Best Mics

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 12:38 pm

Just curious on some schools of thought for what would be the absolute best mics for recording various parts of an arrangement. Vocals, (best kinds for different types of songers) Kick Drum, Snare, Acoustic Guitar etc.

Just looking for opinions.

Marcus

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 12:54 pm

Well I'm glad someone finally brought this up, we've been needing to discuss it.

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:32 pm

Well,
I have been following this forum for a while, and everyone seems to disagree with each other on everything, except on this very matter. What the best mic is. Then everyone suddenly agrees and total harmony seems to be the order of the day. Only problem is that I have sort of forgotten the answer. Never mind, it probably isn´t important. Cool

Gunnar

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:50 pm

While I love the sarcasm and Rolling Eyes

nature of the responses so far, I'll offer our new poster a different answer:

There's a search function at the top of the page that will give you every answer you could imagine from every kind of person imaginable. Then you just need to decide whose opinion you trust the most.

Dirk

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:57 pm

Everyone will have their own opinion on what the best mics are so impossible to answer.

Accepted industry standards are however:

Kick - AKG D112, EV RE20
Snare - Shure SM57
Toms - Senheisser MD421
HH - Shure SM81
Overheads - Neumann KM84, Shure SM81, AKG 414

Acoustic Guitar - Pretty much as listed in Overheads
Electric Guitar - Shure SM57, EV RE20, Senheisser MD421

Bass - EV RE20, Senheisser MD421, Shure SM57

Vocals - Neumann U87, U47, U49, AKG 414

I use some but not all of these mics and prefer others on various sources.

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:27 pm

Best talkback mic: Nady Star Power 1

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:18 pm

TornadoTed wrote:

Everyone will have their own opinion on what the best mics are so impossible to answer.

Accepted industry standards are however:

Kick - AKG D112, EV RE20
Snare - Shure SM57
Toms - Senheisser MD421
HH - Shure SM81
Overheads - Neumann KM84, Shure SM81, AKG 414

Acoustic Guitar - Pretty much as listed in Overheads
Electric Guitar - Shure SM57, EV RE20, Senheisser MD421

Bass - EV RE20, Senheisser MD421, Shure SM57

Vocals - Neumann U87, U47, U49, AKG 414

I use some but not all of these mics and prefer others on various sources.

Thanks Ted! You took a potentially schizo topic question and steamlined it into a managable reply.

Industry standard is great, but I am still curious as to some of the engineers/musicians personal preferences and why. I understand it could be a full thread, but really that's why I asked for the different shools of thought.

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 2:58 am

I am not going to fight the industry standard, but there are alternatives.

In my band I mike the drums with a set of Shure DMK6 and add the N300C for snare. I am not saying the N300C is the best mic for snare ever. It is just a different choice that I am happy with.

It doesn't hurt to swap the SM57 for another quality dynamic mic. I do not believe the SM57 is of such distinguishing and decisive quality that you cannot mike a snare with anything else.

I have used an SM58 (basically the same mic but with another cap) for snare but was not satisfied with the sound and decided to try the N300C. It has a little more "air" than the SM58 to me.

To be honest, I happend to have the N300C lying around, like a lot of people have an SM57 I guess Wink

. It was my first vocal mic that I bought in 1985 and I have used it in my band up to the moment where I got the SM58. I now sing through a Sennheiser E865 (condenser) on stage.

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 3:49 am

Your welcome MarcusDavid. I used to get frustrated many moons ago when I was starting out when I wanted to know stuff but people wouldn't answer my questions.

As far as what I use goes:

Kick - AKG D112, AT Pro25, EV RE20
Snare - SM57
Toms - Senheisser MD421
HH - AT3031
Overheads - Shoeps CMC6U bodies and Mk21 capsules

Bass - RE20,MD421, AT Pro25

Electric guitar - SM57, RE20, MD421, AKG Solidtube
Acoustic guitar - The schoeps I use for overheads sometimes in mono, sometimes in stereo

Vocals - Neumann U87, AKG Solidtube

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 4:25 am

I am going to offer my apologies here to TornadoTed.

I guess I missed that you are new here and that your question was asked from that kind of innocense.

If you spend some time looking through the archives you will find that there is a lot of giving on different mics, in fact that is one of the main themes of several hundreds of historical posts. Don´t miss that source of insight and information by not looking there, some of that has proved very valuable to me, some I simply do not agree with. All of it, as far as I can say, has been given honestly.

You will also find that the people writing here rarely agrees on what is best. It sort of always depends on a number of factors. One of them is taste, we all like things a little different. Once a thread like this starts rolling the differences in taste will start to appear.

