Your mics and why you like them the most?

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:51 am

I'm interested in seeing what other peoples favorite mics are and why. I am slowly building my tool kit of recording gear and the more I can have that can be best for certain situations, I'm sure will help me out a bunch. Let me know what you guys think, I'm just curious Smile

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:45 am

Well, you can start off by checking out "Mic Closet Recommendations" listed on this section. It was started a few years ago, but it's still valid.

ALSO: Go to tghe "search", type in "locker" as the query word. Scroll down the page and you'll find "What's in your mic cabinet ?" Check that one out, too.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:28 pm

I have a few mics. I like all of them for various reasons. They all have a use in a recording session. Thats kinda how I came to have the ones I have.

Some I bought because I had used them in the past. They didnt disappoint me and I knew what I was getting going in.

Some I bought with research and reputation as well as recommendation from those I could trust. They also have been very useful.

Some I just 'had to have'. Its like getting that particular car or boat or motorcycle. Theres lots of versions of each, but the one you want to live with and use regularly is usually a very narrow field with ,perhaps, only color and certain equipment being the difference in acceptable choice. For the most part these have become very special.

A good mic locker must contain a variety of mic types to really be complete. If you are simply stocking up for your own thing, then the range of what does and does not work for you may be a bit narrower than someone who is building a locker for the hire of a studio with a lot of different artists coming through the door. That being said, if you are focusing primarily on certain styles of music, then this can also limit what you will need to cover the music being recorded.

Without getting into brands, I have a short list of mic types that can complete a locker and give a studio owner/operator a good selection of tools to work with. These are very general and are mostly a reflection of the sticky at the top of this page.

1. A couple of good quality primary vocal mics. These can be condenser or dynamic or ribbon, but either way, you should spend the majority of your budget on these. The reason is mostly to do with the varieties in the human voice as no two are going to be alike. So quality is imperative here. A quality capture of whoever or whatever, vocally, can go a long ways towards a quality recording .

2. Instrument mics. Again, dynamic or condenser and ribbon will also work well. This is where the scope of the type of work you intend to pursue will determine what you will have as tools for this. If you do a lot of acoustic instrumentation, then a pair of good small diaphram condensers is in order. Choosing these is a personal thing, but I recommend getting mics that, while being able to reproduce the dynamics and overtones of many different types of acoustic instruments, also remain fairly neutral in their tonal range. Unless you are choosing for only your instruments in which case you can find something that fits your own instruments to a tee. Price in these cases is not always the determining factor. Also, you will want basic dynamics for amplified instruments. There are several to choose from and, as has been discussed to death, they all seem to able to do the job without exception. If you do a lot of horns then a large diaphram dynamic may be just what is needed to provide the best tool. It should be noted that many of these dynamics in particular have the ability to perform several different functions with considerable ease. Its always good to have a crossover tool that you can use for anything that you need.

3. Drum mics. A dedicated set that will work with any kit that comes through the door is something that makes an engineers job so much easier. There are so many kits out there today that are voiced to this function. And there are the tried and true selections that need no introduction here. While many opinions revolve around the 'best and worst' for this as well as types of kits and styles of music, I have yet to find a kit or a style that couldnt be properly presented with these 'standard' choices for drums. Again it becomes a matter of choice for the recordist and is usually based on prior experience in this situation.

4. I only add this as an aside to the basics. And that is specialty mics. It can be a moving coil that came from a cheap tape recorder kit or the coolest dual ribbon mega mic made, but these are what I like to refer to as character mics and sometimes these are the glue to puts the recording into the next level by simply adding a signature sound to one or more parts of the piece. Season to taste and budget.

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