Not sure about the KSM47 but I would take a bluebird over a 3035 ANY day. The frequency response of the AT looks very flat, but when you hear it the top end will sound very dull and undefined, not crisp and strong like the bluebird's. That's what my ears tell me anyway and it makes all the difference for me. YMMV.

That said, the 3035 is a nice mic and at used prices is a good deal. In my opinion, it'll never excel as a drum overhead though, or anything where you want to capture a clear high end. I'd use it on bass guitars, certain vocalists (it has a smoothing effect) and possibly electric guitars. I'd use the bluebird on just about anything however.

Hmmm, interesting 8-) I wanted to go with 3035 personally but think I might change my mind. I've got sm57 x 5, EV ND868, AT2021 x 2, and now looking for the only LDC...

The Shure is a very neutral, smooth microphone. The Bluebird is a brighter mic with a strong proximity effect. The 3035 is a good all-purpose mic - does a lot of things well, does nothing fantastic.

so... as the only one to have... upto $300, cause I am selling my other mics and will not buy anything for a looong time. Mics I am going to have at the end of this... listed above.

What are you selling?

I rarely if ever sell a mic to buy a mic. There are exceptions, but I can't think of any reason someone with a small set of mics should ever do this.

None of these mics is a desert island mics - you'd be shooting yourself in your foot.

I am selling MXL 992/993 kit and audix fusion 6pk, I did not even list them up there. Insted I ordered 2 AT 2021 and 3 mpre SM57.

I just called GC and they said they have 1 in stock it seems like it is back ordered everywhere else.

It seems like there are a lot of mics for this price..
AT4040 fits in this range, even some tube mics.... Lost again...
EDIT: Listened frontendaudio clips and I could not tell a big difference between AT4040 and BlueBird... I mean you can hear they are different but not better or worse.

My (very generalized) advice would be to aviod tube mics in this price range. Tubes can be a wonderful thing, but solid state is cheaper and easier to get right in my opinion.

alright there are less hair on my head left than ever before... 4040 or bluebird? or something else 400 is the most I can spend
4033cl.. rode nt2-a .... 40 computer mics for $10...

Unfortunately (for you) you probably are limited to shopping at guitarget and therefore you wont have anything other than their lines to discover.

If Jeremy likes the bluebird then you should probably pay that some heed. I have heard one. (I know, I'm getting lazy)...I do like the 4040. I would not call it the ONLY LDC level mic for a collection. Especially if you are recording several different types of voice.

Jeremy's description of the Bluebird having a lot of proximity effect would worry me if I didnt have a really good mic pre available. While the proximity can be your friend for that special sounding vocal take, it can also ruin certain types of voices that need a clear strong signal with nothing added. A great mic pre will give you enough noiseless gain to accomplish this with a mic with a lot of proximity.

I'm not sure ( :wink: ) which Shure mic you're thinking of... There are KSM27, and KSM44.....but no KSM47 that I'm aware of.

If it is the 27 you're talking about, its also not what I consider to be the only LDC a locker should have. And not a great vocal mic. Instruments its nice on....

If I were to choose any mic for this use that you are seeking it would be the ADK Hamburg or the Vienna. They simply are voiced for the voice. They dont tend to smear the sound and they have a good soundfield. There arent the hyped highs you hear with this range of mics. The lows are tigh and controlled and they do demonstrate a nice proximity effect that is usable for types of voices.

However. If I was to choose an overall LDC for a mic locker, it would be the Shure KSM44. Multipatterns, neutral mic, very very good on anything.

I dont think you can find one for 4bills...unless you look used. A bargain at that price.

I don't have a really good preamp if you are saying really good I assume it is something that I didn't even look at because of the price

I honestly thinking of going for AT4040 because of bluebirds proximity effet.

I wish I could listen to AT3035 and decide if it is worse than AT4040

http://www.studioauditions.com/

I would have linked to this earlier but I was at work and forgot the site. Click on jam room sessions up at the top, then microphones and then you can select from a wide range of mics and compare them. no 3035 for some reason, does anyone know if the 3060 is similar? it looks like the same mic to me, has that 3035 mushy high end (to my ears anyways)...