You will also find that budget is a very important aspect. Some of the mics people would want to have or use only exists in very limited numbers as they are vintage or old. You will find quite a few references to Neumann U47 or AKG C12 in the wish list, and both has gone out of production a long time ago. I´m not sure very many felt they could afford them when they were new, and they have all gone up in price quite a bit since.

And once you start compromising on the cost, you are no longer talking the best.

To make a comparison, I would like to have a Rolls-Royce for my vacation trips, a Ferrari Testarossa for the fun of it, and a lorry for carrying my trunks. Which is best? Well, the truth is that I drive a used Toyota as that was what I thought I can afford.

Gunnar

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:08 am

Hi ghellquist. I think you have the wrong bloke, marcusdavid asked the question I just replied with an answer.

As a side shoot to this topic and not aimed at you. I've been on here for quite a while and read a thousand posts like this but I still try to give a reasonable answer. I guess because the 12 years ago when I started recording doesn't seem that long a go and I remember what it was like to not get an answer quickly and easily in a way I understood. I try to answer these questions without resorting to 'do a search' which is tempting but I have the will power Laughing

I know it can be frustrating and a lot easier to say 'do a search' but I urge everyone to have a bit more patience and remember what it was like being a newbie. I remember when I started out it seemed like the North face of Everest, so much information to try and learn, so much whizzing around the brain.

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:32 pm

ghellquist wrote:

If you spend some time looking through the archives you will find that there is a lot of giving on different mics, in fact that is one of the main themes of several hundreds of historical posts. Don´t miss that source of insight and information by not looking there, some of that has proved very valuable to me, some I simply do not agree with. All of it, as far as I can say, has been given honestly.

Gunnar

Gunnar, while I do appreciate your direction and respect your viewpoint, (I know you are only trying to help) I realize that I can go on a search to find some of these answers. The thing is, I also expect to make some friendships and develop some connections that I hope will be fun and informative, if not even lasting as well. I understand the medium itself can easily promote a sterile and aloof "do it yourself" atmosphere, but I refuse to be conditioned to live in an isolated world. To me, music is about connection and expression.

So while I hear perfectly what you are saying, I also respecfully choose to continue to ask the same questions that have been asked a thousand times before, (while also utilizing the search function) and possibly have an opportunity to make some friends along the way, challenging the very face of what could otherwise just be a one dimentional R & D forum.

Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 8:51 am

[quote="TornadoTed"]Everyone will have their own opinion on what the best mics are so impossible to answer.

Accepted industry standards are however:

(I concur w/Ted and my two cents added in parens)

Kick - AKG D112, EV RE20

(Alt to RE20: Beta 52A outsde the Kick. For Double Kick, D112 inside each and one RE20 outside one and Beta 52A outside the other on one Birch one Maple kick) [Pres of choice Neve type -- PA4, Vintech, Great River, or Neve 1073/1081] [Comps of choice MC77s, dBX 162L, 160L]

Snare - Shure SM57

(SM57 top Beta 56A bottom)(Alt: MD409, e609 Silver, MD421 if you can fit it somewhere).

[Pres of choice Neve type -- PA4, Vintech, Great River, or Neve 1073/1081] [Comps of choice MC77s, dBX 162L, 160L]

Toms - Senheisser MD421

(My preference: SM98/D x5)

[Pres of choice API type -- 3124+, 512C] [Comps of choice MC77s, dBX 162L, 160L]

HH - Shure SM81

(YES!!!! Fluck yes)

Overheads - Neumann KM84, Shure SM81, AKG 414

(C451B my goto preference. I use Paiste 2002 exclusively and it captures the Paiste magic. Some board eq necessary because 451s are bright. I use four overheads 2x sm condenser & 2 x lg condenser -- U87pr for rock or U67pr for jazz rear OH and front OH and C451B L/R OH)

[Pres of choice de Maria ADL600 -- ] [Compressor ADL 1500]

Acoustic Guitar - Pretty much as listed in Overheads

(Schoeps matched pair en route, C451B, KM184, U87 pr. If doing a duet, e.g. maple body vs rosewood vs mahogany body, (KM184 pr on one and U87 pr on the other), or (Royer 122 pr vs U87pr) or (U87 or 122 or KM184 pr on both)

[Pres of choice A-Designs type -- Pacifica] [dBX 162L, 160L, Distressor EL8S/Brit Mod]

