hey all
i recently completed two projects with a new studio, and I used a SP
C1 to cut the vox on both. Both projects involved male singers, one
sounded like chris cornell (soundgarden, not audioslave), and the
other more like john-mayer (breathy).
The tracks left me very unsatisfied, they sounded harsh and edgy, with
no real depth or roundness. There was always a hint of this in my
previous system, but my new system really makes this mic sound like
crap for vocals. My chain is sp C1-presonus digimax LT or
auditronics IME (old transformer-balanced pre) - RME multiface -
samplitude.
The C1 sounded fantastic on acoustic guitar and pretty good as a mono
drum overhead, but i have other mics well suited to these tasks and i
need a good vocal mic.
Here's what i'm considering (and my budget):

blue baby bottle
AT 4050/cm5
node NTK/NTV/Classic
Shure KSM (#?)
LOMO head for my 451 body
???? you tell me

i have 500-600 to spend, new or used. i might be able to pinch a few
pennies to get a used TLM 193 or an AT4060, if it's the right thing to
do. Also, I've used a tlm103 pretty extensively with my gear (my
buddy owns one) and it also has a harsh quality to it, much smoother
than the C1 but still not what i'm after.
I did consider getting a preamp but to get a what i'm after, i'd
probably have to spend more on that than on a new mic.
thanks
Rich

Also might take a listen to an A-T 4040. And a Sennheiser MD-441. Or look for
that used TLM-193...

Peace,
Paul

I have found the AT4047 is a nice match for the Digimax preamps. It is
definitely not an edgey mic and sounds warmer and less eq'd sounding
than a 4050.

Good luck
Burt Jones
Mediastar Productions

In article ,
(Burt Jones) writes:

I have found the AT4047 is a nice match for the Digimax preamps. It is
definitely not an edgey mic and sounds warmer and less eq'd sounding
than a 4050.

Good luck
Burt Jones
Mediastar Productions

I agree with the 4047 not sounding edgy but I think it sounds more EQed than a
4050. The 4047 is pretty scooped in the mids while the 4050 is pretty flat on
axis if I recall the plots correctly.

Garth~


"I think the fact that music can come up a wire is a miracle."
Ed Cherney

In Article ,
(Rich Wilner) wrote:
hey all
i recently completed two projects with a new studio, and I used a SP
C1 to cut the vox on both. Both projects involved male singers, one
sounded like chris cornell (soundgarden, not audioslave), and the
other more like john-mayer (breathy).
The tracks left me very unsatisfied, they sounded harsh and edgy, with
no real depth or roundness. There was always a hint of this in my
previous system, but my new system really makes this mic sound like
crap for vocals. My chain is sp C1-presonus digimax LT or
auditronics IME (old transformer-balanced pre) - RME multiface -
samplitude.
The C1 sounded fantastic on acoustic guitar and pretty good as a mono
drum overhead, but i have other mics well suited to these tasks and i
need a good vocal mic.
Here's what i'm considering (and my budget):

blue baby bottle
AT 4050/cm5
node NTK/NTV/Classic
Shure KSM (#?) ---------Probably this one.
LOMO head for my 451 body
???? you tell me

i have 500-600 to spend, new or used. i might be able to pinch a few
pennies to get a used TLM 193 or an AT4060, if it's the right thing to
do. Also, I've used a tlm103 pretty extensively with my gear (my
buddy owns one) and it also has a harsh quality to it, much smoother
than the C1 but still not what i'm after.
I did consider getting a preamp but to get a what i'm after, i'd
probably have to spend more on that than on a new mic.
thanks
Rich

I heard a TLM 103 through a Focusrite RED yesterday and really hated the
combo. We swapped out to a Gefell UM 70 and liked it a lot better.

The TLM 193 is probably a good choice, but the caution here is finding a mic
that mates to the Presonus digimax or Auditronics preamps. I can't help you
there.

If you're up for another preamp, I do know the HHB Radius 40 tames the TLM
103 very nicely.

Regards,

Ty Ford

For Ty Ford V/O demos, audio services and equipment reviews,
click on http://www.jagunet.com/~tford

How about a ribbon microphone or a "ribbonish" dynamic?

With the high "EQ" (engineering quotient) on this thread in mind...

Have you guys found that ribbons have a benficial effect on digital recording
generally speaking (and singing)?

Ty, another engineer (Dan Richards) did a comparison of the Radius 40 to a
Studio Projects VTB-1 and gave the VTB-1 the edge in his review (more detail).
He used to recommend the Radius 40, however, now he prefers the other.
And Harvey Gerst really likes it on his RCA 77DX in the "50 Ohm" setting BTW.
Worth a listen in any case, especially if someone gets a ribbon microphone IMHO.

Chris

P.S. Sorry Ty for missing your's and Mike's responses on the "Beyerdynamic"
thread recently. My voice isn't "unusual" (quite "commercial" actually),
just prefer the tone of the M88TG on it over a U87ai, when run through an
Avalon 737.

ah, the ever-popular "what's the best vocal mic under $500" question.
it's permanently on the r.a.p. menu.

Ty has a really good point about matching the mic with the preamp.
It's the same situation as matching a guitar with it's amp, although
not quiet as flagrant.

ah, the ever-popular "what's the best vocal mic under $500" question.
it's permanently on the r.a.p. menu.

yah, but i've put some parameters around it: what i have, what i don't
like about what i have, what i'm looking for, and the options i'm
considering.
most threads about mic choice degenerate into something else about 8-9
posts in.

Id probably grab a Shure SM7 and then save up a bit more and grab an RNP
next.
Good luck
Joshua