Mic to build your locker around

[tony_tomlinson]

So, here's the deal. You get to pick one mic and that's the mic that you're going to build your locker around. In other words, it's your flagship mic, the Bismarck of your fleet.

I'd like to say that mine would be the Telefunken U-47 but I am not the German Navy, more like the Luxembourg Navy.

I'd like to hear from both the practicle and the, well, impracticle.

[VelvetoneStudios]

I have a (slightly) customised Lawson M47 that would be the last studio mic to go if I had to sell all but one off. It does it all!! It has the option of a tube or FET body. When using the tube body the polar pattern in infinatly variable between omni and fig 8. This acts like an EQ as well. If we're talking 1 mic, this would be my personal pick as it can get great sounds from kick drum to flute to ...well anything. Versatility!! This mic is NOT expensive as pro audio/U47 clones go, and the solid state body is cheap and adds another world of possibilities. My only beef is that when using the FET body you only get a cardioid pattern. The mods that mine has are as follows: 6 micron diaphragm as opposed to the stock 3 micron.(ask the wonderful folks at Lawson for one if that's what you want) and a NOS Mullard tube in the tube body. I've used/owned/worked with MANY U47's and they all sound different, and they lack the variable polar pattern, so I'll stick by the Lawson as my "Flagship" mic. The only other mic that comes to mind is an uncommon dynamic made by Shure Bro's with the model # SM57. If you can get your hands on this rare gem, you'll not regret it.

[tony_tomlinson]

What's this SM57 you speak of Tony? Ironically, that was the mic I started with. If Motown started with the Shure 545, who am I to complain?

[Blade]

I can't think of a mic to start a locker with. Microphones are just tools like any other piece of recording gear.

I can make records with a handful of Shure 57's. I think a lot of microphones are overrated, including the U47. If someone gave me one, I would take it, but I'm not gonna spend all that money on a mic that isn't magic. I would probably rather have an old U87 as an all around mic before a U47.

I have a friends Soundelux E47 that he leaves at my studio ($4000) and the mic I reach for 8 times out of 10 is a cheap $100 MXL V67m.

Buy what you like and what you can afford and make records.

The microphone that my locker revolves around is a RCA 44BX, which I got super cheap, but I have to give a shout out to the CAD Equitek E 100. Love it, which is why I have two! Can't forget my Shure 545 either.

To be honest, I spend way more money on guitars, basses, amps, drums and keyboards, etc., than I do on mics, outboard gear....comps and pre's.

To each his own....have fun!

[VelvetoneStudios]

I agree with you on the U87 vs U47 comment. U47's sound different from session to session, even hour to hour. The U87 has the same patterns and is much more reliable. In a perfect world we'd all have a sweet U47 to say prayers to or make fun of as we chose, but that's not gonna happen today. One thing though...having a U47 can help bring in business from those who believe that it will magically make them sound as good as Sinatra. That's part of the upside and downside of "Industry Standard" gear and everyone nowadays having heard of these "magic" pieces. I charge some acts a $75 daily fee just to fire up my 2". I honestly believe I get more business when advertising a higher rate than when I run "Specials" I think it makes people believe they're getting something that their friends cant get.
Don't take this the wrong way, I still record people for beer and chicken too, but I seem to get more calls at the higher rate!!!

[Judas Jetski]

I'd like to say that mine would be the Telefunken U-47 but I am not the German Navy, more like the Luxembourg Navy.

Some Oktava LDC modified by Michael Joly. Thus says the admiral of the Privateer fleet. (Avast! Ye can salvage the rest from Davey Jones' Mic Locker!!! Yarrrh).

[vvv]

For me, the AT4040, because in the last 6 months I've used it, it works on everything, (although I've not tried it on trap drums).

[riantide]

I'm buying a U195 soon. I have to. I got to borrow one for a while and while it only "blew me away" a couple times, it sounded good everywhere I put it, no matter what it was in front of. Very useful mic, and with not very mics in my locker I would benefit greatly from such a swiss army knife mic.

[vier-personen]

well, I don?t run a commercial studio but I have some pieces of decent gear and am recording and mixing my own projects mostly (from industrial/hiphop to jazz and klezmer) and my "magic" mic is the brauner phatom ae. it works for me as the voice mic, room or bass drum and percussion, guitar amp, bass amp, double bass..
it?s not vintage or the most expensive modern mic, but I just love it.

I also have 2x neumann km184, a sm57, and a akg c451 contact condenser, and where the brauner doesn?t work one of the others works most of the time (eg accordion I liked the neumann close for more midrange and the brauner for room)...

[bannerj]

It would help to know what kind of a studio you are building...commercial? project? what kind of music? Or are you wanting to be flexible for many kinds? what is your budget? etc...

for my own home studio I started with a AKG 414 TLII. It taught me a ton and is great on almost everything. But if you are aiming at something more high end then "flagship" might mean a whole nother deal.

[themagicmanmdt]

ain't nothin better than a real good ribbon.