Need Mic Selection Help!!

mikehattem · Post by **mikehattem** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:01 pm

I am about to spend about $300 on a new microphone and I could use some advice since magazine reviews generally just sing praises. I have a gift card from Guitar Center so I can't shop for used deals and have to buy from them>

I am upgrading from a cheap little MXL990. I use an ART TubeMP for a preamp. So as you can tell I a budget recordist. I generally only use a microphone to record male vocals and acoustic guitars.

Here are the three I am considering:

Blue Bluebird - I have to buy at Guitar Center and it doesn't seem to come with the shockmount, cable, and pop filter there. And they don't even carry the accesory kit. Also, I am worried it may be a bit too sensitive as I'm not in a very quiet environment.

MXL V69M - I would like to give a tube mic a try and I get more performance out of my 990 than I ever expected so I could feel fairly confident buying MXL again, at least in this price range. My music is has a very retro sound so I was hoping to get a more vintage sounding mic as the ART Tube doesn't tend to add much in the area of warmth.

Rode NT1-A - This could be my third option. I've read good reviews but again I don't know how much you can trust those and I don't know anyone who's actually used one of these.

I seriously looked at the SM7b since with my recording situation it would seem to be better than a cheaper condenser but I'm worried that my ART wouldn't have enough gain to boost it to where it needs to be. I've read that the ART even at maximum gain only gets the mic up -9dbfs. It would seem a waste to get the mic if I'm not gonna be able to utilize it to anywhere near its full potential. I also saw the AT3035 but didn't look into it as much.

Now I know my setup is very budget-oriented so I don't need to be told. I didn't see the sense in upgrading my preamp in this price range especially if it meant sticking with the MXL990 anyway. So I plan on picking up the mic now and a preamp in a couple of months, hopefully in the $500-600 range.

Can you guys tell me which of these you think would suit my situation best?? Any help would be greatly appreciated as with school, work, and two kids under 2 I don't have the time to track down the mics at stores and try them out. Any help is greatly appreciated.

losthighway · Post by **losthighway** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:02 pm

Depends on what else you have to use in your studio.

The Blue is sensitive and high output, but it won't have any more problems picking up incidental noise then any other condenser microphone will.

If you already have a MXL large diaphragm condenser, maybe you should diversify and get a good dynamic for instruments, or a small diaphragm condenser for acoustic guitar, percussion and drums.

What do you usually record (music/instruments-wise)?

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:21 pm

-9 dBFS is pretty high.

Get the sm7b!

No Wave Casio Kitsch · Post by **No Wave Casio Kitsch** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:45 pm

I think the AT-4033 is in your price range. I like it a lot as a male vocal mic and I've also gotten good results with it on my acoustic guitar.

Of the mics you mentioned the NT1-A is the only one I've used. I think it's an OK microphone, but I don't recall ever being super jazzed about its sound when I've put it up.

mikehattem · Post by **mikehattem** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:51 am

rwc wrote:-9 dBFS is pretty high.

Get the sm7b!

yeah, but not if I have to crank the gain on the pre all the way up to get there, right??

I am recording my own male vocals and acoustic guitars only as I do everything else ITB.

joelpatterson · Post by **joelpatterson** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:48 am

I think tube mics really bring something to the table that every other mic leaves propped against the wall of the entryway, 'specially for close-up stuff like vocals and guitars.

A real immediacy and texture and all the subtle, unseen life forces that other mics are blind to.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:00 am

Unless your room has decent acoustics, I wouldn't even bother with condensers. You'll just pick up how bad the room is (plus your computer, HVAC and everything else).

I actually switched from the SM7 to the PR40 precisely because of the gain issue. In fact, if you're looking to blow $500, getting the PR30 and the PR40 would get you covered on a lot of applications. Also consider the PR35 if you want the PR30 sound in a handheld form.

You could also various preamps that would help the cause. Even getting one of the small Mackie Onyx mixers might help in that department. People also like the ART MPA or whatever the rack preamp model is. There's a cheap preamp shootout thread that you can search on this board that has been a classic.

