Suggestions for Microphones

[fmr]

Hi guys:

I'm assembling a new studio, and I'd like to collect suggestions about the microphone collection I should get that you consider indispensable for everyday use. Namely, I am thinking in a stereo matched pair for stereo and mid/side recordings, microphones for acoustic instruments (strings, woodwinds, acosutic guitar, acoustic percussion, etc.), acoustic piano (I am thinking to record the acoustic piano using the stereo matched pair in mid/side configutation) as well as microphones for electric instruments to record them trough the combos, and finally a mic kit for drums.

Please give me suggestions of something not very expensive but that gives me guarantes of good qualitu and no compromise.

A suggestion of headphones for mixing would also be appreciated.

[enroe]

Mmmh ... just guessing ...

Maybe it is better to have ONE very good Micro than
a lot of mediocre ones?

I would suggest just an "U87" - and that's it. And so your
recordings will always sound great and marvellous (if of course
the source is marvellous).

[fmr]

Mmmh ... just guessing ...

Maybe it is better to have ONE very good Micro than
a lot of mediocre ones?

I would suggest just an "U87" - and that's it. And so your
recordings will always sound great and marvellous (if of course
the source is marvellous).

One microphone would not be enough for what I want. And I can't see how will I be able to record, for example, a drum kit with just one microphone. Besides, between very good and medicore goes a very big interval...

Thanks anyway

[Mister Natural]

'Nando - I'm a simple man with a very simple recco for mics
pick any Shure brand of microphone at whatever level of affordability you can manage. These mics are used and have been used at studios worldwide for decades. They are faithful to the instrument recorded and reliable all night long.
I'm partial to the beta-series of dynamics and the KSM-series for condensers. I just plug them in and make music without worry

best of luck

[Hermetech Mastering]

The KM84 pretty much covers everything. I sold all my other mics after getting a matched pair last year. So far I have used them on voice-overs, male and female vocals, electric bass and guitar amps, acoustic guitars, shakers and singing bowls. In every case they have excelled, with good positioning. They just seem to sound inherently right on everything, and take post processing extremely well. Not cheap, but buy once and buy right. I think they would be ideal for the sources you mention.

Unfortunately, I think you'll find "no compromise" and "not very expensive" to be mutually exclusive when it comes to microphones. I went through loads of cheapy "clones" and "based on" SDCs before arriving at the 84s, when I should have just gone for them from the get go. They'll never depreciate in value either, in the unlikely event you ever want to flip them.

Everything on this recent track was recorded with KM84s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbofqdoR9w

The only thing I am still looking for, as it would be a totally different vibe, is a decent ribbon, so I will probably pick up a Coles 4038 at some stage. That would also let me do M/S.

[karipok]

You could check out CM3 from Line Audio: http://www.lineaudio.se/CM3.html

[Lotuzia]

AKG D112 or equiv. for kick, SM58/Beta 58a for snares (or an AKG drumkit suitcase for drums), Electro Voice PL80 for brass etc. For overheads a matched pair of Neumann is overkill, but if you use them for other duties they will do the job. Piano : Shoeps capsules (For piano you'll find that people use very different miking techniques, and are as engaged as Map/Pc users for their resp. prefered ones). You'll note that, though Neumann Useries etc are generally prefered for voices, some singers like Tina Turner, Donna Summer etc were often recorded with dynamic mikes like SM58 etc. Same for guitar amps. A lot of more exotic mikes (ribbon etc) will lead to different rendering. It's fun to experiment with them, but probably not mandatory for 'standard' works. If you intend to make field recordings, or recording in conditions that require a very portable combo, Zoom NH series are nice. Hope it helps.

[Hermetech Mastering]

You could check out CM3 from Line Audio: http://www.lineaudio.se/CM3.html

I had a pair of those and they were great, very flat response, and incredible value for money. Rumour has it the CM-4 is just around the corner with better specs, so you might want to hold off...

[cturner]

I second Hermetech. I have a pair of Line OM-1s (omnis) that are some of my favorite microphones.

[karipok]

Great to hear that CM4 is on it's way, Hermetech. Makes sense since CM3 came out 2011 (?)

[fmr]

Hey guys... Thanks for the great suggestions. Keep them coming. I am going to evaluate all the suggestions so far, and if possible trying to find some locations where I can try some of the mics suggested. Many, many thanks

[fmr]

Zoom NH series are nice.

I intend to get a Zoom H6 for field work. What do you think?

[cturner]

Great to hear that CM4 is on it's way, Hermetech. Makes sense since CM3 came out 2011 (?)

Looked on the No-Hype site after I posted this and it seems they’re available. Check with Line!

[KBSoundSmith]

I picked up a single Shure KSM32 not too long ago and have really liked it. My primary application is voice-over, but it isn't the most traditional voice-over mic. It has a (relatively) neutral response which makes it a great workhorse mic for most applications; it's generally well-regarded for most instruments, and I've heard a lot of praise for them as overhead mics. Many don't like it for voice because it doesn't artificially boost high frequencies as aggressively as many other condensers (which are over-hyped to my ears). Why it works on my voice particularly well is that 1) I have more of a classical singing voice, so a relatively neutral tone is more to my liking rather than hyped-pop sound, and 2) I tend toward some high sibilant frequencies in my voice, so I needed to avoid condensers which are too boosted up high. Another nice thing about this mic is it won't break the bank, new or used. I got mine used in basically mint condition, for about $330 including tax+shipping (which was a steal compared to other used items). Getting two of these would cover the majority of recording work really well.

Hard to go wrong with a few SM57/58s on hand for guitar cabs, snares, etc. I have a Beta 58a which I like as well. I tend to these mics as very colored, so there's that. Not flattering for things/people with a naturally nasal tone, particularly for studio recording. But they are intended for stage use to cut over things like drums, so if you are going for a live vibe, they are still great, particularly if a vocalist is practiced in handling proximity effect.

For a field recorder, I've heard the Zoom H6 is pretty decent, and a big improvement over the H4n (which is a model I've had for a while). But your budget and application could matter here too. If you're looking for something intensive, a Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun mic coupled with a Sound Devices portable audio recorder would do wonders. You could also do something like a Zoom F4.

[k-tronix]

Check out this mic shoot-out, which is a series of recordings of the same guitar performance with a collection of mics:
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/best- ... ic-guitar/
My ears absolutely love the Earthworks SR20's. These can also be used for piano, wind, voice, etc.