apex 435

Sound engineers love to share their opinions about equipment. However, the best test of an piece of equipment is how it sounds to you.

Of course, there is so much equipment available that it's great to be able to narrow the choices based on the advice of people you trust.

As unusual a view as it is, I'm not a fan of AKG microphones. In my opinion, they tend to sound overly bright (sometimes brittle and harsh). However, I just did a collaboration with a guy in Italy who recorded all of his tracks with an AKG c2000 (I think that was the model), and the tracks sounded great (don't know how he did it).

My workhorse microphone is my Shure KSM44. It might be a little out of your price range. I've heard one SE Electronics microphone, and I thought it sounded great. You may want to check them out (http://www.seelectronics.com).

I was looking at the ksm-44. i havent heard too much about the apex mic.

Also i am going to increase the funds to buy my microphone. maybe save up for that blue mic or something around that price range

Blue mics are wierd, they're good, but each model has a very distinct sound. I wouldn't recommend one for a 'universal' mic. The AT 40xx series is nice, I'm going to pick up a 4050 here very soon.

What about the Red Type B (made by BLUE) ?

Fairly inexpensive, and can use all kinds of caps. Haven't used one yet myself, but it might also be a mic to consider due to the capsule interchangeability factor and reasonably low price.

Dirk

I've seen pictures of the Red, but that's it. My recommendation is to use your money to buy one good, time-tested product, and not try to get a multi-trick pony out of it. Red mic's may turn out to be the new hotness, but maybe not.

I own a C3000 and hardly ever use it. It is, as James suggests, on the thin and brittle sounding side. It's OK for certain types of acoustic guitar sounds, and I used it on trombone with decent results. My favorite low cost condenser mic is the Audio Technica AT3035, about $180 average street price. Way above average for vocals, especially female. Meaty sounding on electric guitar amps, smooth and even tempered on tenor sax, on and on...........I just bought a 2nd one for using on choirs, piano, anything else I can think of.

I'll second the 3035. Ultra smooth for vocals and the transients and room qualities are very present with the 3035 on acoustic stringed instruments including ac guitar. There's nothing brittle about the high end and nothing muddy at all in the lows. Mids are very smooth and acurate.

thanks guys i just ordered the earthworks dk drum kit mic set. so i might have to stall a bit on the condenser mic. right now im eying that AT3035 , or the marshall v6 which i believe is the one which emulates a tube, i heard good reviews on it so im willing to check that one out too.

McCheese wrote: Blue mics are wierd, they're good, but each model has a very distinct sound. I wouldn't recommend one for a 'universal' mic. The AT 40xx series is nice, I'm going to pick up a 4050 here very soon.

I just ordered a 4050 myself this morning. I was looking hard at a Red / B7 cap as well. Something in the ballpark of a U47 was very tempting. But I couldn't audition it, it is a single pattern, no pad, no rolloff and I have found a total of 1 review that wasn't a verbatim copy of the Red propganda.

I needed a proven all 'rounder and the Red just isn't yet. The 4050 is a proven entity, has omni, F8 and Card patterns, a bass rolloff and pad and was about half the price leaving a few coins for filling in other weaknesses in the recording chain.