does your tube mic ever overload?

versuviusx · Post by **versuviusx** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:35 am

does your tube condenser mic ever overload.
you have tubes and overloading or overdriving your tube mics can be easy.
my question is do you ever have problems with singers overloading the mics if so what do you do?
also are there tube mics that can not be over driven?
i would love to find something that does not ever over load.

dynomike · Post by **dynomike** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:50 pm

yes, tube mics will overload with loud singers/instruments/etc. so will solid state condenser mics, usually at a much higher spl though. everything overload at a high enough level - that goes for anything in your chain.

if its that loud, i'll either switch to a fet condenser with a pad (4047 for me) and pad it, then put that into a preamp that has a pad too.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:44 am

all mics can overload.

LeedyGuy · Post by **LeedyGuy** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 5:50 am

I just got a new small diaphragm tube that I ran through my Sytek and I had the level on the Sytek a little too high and I got this great crushing destroyed distortion sound, but when I turned the preamp down to the appropriate levels, there was no more distortion from the same exact source. The Sytek does not overload with pretty much anything else that I use. I thought this was really weird when it happened, but maybe you have your mic pre too hot?

mwingerski · Post by **mwingerski** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:28 am

I've found that with my favorite tube mics, they often sound a lot better when the singer is back from the mic a few feet... that usually gets the SPL down at the capsule enough to deal with it. Of course it helps if the room sounds really good to do this.

If it's too much level, I switch out the mic and just recognize that even if the mic is known to sound amazing, it won't sound too amazing when it starts to sound like a cat freaking out inside a grocery bag from too much level...

I then chalk it up to just another example of suiting the mic to the singer / song...volume is part of performance and tone....and then choose a mic that can handle it.

dynomike · Post by **dynomike** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:01 pm

mwingerski wrote:like a cat freaking out inside a grocery bag

percussion boy · Post by **percussion boy** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:36 pm

I had a weird experience with an ADK TC tube mic apparently overloading.

I was singing into it (probably without a pop filter, my bad), and hit a syllable that must have sent a gust of air across the mic. On the tape there was this weird sound a fraction of a second after, almost as if someone had tapped the mic. Took me a while to guess at what had happened.

My SM57 never did that. Of course, my SM57 sounds like ass as a vocal mic.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:11 pm

WHen you really hit a classic tube mic hard that is where the character really lives. Every mic on earth sounds pretty close to the source at a reasonable level IMHO. when you just talk into a U47 or a U67 or an M49 or even an AT 4033 the difference is not that striking. different? yes. Totally crazy different? no. not really. now yell into those same choices. very, very different. Now expose those choices to very dynamic sources... very, very different...just my opinion, but I really feel like the classics really prove their subjective worth under duress.... even compressors or tape machines or mic pre's: kinda the same concept. HOW they distort is crucial.

i am monster face · Post by **i am monster face** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:20 am

joel hamilton wrote:WHen you really hit a classic tube mic hard that is where the character really lives. Every mic on earth sounds pretty close to the source at a reasonable level IMHO. when you just talk into a U47 or a U67 or an M49 or even an AT 4033 the difference is not that striking. different? yes. Totally crazy different? no. not really. now yell into those same choices. very, very different. Now expose those choices to very dynamic sources... very, very different...just my opinion, but I really feel like the classics really prove their subjective worth under duress.... even compressors or tape machines or mic pre's: kinda the same concept. HOW they distort is crucial.

I find I only like the old rode broadcaster when it's slammed in front of a too loud bass cab.

Ryan Silva · Post by **Ryan Silva** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:36 am

drumsound wrote:all mics can overload.

I dont think i've ever heard a 57 overload, doesn't mean it can't happen.

NewAndImprov · Post by **NewAndImprov** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:06 pm

joel hamilton wrote:WHen you really hit a classic tube mic hard that is where the character really lives. Every mic on earth sounds pretty close to the source at a reasonable level IMHO. when you just talk into a U47 or a U67 or an M49 or even an AT 4033 the difference is not that striking. different? yes. Totally crazy different? no. not really. now yell into those same choices. very, very different. Now expose those choices to very dynamic sources... very, very different...just my opinion, but I really feel like the classics really prove their subjective worth under duress.... even compressors or tape machines or mic pre's: kinda the same concept. HOW they distort is crucial.

This was really driven home to me at my band's recent session. Our trumpet player was using an M49, I think through some Telefunmken pre's. The first tune we tracked was a kind of heavy rock tune, and he ended up playing wayy too close to the mic. It was distorting all over the place, but sounded sooo good for the context of this tune that we went with it. It's this totally creamy, smooth distortion. Not the trumpet sound we were going for for everything, but absolutely perfect for this one tune. Awesome mic!

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does your tube mic ever overload?

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