Topic: Partial List Of Forum Mic Preferences

[Karma]

HI All,
Here is a table of microphone preferences compiled from the participants in the Nagra BB+ post in the Recording Gear forum. It is the attachment Forum Preferences.PDF below. Just click on the link. When the box appears click on Open.

Brian, thanks for your help.

I tried to post it in the body of the thead but the formatting got screwed up in the translation and it became all but unreadable. Hopefully this will be better. The names of the contributors are intentionally left out. But thanks to all who contributed.

The question I posed is "what mics would you choose if you had a budget of $2000 for a pair". These are the answers.

If you want to see the text from the contributors, open the Nagra BB+ thread here:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=143375.0

It is worth doing if you have a little time. Do this only if you can stand blood. Oh, oh, this ought to bring a crowd, like a car accident!! 

Sparky

[John Willett]

This is a difficult one to answer as I have no idea what mic. prices are in the USA - in many areas the US price is much cheaper than the UK (EG: what sells for $100 in the US sells for £100 in the UK despite the exchange rate being 1.6 $ to the £).  (Although - shouldn't this have been posted in the Microphones Forum?)

So I will just post a list of the mics I actually own so you can see what I actually spent my money on:-

Sennheiser
2 x MKH 20 - omni
2 x MKH 30 - fig.8
2 x MKH 40 - cardioid
2 x MKH 8020 - omni (one stereoset pair)
2 x MKH 8040 - cardioid (one stereoset pair)
1 x MZD 8000 (AES42 digital microphone adaptor - stereo capable)
1 x MKH 8000 series stand with extension tube and remote cables including Y-cable
2 x MKH 800 - switchable
2 x MKH 816F - long gun, flat response (don't ask)
1 x MKE 66 - stereo pre-polarised condenser
1 x MD 421 - dynamic cardioid
1 x MD 431 - dynamic super-cardioid vocal
1 x MD 441 - dynamic super-cardioid

Neumann
1 x TLM 103 - cardioid LDC
2 x GFM 132 - hemispherical boundary mic.
1 x KMR 82i - short gun
2 x KM-D - AES42 digital mic. body
2 x KK 183-D - diffuse-field omni head for KM-D
2 x KK 131-D - near-field omni head for KM-D
1 x DMI-2 (digital microphone controller)
2 x DMI-2P (portable DC-powered digital microphone controller)

Calrec
2 x 2050 - cardioid with detachable heads

Beyer
2 x M 67N - dynamic cardioid (my first decent mics, bought in the early 1970's)

AKG
1 x C451 + CK1 + VR1 - condenser cardioid with extension tube
1 x D 12 - dynamic cardioid
1 x D 190 - dynamic cardioid

Soundfield
1 x SPS200

MBHO
1 x Jecklin Disk
1 x Schneider Disk

Grace
1 x SpaceBar 30/66 kit

And I'm sure I've still got more I've forgotten.

[Karma]

HI All,
Thanks John. I wish I could have incorporated your list into the table. That's quite a collection.

Sparky

[Karma]

Hi John,
Are all those mics still in your possession? Do you use all of them? I realize that each could serve a different function but there does seem to be a lot of duplication. Clearly, your list represents many years of acquisition. I ask because often folks never sell older stuff but they also don't use them.

Thanks, Sparky

[TNJazz]

I owned a pair of those Calrecs for a while and I really think they are hidden gems.

[0vu]

This is a difficult one to answer as I have no idea what mic. prices are in the USA - in many areas the US price is much cheaper than the UK (EG: what sells for $100 in the US sells for £100 in the UK despite the exchange rate being 1.6 $ to the £).  (Although - shouldn't this have been posted in the Microphones Forum?)

So I will just post a list of the mics I actually own so you can see what I actually spent my money on:-

...

...
And I'm sure I've still got more I've forgotten.

Pah! Call that a mic list, John?   