Electric Guitar - Shure SM57, EV RE20, Senheisser MD421,

(MD409, e609 silver, RE20 pr for the Santana vibe on MK series Boogies.
I like using 1x12 combos w/ custom Keeley pedalboards in the studio (Dual Randall RG75s for blues rock & Holland Bishop for country), (Boogie MKI and MKIV for Blues, Blues Rock, Hard Rock) and one EVH Rig for hard rock and metal rig (wet/dry/wet) with several heads or preamps to choose from: Engl e530, 2 peavey Rockmasters, or ADA MP2, Peavey Valve King 6L6, Peavey Valve King El34, Splawn 6550, Marshall Plexi, Mesa Rectumfrier, Engl 4 Ch, cranked at 80 percent thru Palmer PGA-4s, for diff styles. On multiple combos on an electric guitar heavy song, try diff mics on diff combos of cabs to offset the natural eq, for e.g., MD409 on one, sm57 on another, 421 on another etc., e.g. tele, strat, 335, PRS, LP parts.

Run each combo gtr part in mono in the mix, but not the EVH rig. On the EVH rig, 57s top on each cust cab off axis to cone on grill -- G1280s and tonespotters, and on axis to cone 4-6 inches away MD421 or RE20s on bottoms (JBL D120Fs). Rack EFX Eventide 3000 series, H8000 series, VGS 2120 efx only, SGS 2101A efx only, Rocktron prophesy (FX only), TC ELectronic 2290, 2210, Lexicon MX200 -- fantabulous little piece of cheap gear, and of course the venerable PCM 60/70/80/90/300/480/960 series)

[Pres of choice Vipre, API, PA4, Marquette Type] [Comps of choice MC77s, dBX 162L, 160L, Daking FET II]

Bass - EV RE20, Senheisser MD421, Shure SM57

(I use the RE20 on the low bass cab -- 2x15, and MD421 or SM57 on the high bass cab -- 2x10 eq'd differently at the dual Hartke or Ampeg heads. Front end slammed with Live Bass Pod or Sans Amp)

[Pres of choice A-Designs type -- Pacifica, REDDI DI] [Rane Ducker/Rane Compressor, Rane PEQ]

Vocals - Neumann U87, U47, U49, AKG 414

(Aargh!. I never use an 87 on vocals. This is a magnificent and absolutely loveley instrument or cab capturing air capsule!!!! For vocals (if you have the bucks) Lawson Fet 47 or Tube 47, Korby Elam 251 or C12, SM7, Beta 58A, Beta 87A, SM57, Beta 57A, RE20 and as of late TLM 49 is very nice)

[Pres of choice for colored vocals: Neve type -- PA4, Vintech, Great River, or Neve 1073/1081. For very clean vocals: A-Designs Pacifica ] [Comps of choice LA2A LV, LA3A BV]

(For Keys/B3:

From Keys submixer:
Leslie (SM57 or MD409 top depending how gritty you want it & RE20 bottom, and PZM mics mounted vertically on walls for doppler ambiance

Synth pads thru JBL EON 15" pr MD421s)

[Pres of choice A designs of de Maria ADL 600] [Compressor: ADL 1500]

I use some but not all of these mics and prefer others on various sources.
[quote]

(Note 1: For me, Shure and Sennheiser and EV mics are the meat and potates live and in the studio. The MXLs and the Rodes and the Red, White, Black and Blue mic models will come and go ... but these workhorses have been here for 30 years and still kicking butt and taking names. I like what works and what is time tested. I'm not a faddish guy, and I won't even bother demoing the others ... we'll the AT 4050 and 4047 are an exception to this rule)

Note 2: If ya can't afford the U87 pr ... I know, its an overly expensive and overrated Neumann mic ... get a pr of Soundelux U195s for the cost of one U87. IMO just as good for me for U87 apps)

~skygod~

Sir is this the footlong hotdog?
Yes ma'am and then some ...
Thumbs Up

Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:57 pm

OK, here we go...

I'll commend the "industry standard" list... as far as I can tell... spot on.

A couple of mic's that will also make the list... just not the "cheap" industry standard list... and no, I'm not calling the first list a bunch-o-cheap mics...

Kik - Audix D6? (Just got one and will track with it tomorrow)
Toms - Sennheiser e604, Beta 98
OH/General Purpose - RCA 77, Schoeps CMC Line, Coles 4038, DPA 3503

Another mic line to consider is Royer.

My .02

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:15 am

Kick :
Inside : RE20 with Earthworks Kickpad
Outside : 18"Speaker

Overheads : KM184

All the rest :
Brauner

cheers

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