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:39 am

I can't comment on the mics you are looking at except to say that I actually had really good luck with my little 990's. I sold them and then bought another pair because I missed em (and then sold them again). I wouldn't hesitate to try more MXL mics.

Anyway, I would agree that the SM7 may not be the way to go for acoustic gt and vox. It is gain hungry big time on quiet sources.

Does gt center have any return policy? The trick will be finding a mic that really suits your particular voice.

getreel · Post by **getreel** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:54 am

Out of the choices you listed, I would suggest the Bluebird or the SM7. The SM7 can work well on acoustic guitars especially paired with another condenser like you 990. It also works well by itself for that 70s sound. Jeff Lynne used them on acoustics for the ELO stuff IIRC. I like to use mine on acoustic close to the body(not aiming at the sound hole though-too woofy) and a AT Pro37R or NT1 near the 12th fret for thick sound without being muddy. Sometimes I reverse it for a more modern sound. The SM7 has great high end without getting harsh. The ART should have plenty of gain for the SM7 also. I run mine around 60db of gain on my Great River most of the time and that's pushing it a little. I have to back off the output usually.

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:35 am

Just putting this out there: for, like $80 more you could get a sennheiser 421. I actually really like it for (my) voice (anyway) and I believe that it's a hotter mic than the sm7. I find it quite versatile actually.

I had an sm7 at my last studio and tried using it with a UA solo 610 preamp (not the greatest pre in the world, but not bad either) and I had to have the pre cranked up so much that there was too much hiss to make anything useable, at least with delicate sounding sources. I can pretty much guarantee that your Tube MP will be even noisier. I love the sm7 but it really needs to matched up with a somewhat quiet pre, at least for the applications you need it for.

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:39 am

joelpatterson wrote:I think tube mics really bring something to the table that every other mic leaves propped against the wall of the entryway, 'specially for close-up stuff like vocals and guitars.

A real immediacy and texture and all the subtle, unseen life forces that other mics are blind to.

For $300 you're not going to get a tube mic.

You're going to get a dildo with a christmas light inside of it and a 5 pin connector on one end.

joelpatterson · Post by **joelpatterson** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:49 am

I haven't ever priced dildoes, is that a good deal?

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:27 pm

joelpatterson wrote:I haven't ever priced dildoes, is that a good deal?

Man, the 421 rules on almost everything. When i first got it I tried it on toms and bass drum and a few things and wasn't really feeling it. But now that I have used it a bunch and figured out how to place it, I love it. It's the best guitar tone I've gotten (other than my sm7 on my vox pathfinder which is amazing) and rules on the right Vox too. More present than the sm7. I find the sm7 equally good but more smooth and round.

mikehattem · Post by **mikehattem** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:01 pm

rwc wrote:
joelpatterson wrote:I think tube mics really bring something to the table that every other mic leaves propped against the wall of the entryway, 'specially for close-up stuff like vocals and guitars.

A real immediacy and texture and all the subtle, unseen life forces that other mics are blind to.
For $300 you're not going to get a tube mic.

You're going to get a dildo with a christmas light inside of it and a 5 pin connector on one end.

Actually, I ended up getting the V69M which came with Mogami 7-pin and XLR cables which was an added bonus. I've just spent a couple of hours with it yesterday and it seemed to do really well on my vocals (lucked out there) and especially on the acoustic guitar. So, I'm pretty happy with the purchase. the reason I went with the MXL V69M was because I also had a good experience with my 990 and felt I could trust them. Also, either of the other mics would have required me upgrading my preamp which I didn't have the money to do. This way I am bypassing the ART completely and it sounds alot better than the 990 ever did going through it. I don't even want to tell you what the noise floor I was struggling to get with the ART was but suffice it to say that it has dropped using the V69M by a significant amount. Overall, I'm very happy.

joelpatterson · Post by **joelpatterson** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:33 pm

If you're happy-- I'm happy.

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Need Mic Selection Help!!

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