[rokpunk]

I'd cut and paste it from my webpage, but I'm web-retarded and can't figure it out.....but here's my mic list:
note: i've added a pair of Royer 121's and a pair of Shure Beta 181/c's since the last update

http://www.villagesoundco.com/VSC_Basic/Full_Rental_List.html

[acidjack]

I'd just point out a few things about your list - as it's a helpful idea it would be good to make it a bit more clear.

1. Some of those things aren't mics, but accessories to mics (examples: Naiant PFA, Schoeps CMR) and some are bodies (Schoeps CMC6, AKG 480) that go with capsules. Sometimes people here abbreviate their mic/cap combo like "AKG 461" to mean AKG 460+ck61 caps or "Schoeps CMC64" to mean "Schoeps CMC6 body with Mk4 capsules...
2. The list might be more useful if it was grouped by pattern, since a $2000 omni mic might be useless to one user and critical to another. 
3. Some of those mics, at least new, cost vastly more than $2000 (all of the Schoeps mics, all of the DPA mics except the 4061, the Neumann 140s), at least as a stereo pair

[Karma]

HI acid,
All good remarks. However, I'm not going to put more work into it. I think people can sort thru it and make sense of it. And yes, not all contributors followed the guidelines. But most tried. Some even assumed I would buy used but did not specify that. Thus, the prices given to me can't be compared. I used new prices in the list. The problem is I don't know from the contributions which were used prices and which were new prices without going to more trouble than I want. I can't do anything about it. It is what it is. At least you have mic model numbers and the new prices (where possible; some are discontinued) for said mics based on the preferences of the thread participants which is a very small sample of the forum members. The list was not intended to be comprehensive. It's just a report.

I actually compiled the list just for myself to help organize the many mics mentioned. Then I decided it may be of use to some of you and posted it. Use it if you wish.

Sparky

[achalsey]

I wasn't going to say anything since I'm a newcomer, but I feel there are better threads to make a list of "mic preferences" than the one you started and complied the list from.  While "it is what it is," I just wanted to say the list looked a little funny from reading some other threads.

The search feature isn't the best so I couldn't find the thread, but there's one explicitly stating what everyone's preferences are in terms of mics, that might paint a more accurate picture.

[John Willett]

Hi John,
Are all those mics still in your possession? Do you use all of them? I realize that each could serve a different function but there does seem to be a lot of duplication. Clearly, your list represents many years of acquisition. I ask because often folks never sell older stuff but they also don't use them.

Thanks, Sparky

Oh yes, I only listed mics. I have in my possession now.

There are a number that are my "first choice" and others that are "second choice" - but I would still use any of these microphones, which is why I have not got rid of the earlier ones.

My "first choice" ones are the MKH 20/30/40 series the MKH 800s, the MKH 8000 series, the Neumann KM-D series and the Soundfield SPS200.

[John Willett]

Pah! Call that a mic list, John?   

LOL

Just because you have  ten-times this amount. 

[0vu]

Just because you have  ten-times this amount. 

Not yet ten times but I'm working on it

Over the last eyar or two, I've got rid of a few mics to free up some money to get others but overall the trend is upwards.

[WiFiJeff]

...MBHO
1 x Jecklin Disk
1 x Schneider Disk

I have both also, and a Sonic Studios Lite Guy, but generally use the Jecklin Disk because it is easiest to schlepp around.  Do you find any sonic differences in these two, and where would you use one rather than the other?

Jeff

[John Willett]

...MBHO
1 x Jecklin Disk
1 x Schneider Disk

I have both also, and a Sonic Studios Lite Guy, but generally use the Jecklin Disk because it is easiest to schlepp around.  Do you find any sonic differences in these two, and where would you use one rather than the other?

Jeff

I got the Schneider because a friend, who has both, told me the results with the Schneider are much better - I have used both and both give excellent results.

I would use the Schneider if the recording was mainly for headphone use, but I think both translate to Loudspeakers well.