Anyway, you can compare the 4040 and bluebird. Both sound like nice mics to me. I would still take the bluebird because it just sounds crisp and rich to me. But definitely make up your own mind!

Hope the site helps.

hmmmm listened.... 4040 definitely sounds better than 3060... And Blue bird sounds crispier on acoustics kinda liked MXL v69 not gonna get it know but was surprised.

Thanks Dave - it's the KSM 44 I was thinking of..
I do that with Neumanns all the time...TLM197/TLM193 - I always create models that they never made...

Gertok -

Take a step back and breath.

What is your purpose on dropping a small sum of money on a mic that will be your end-all-be-all mic? Bear in mind, nothing you buy in this range (or for that matter, any range) will be a one-size-fits-all product.

You'd be better doing either of the following:

1 - Save a bit of money and buy a nicer mic - one that's more versatile.

2 - Save a bit of money and buy a few decent but varying color mics

The AT 4040 is a flat mic - nothing special - that's its magic. On guitar, it can sound a tad boxy. On voice, it's neither flattering or distracting.

Dave - I would agree that the Bluebird is dependent upon the preamp. However, I've found it to work acceptably well with even modest pres. By "lots of proximity" I mean that, moving away even a few inches, the bottom end drops out. Moving up close, you get some serious bottom end. I think this makes it a very flexible mic for someone who knows how to work it.

Cheers-
J

Thanks.... guess what i got...

There are no mind readers here lad.....so fess up.

8-) Bluebird.

Sweet. How do you like it?

It is pretty....
8-)
I did not take it out of the box yet. Had to tune drums and setup mics. Besides I had no one to sing into it. Wife was busy... and I am not a singer at all.... But I am recording a guy today that sings pretty well. So I will definitely post some of that.

Definitely a beautiful mic. Good for impressing clients, hopefully you like how it sounds too! I have a feeling you'll like it. Let us know what you think.

I've gotta pipe up in favor of the 3035, although I have no experience with the Bluebird. I have a couple of 3035's and I like that the top end isn't hyped, because so many low cost LDC's do exhibit that trait. I use them for: vocals, electric guitar, grand piano, acoustic guitar, upright bass, drum overheads and horns. Some folks like them for kick also. If I want a brighter sound, I reach for my 3060, 4050 or Avant CV 12. You can score new 3035's for about $135 including shipping. PM me if you're interested in any samples.

Ah, I see I'm late to the dance. That's alright, you'll need more mics anyway.... :wink:

Gertok wrote: Which one would you recommend as the only LDC in a closet?

I don’t know anything about the KSM47, but I did own a KSM27 and upgraded to a Bluebird recently, so I can speak on that. Let me put it this way: I gave the KSM27 away for a bag of weed.

I never really had any trouble with the KSM27, it was a good, solid microphone. It didn’t blow me away, but it definitely got the job done. Since I bought it for my own project studio, and not for any real commercial interests, it definitely performed the function I purchased it for admirably, but it always left me feeling like I was missing out on something, like it was merely a suped-up version of a dynamic mic. It really seems to lack character, it has a good smooth response, but maybe a little too smooth. I don’t like the low end that it picks up with vocals and acoustic guitars, and the low cut doesn’t seem to do all that much. It works best as a room mic, especially for drums.

The Bluebird was one of those, “Well, I want a Mouse, but can’t afford it, so I’ll just pick this little guy up.” I love the Blueberry and the Mouse, and knew that the Bluebird just had to be a better mic than my little KSM27, but I had no idea that it was going to blow me away as much as it did. The detail and clarity that this mic has makes it sound so much more alive than my KSM27. I actually bought it during a session I was doing for some friends, and they have a really nice pair of KSM32s that we usually use for vocals instead of my KSM27, but the Bluebird instantly jumped to the front of the pack. If a condenser is needed, it’s the first mic I pull out. It does have a bit of a proximity effect, and I don’t know how well it works without a solid preamp because I’ve always run it through one, but as long as you keep it’s character in mind when you’re recording with it, you can definitely adjust to make it an advantage.

I would recommend the Bluebird to anyone, anywhere, for just about any application. Even if it doesn’t perform some obscure one-off thing well, it won’t do a crappy job, and it shines on vocals and acoustic instruments (I -love- it on the violin!).