump on the other capsule...doubtful right?

any experiences with the "i" version?

thanks again!

[Dubious]

I just bought a v67g off ebay.. i was temped by the I model but in the end i figured i could get two mics for the price of that one.. so i bought the v67g and a Octava mk219 for the same price as the v67i...

the mxl hasnt shown up yet but ive been digging the octava alot...

[ampguy]

with the shock mount. it's a very warm mic.

[creature.of.habit]

im also leaning to the 2 mic aproach..

but if the "i" version is an improved V67G, then it might be worth it huh?

i mean people rave about this mic, but every once in a while i hear:

"one dimensional"

"weird mids and muffled high end"

"doesnt cut through a crowded mix"

these are, coincidently or not, my main concerns lol

[lancebug]

I just got a v67 used for xxxtra cheap and really dig it for what it is. It showed up right as I was about to record this guy singing sort of gravelly chesty country style stuff and it was clearly a better match for his voice than the other 3 I had already tried, which included a cad m9, an m179 and an ev re10. Out of those, the m9 would have been the second choice but would have needed some eq to fully work. Seemed like the v67 got the right balance to make the guy sound meaty and present. Nowhere near as detailed in the high end as the m9 but not really the point for this instance. Still, if I have to pick only one out of the above 4 to use on everything it would probably be the m179. Since its ac guitar youre looking at, have you looked at the m179? I picked it out for specifically for ac guitar after a visit to the listening sessions. It sounded the most uncolored of anything in my price range and it has proven to be something of a swiss army knife (especially as a pair). Not always the best on every source but often better than most everything else in my small locker (which is filled with good but budget priced gear).

[matyas]

Why hasn't anyone recommended A-T? I think they're better quality mics than any of the above-mentioned options.

[the brill bedroom]

I really like my ADK. I bought the Vienna- which is the same as the Hamburg with a lttle bump in the high highs. There's a guy on Craigslist in NYC who sells them cheap and I've gotten some great vocal sounds with it. It gives a nice shimmer to acoustic guitar, but there's still good body.

Tell you what. you send me the J 50 and I'll send you my Taylor and my ADK. just trying to be helpful, you understand.

[creature.of.habit]

I just got a v67 used for xxxtra cheap and really dig it for what it is. It showed up right as I was about to record this guy singing sort of gravelly chesty country style stuff and it was clearly a better match for his voice than the other 3 I had already tried, which included a cad m9, an m179 and an ev re10. Out of those, the m9 would have been the second choice but would have needed some eq to fully work. Seemed like the v67 got the right balance to make the guy sound meaty and present. Nowhere near as detailed in the high end as the m9 but not really the point for this instance. Still, if I have to pick only one out of the above 4 to use on everything it would probably be the m179. Since its ac guitar youre looking at, have you looked at the m179? I picked it out for specifically for ac guitar after a visit to the listening sessions. It sounded the most uncolored of anything in my price range and it has proven to be something of a swiss army knife (especially as a pair). Not always the best on every source but often better than most everything else in my small locker (which is filled with good but budget priced gear).

Lance, thanks for the thoughts. I have considered the M179, but my feeling is that i would like some different patterns in a SDC, not really in a LDC. i need to reject the room as much as possible, so, in my limited perspective, i need a mic that wont get as much of the room in omni, hence the SDC...thing is, ive read folks that own the 179 really like it and think it opens up a lot through tube pres...and thats what i got so its on my mind, safe for that omni thing...but it sure is ugly as hell aint it?

[creature.of.habit]

Why hasn't anyone recommended A-T? I think they're better quality mics than any of the above-mentioned options.

Matyas, ive been considering those as well...wich AT do you think would suit what was described in the first posts? baritone, acoustic guitars and amps...no drums...

4047?

(thanks)

[creature.of.habit]

I really like my ADK. I bought the Vienna- which is the same as the Hamburg with a lttle bump in the high highs. There's a guy on Craigslist in NYC who sells them cheap and I've gotten some great vocal sounds with it. It gives a nice shimmer to acoustic guitar, but there's still good body.

Tell you what. you send me the J 50 and I'll send you my Taylor and my ADK. just trying to be helpful, you understand.

i have a feeling idd love an hamburg or vienna as well :/ but that's so friggin stretching the budget its not even funny..

my J50 hahaha...brill dude, i wouldnt be caught with a taylor even if it was free

no offence! i think some folks get good sounds from theirs...i just dont see a soul in that brand...nor any kind of low end for that matter lol i hope yours is very different from the ones ive played though

hey you wouldnt want my J50 anyway..its not, err...colectible...it's a square shouldered from the last bit of norlin's era, probably from the only moment where norlin workers and QC folks got their shit together cause this guitar is special...i think it's one of the best ive ever played, a true canon and sustain for days, but still very balanced...cost me 1000 bucks..collectors want nothing to do with it though..funny how people have the nerve to judge guitars they never played before..

all the better if you ask me, as long as it keeps ebay prices down!

ps. im selling the next best thing i ever got my hands on..my Epi masterbilt, on ebay right now if you're interested eh?

(i have no shame)