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07/03/08
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sAMsKi
hello, hello.
i'm after a mic / some mics for recording shit in my studio. i have a few mics at present - sm58, CB mic, contcat mic etc...but i want to get serious...well, more serious.
so, what studio mics should i get. i want something to record general instruments (accordion, harmonica, acoustic guitar) and some more bizarre stuff, like scratching on surfaces, drums made of cradboard boxes etc. OH YEAH, and vocals...nice and clean.
is there one mic / a stereo pair that i could get for this? or is it best to buy different ones for different jobs? i know VERY LITLLE about this area, so please teach me to suck eggs.
populus mentioned neumann KM184s recently. would they fit the bill? if so, is this a good deal? link
haha. also, what do you get from having two? stereo separation, right?
oh, i am so silly. sorry...and thanks in advance for any help.
sam.
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07/03/08
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sAMsKi
woweeee - these sound great - but blimey, they aint cheap : link
07/03/08
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astroboy
the neumanns are awesome, but expensive.
if you want something similar you can get an AKG C-451. you can use it for basically everything. i prefer it for cymbals and acoustic string instruments.
07/03/08
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zach
I bought a used Audio Technica AT3035 for a little over $100 and it's served me really well.
link
07/03/08
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populus
That deal for the KM184's on ebay is really good, i wouldn't hesitate if you have the money. they usually go for £400-500 each: link
Just that box alone goes for over £100, I think. it's crazy.
But for your money you get two of the best microphones in the world. You can use them on everything ever. Some people say you shouldn't use small diaphragm mics on vocals, but that is debatable. Positioned well and with a good pop filter they will sound amazing on vocals too. Their only downside is that they're only cardioid, so you don't have as much flexibility as you would with some other microphones. But for most recording applications cardioid is exactly what you need.
The reason they sell them in pairs like that is because they match them sonically. Buying a matched pair means they will be virtually identical in every way, so you can use them for stereo recordings without an imbalance. If you do buy a matched pair of any type of microphone it's worth getting a recording techniques book and learning about stereo microphone positions, XY, ORTF, M/S, Spaced Omni, etc.
The other quality mic I would suggest would be the AKG 414. they're used for pretty much everything. they're bulkier, but are definitely great on vocals and instruments, and have the added bonus of being switchable pattern. They sound amazing and clean (and look pretty cool), the only downside is the shockmounts that come with them are pretty fragile. you can get one for about £400, if I'm not mistaken.
/time to finish my work and go back to stfu edinburgh. you have my number, sam, call if you want lots of microphone advice!/
edited: Jul 04 2008
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bb01
I would suggest not buying the heavyweights just yet.
Buying microphones can be addictive, theres always a better one for a specific use.
Hearing from people with ecording studios, it always the budget mics that get them out of a jam.
You can buy a few, and experiment with what sounds best (to your taste) on what.
ofcourse, dont get the really cheap ones.
audiotechnica has a few hidden gems, so does mxl
if you're still up for a thoroughbred, I can recommend the akg solidtube.
rich and creamy, and from my own experience sounds nicer on some sources than a neumann tlm.
some others that get good reviews
link
link
07/04/08
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Nikisoko
The AKG C414 is a great workhorse mic. Not too expensive and can be used on a great deal of stuff. Everyone is going to have their favorites. I've used the km184s extensively and they are great mics too. The C414 has the advantage of multiple polar patterns and a low frequency roll off.
The KM184s are often used as a stereo pair and are often bundled as such. If you need a good stereo pair, they are on the top of my list. If you want one good mic, well... thats a whole other list but I'd go for a large diaphragm condenser like the C414.
07/04/08
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sAMsKi
you all rock! thanks muchly for the advice. All makes sense and i guess now my main issue is whether to spend loads of dollar - or go with bb01's idea of experimenting with some options. i like that idea, but my girlfriend wont...and it's her house 
hmmmm...not decided yet for sure but the C414 sounds like a good option. i have done a bit of singing into a large diaphram mic, and prefered it to a smaller diaphram mic. just because i felt i could let rip at it more!
so, couple more questions (sorry). what does the multiple polar patterns thingy achieve, which i wouldn't be able to achieve with the KM184s? Also, I dig in principle what difference a stereo pair would give me...but can someone give me a more practical example of what it might mean and what I would lose if i only got one AKG?
again, sorry to be a bit dim on this......x
(PROPS from me to the STFU massive, when you see them populus........wish i was there!)
07/04/08
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astroboy
i am working as a recording engineer. i can tell you that you don't necesserily have to worry about switchable patterns and stuff. most of the time you will need cardioid.
only if really decide to buy just one microphone, but still want to record several sources at the same time, you will need other patterns.
also, i used to record my singing with a small diaphragm mic for a couple of years, and it sounded awesome. of course, this depends on how your voice sounds and how you want it to sound in the mix.
07/04/08
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sAMsKi
cool cool. i am not saying NO to small diaphram mics for vocals...i just liked my first try of a large diaphram mic, felt i could get stuck in more somehow.
afraid you are going to have to teach me to suck eggs more than your last post, as i have no idea what the benefit / aim is of switchable patters (or cardoid). i don't even know what that means. i guess i could look it up, but i like the way asking on here cuts through a lot of shit, and you might get an extra nugget or two of info as a bonus
07/04/08
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sAMsKi
ooh, and thanks again for your advice!
07/04/08
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populus
Yeah, I agree about the switchable patterns not being really necessary for most applications. Switchable patterns means the microphone can pick up sound in different directions, depending on which setting it is on...a cardioid microphone is the general standard, meaning that it is fairly directional, picking up sound best in one direction. the other main patterns include Figure-8, which picks up in front and behind, and Omni, which picks up all around. If you don't know what to do with multiple patterns it's probably not worth getting a mic that can do them, as it may just be confusing!
As far as the 2xKM184 vs 1xC414 debate, it just depends what you want to do with them. The pair of neumann's will let you make really nice stereo recordings, if that's what you're after, or will obviously let you record two sources at once. that's pretty useful. Getting one C414 will be cheaper, though, and is a very high quality microphone that you could use for recording pretty much everything. You just can't record in stereo, that's all!
hope that makes sense.
edited: Jul 04 2008
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populus
(i didn't mean to sound like a dick in that "not knowing what to do with multiple patterns" sentence. what i meant to say was: if you got a mic with multiple patterns it's fun to play around with and experiment with the different settings!)
07/04/08
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sAMsKi
hehe. no no, you were right to suggest that i might get confused. it's not hard to confuse me thanks!
07/04/08
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goguru
zach said: "I bought a used Audio Technica AT3035 for a little over $100 and it's served me really well.
link"
I have the same and you really get more then you pay for with this mic. When I was studying electroacoustic composition, my music faculty had this big studio with over 40 mics and our studio course teacher made us compare the AT3035 with high quality microphones. Of course you can hear a difference, but it was a small difference, taking the price difference in consideration. I bought one 2 years ago and I use it with almost all my recordings (until I'll get a better mic). It lacks a bit of brightness, nothing you can't correct afterward.
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