I'm a lo-fi nut, I use primarily vintage 2 track reel 2 reels and I use a Tascam porta7 4-trach recorder. I use the best quality tape possible but am in the dark as far as finding a proper microphone for capturing that "vintage" tone. I'm pretty adept as far as proper mike placement goes but my favourite microphone has died (the most expensive one I could get at radioshack) and I have had no luck figuring out what would be good. Also my last one had the 1/4" jack and all I seem to find is the three pin type, which doesn't help me because I have always fed my microphone through a rack mount guitar effects processor/preamp to boost the signal and clean up the sound a bit. do they still make decent mikes with the 1/4" adapter? My music is just vocals and acoustic guitar, I use the processors flange and reverb to create a bit more sterile environment and would like to be able to work more with less direct Micing and more ambient techniques.
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Originally posted by Lee: Also my last one had the 1/4" jack a
Originally posted by Lee:
Also my last one had the 1/4" jack and all I seem to find is the three pin type, which dosent help me because I have always fed my microphone through a rack mount guitar effects processor/pre amp to boost the signal and clean up the sound a bit. do they still make decent mikes with the 1/4" adaptor?
I'd suggest buying a XLR (the 3-pin you mentioned) to 1/4" adapter, or an XLR to 1/4" cable.
The XLR to 1/4 cable costs about $20 at any Radio Shack...or you
The XLR to 1/4 cable costs about $20 at any Radio Shack...or you could make your own for less than half that...works great with something like a Shure 58...
But my favorite lo-fi microphone right now is the Shure Green Bullet harmonica mike. It has a 1/4 cable because it's meant to be plugged into a guitar amp...I've been using mine for Rap vocals and flute...cool and nasty...
SC
LoFi Mic?I go right for th e GreeenBullet or a pair of Altec 633
LoFi Mic?I go right for th e GreeenBullet or a pair of Altec 633's that I have.
If you really want it to be crappy,a telephone hand set from the old dial phones will work just great.
You will need to supply phantom to them so you will need to have a system capable of using "three pin" (we call these XLR in the biz) connections.
You won't need much of a preamp as these put outalmost line level.
I have to engage the 20 db pad on my preamp and use very low gain settings.
It really depends on what you mean by 'lo-fi'... In addition to
It really depends on what you mean by 'lo-fi'...
In addition to the above mics, here's a variant: An Oktava MK219 doesn't have a lot of bottom and top end, making it a bit like an old recording without the vinyl pops and crackles.
Ribbon mics, like the old RCAs, are great for this too.
For a cheap, crunchy or nasty sound, just about any mic coupled with a pair of filters (HPF & LPF) lopping off the top and bottom can work. Add distortion to taste.
Jon
For low-fi mics I like the ones that used to come with tape reco
For low-fi mics I like the ones that used to come with tape recorders. We've got 2 little plastic Revox mics that are cool. They have 1/8" connectors so it's adapter city. We've also got a silver metal torpedo looking things that’s the perfect trashy, bus station sound.
Reslo ribbons Regards
Reslo ribbons
Regards