Mic Recommendations (old/unknown models under $100)

rhythm ranch · Post by **rhythm ranch** » Mon May 06, 2013 5:02 pm

magritte wrote:Can anyone recommend an old, cheap, sleeper preamp too? ...wondering if there's anything pre-70s that sounds good and sells for cheap.

If it's pre-70s and sounds good, it's unlikely to be a sleeper or cheap.

IDQ · Post by **IDQ** » Mon May 06, 2013 8:36 pm

I have a couple of old EV mics that cost next to nothing. I wouldn't call them versatile (like a 57 or an RE-20 would be), but they have their place. I have a battery powered PL-76 condenser that sounds great on brighter tube amps like fender and vox, and an N/D 757 dynamic that sounds so-so on my voice but great on a friend I used to jam with.

Studio projects and Naiant are also good value. SP may not have quite the "character" you're looking for though.

magritte · Post by **magritte** » Mon May 06, 2013 11:45 pm

ott0bot wrote:
magritte wrote:Can anyone recommend an old, cheap, sleeper preamp too? I have the ART Tube MP as one to research
just to be clear. the art tube mp PROJECT SERIES. slightly different beast.

also. sound on the other side of the mic may be more beneficial towards your vintage quest. the velvets have a live vocal feel on a lot of their stuff. try live vox with a band an keep the bleed to keep the live feel. or track vox with a speaker instead of phones. you get some bleed that way too.

Funny, I had written "record speakers/room" as one of my notes to try. I'm hoping it might sound more "analog", too (this is one thing I dislike about digital recording...the cool, tin sound).

I bought an EV RE-11 tonight. I want to pick up one more and do room recordings. What do you think the best pre-amp or a/d interface would be in my price range (couple hundred max)?

I am new to digital, so I'm not sure how digital preamps colour a mic etc, either.

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Tue May 07, 2013 5:30 pm

If you're decent at soldering and a bit of mechanical work you could build your own and get a *very* nice pair of mics for well under $100.

Chris_Avakian · Post by **Chris_Avakian** » Fri May 10, 2013 10:33 pm

i know i say it all the time, but my vote is for the ev 676. i just did a session where we used it for both bass, and vocals, and it came out sounding great.

magritte · Post by **magritte** » Wed May 15, 2013 7:26 pm

ott0bot wrote:another great overlooked pre is the ART Tube MP project series (not the standard tube mp, thats just ok). a bonus for dynamic and ribbon mic users is a +20 dB switch. super handy for mics that need a lot of gain. keeps the noise floor lower than cranking up the gain and trim all the way. it works great as a DI and trs/xlr or xlr/trs adapter. handy little unit.

hey I just got the ART today, and I'm trying to get it set up.
I'd plug the xlr into the "input" on the back of the ART, then run a 1/4 out of the "output" via a (1/8 adapter) into my PC's input? Is that right?

I'm not getting any sound..hm.

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Wed May 15, 2013 7:31 pm

What kind of 1/4"? You want the kind that's two 1/4" TS (mono) plugs into one 1/8" stereo. I'm pretty sure. Something else might cause problems.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Live-Wire-1 ... 1169103.gc

magritte · Post by **magritte** » Wed May 15, 2013 7:34 pm

Snarl 12/8 wrote:What kind of 1/4"? You want the kind that's two 1/4" TS (mono) plugs into one 1/8" stereo. I'm pretty sure. Something else might cause problems.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Live-Wire-1 ... 1169103.gc

It's actually an old Monster guitar cable I had, it's 1/4 to 1/4, but I had a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter that fits.

Great news is in Windows "sound recorder" I got it to work, and it sounds great. But I can't get it to work in my DAW (Cubase LE)

magritte · Post by **magritte** » Wed May 15, 2013 7:44 pm

Edit: got it! Thanks, dudes. The volume is low in my DAW, but loud in Windows Sound Recorder. Any idea why this would happen? The master fader and channel fader levels look fine.

ott0bot · Post by **ott0bot** » Wed May 15, 2013 9:31 pm

wait. did you get the regular one or the USB one?

if its the USB, connect with that. set the input to USB in cubase.

volume wise...you may have issues with the going balanced to unbalanced. that 1/8 input is a mono mic input, but it's probably not the the same level that's coming out of the line output on the art.

magritte · Post by **magritte** » Wed May 15, 2013 9:50 pm

ott0bot wrote:wait. did you get the regular one or the USB one?

if its the USB, connect with that. set the input to USB in cubase.

volume wise...you may have issues with the going balanced to unbalanced. that 1/8 input is a mono mic input, but it's probably not the the same level that's coming out of the line output on the art.

Damn, I think I bought the wrong one. No USB.

I definitely do have volume issues. My options seem to be quiet/clean or loud/distorted (sounds pretty good actually, but not for everything). Is there any work around? Like if I lower my 'mic level' in the computer sound card, will that tame the 1/8?

Is the USB version of this thing balanced? Perhaps I can return it and get that if there's no work around.

ott0bot · Post by **ott0bot** » Wed May 15, 2013 11:48 pm

i think both units are balanced xlr and 1/4 out. that is probably the issue. you need a 1/4 balanced to an 1/8 unbalanced. then probably the input on your sound card needs to be turned down. those usually dont have very good a/d converters. I'd definately look for a cheap a/d converter to use in conjunction with the pre. Maybe look for a used echo audiofire 2 or one of cheaper Presonus units.

magritte · Post by **magritte** » Thu May 16, 2013 12:01 am

ott0bot wrote:i think both units are balanced xlr and 1/4 out. that is probably the issue. you need a 1/4 balanced to an 1/8 unbalanced. then probably the input on your sound card needs to be turned down. those usually dont have very good a/d converters. I'd definately look for a cheap a/d converter to use in conjunction with the pre. Maybe look for a used echo audiofire 2 or one of cheaper Presonus units.

Would the USB version solve these issues? Like if I purchased the USB version of the ART and just did xlr input and usb output. Would that solve everything?

Also, what do you think of something like the blue icicle usb (a friend of mine uses it and suggested it), then using the gain or other effects in cubase to achieve color?

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Thu May 16, 2013 2:59 pm

Audix OM-2 or OM-3
Not an old mic but it is a sub $100 mic that is great on guitars. Beats a 57 for sure.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Fri May 17, 2013 2:57 pm

+1

vvv wrote: ...
Audix OM2

...

(I couldn't resist quoting me!

)

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Mic Recommendations (old/unknown models under $100)

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