Topic: Want Neumann- Don't know what kind

[waltmon]

Ok...


I would say the economy way to go is the 184. great mics for a great price.  For the extra loot, I think
the 140's are the way to go. I think they are one of the best all around mics on the street.

In time add a set of 50 caps...big boomy venues, and little tiny clubs really benefit. Always amazed to hear people speaking against 50's.

I ran the 140's/50's > v-2 > ad2k+ > HHB PDR 1000....rock solid recordings everytime

[Mr.Fantasy]

Thanks very much guys...

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I'm one of the people who usually doesn't care for the AK50s.  Walt used mine for a while and he sent me some really nice recordings that he made with them.  I just never learned how to use them properly so I sold them.  If you ever get them and think they are thin, you can manage the response curve in post processing.  A buddy has convinced me to go back and remaster all my old AK50 tapes to correct the bass rolloff in samplitude.  Maybe I'll change my mind about the AK50s then.

Depending on budget, I'd have to agree that the 184s are an awesome choice.  There are ways to mount them so that they are about as small as a set of AKxx caps on a kwon bar.  If you can afford to spend more, I think you would prefer the SKM140 set because later you can buy other capsules to suit your needs.  If you have only one set of mics right now, I think you would find the smaller mics more flexible than something like the U89s.  Even though you say that you intend to tape openly, there are going to be times when you are going to get shoved into the back of the room or told "no" if you have a large pair on a heavy stand.  With a little bogen stand an some 184s or AKs on a stereo bar, you can sqeeze into some tight situations and be low profile enough that security people either won't see you running FOB.  If you are running late for a show, the smaller mics can easily clamp on to a stand that is already in position.

[Mr.Fantasy]

So with the 184's and the 140's both you think I could find a setup for most of my recording needs? (indoor/outdoor live recording, some blues bars, and maybe some slightly more stealthy approaches on occasion)

[Shawn]

if you have 140s I see no reason to have the 184s too unless you need 4 mics for something.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

Yeah, I ran the 184s and now the 140s in all sorts of situations - the lawn, FOB, big stadiums, little bars, close mic'd a singer with guitar, etc - and always had good results.  The cardiod is very flexible and would be my choice if I could have only one pattern.  I know other people would prefer hypers like the MK41 or CK63 for general use.  I always liked the wider sound and just accepted the additional crowd presence as a natural part of an ambient recording.

[rokpunk]

Dear Mr. Fantasy -

Consider the KM184's....great sounding mics at a reasonable price point.

[TNJazz]

Just to point out - there ARE other options out there besides Neumann.  Don't buy mics solely based on name alone.

[Mr.Fantasy]

Just to point out - there ARE other options out there besides Neumann.  Don't buy mics solely based on name alone.

That is what I have been thinking. Neumann was the first Mic I started researching since my recent start in the High quality audio field.

I have been here on TS for about a week now. AND WOW!

There is so much to take in I really didn't even know where to start....

I was dead set that I wanted to buy some High end mics, buy a Marantz cdr 420, and maybe a nice mic pre-amp, but now I am all confused.

I just read the entire SD 722 vs. Korg Mr1000 thread all the way through, and now I have to decide if I want DSD or if I want to stick with whatever the 722 or the marantz 420 record in (Still very confused on the whole sampling rates and what 24 and 16 and 94 and all those numbers mean ((And I would love if anyone would throw a link to elsewhere on the site where that type of info is explained.)))

Now I am not so sure about the Marantz 420, because I read there was some concern about the PA system making weird vibrations or something.......

But I thought the previously mentioned 420 (gotta love the name) would record straight to the hard drive. And then I would have the option to go back to my hotel room and burn my CD....is that not the case?

GEEZ...and I still don't know what to do about Mics....

I need to go home tonight and do the Archive . com search by Source idea and just listen to some....


There is a sea of Audio advise out here and it is tough for a beginner to wade through all the bullshit and figure out what sound I like, and then how to reproduce it...

I am a second generation Dead Head (my dad taped over 168 dead shows going Nakamichi CM 300's straight into a Marantz PMD 430) and I plan on taping what Dead reunion shows I can and other than that I want to "tape" Dark Star Orchestra, Ratdog, Phil & Friends, and other modern jam bands that still tour a lot.  As well as Steve Pryor (Tulsa Blues guitar player) who plays bar gigs and assorted smaller venues.

So there...if anyone actually read that they now understand something of my situation, and I would be very appreciative if anyone would take the time and offer their recommendations to a beginner.

Thanks.

[Mr.Fantasy]

Come on now.....Heaven help the Fool....

[BWolf]

What is your budget?

If you are set on Neumann (and its a good choice in my opinion), I would suggest the 140s.  That way, you can buy extra caps and be versatile in your ability to adapt to situations.  With the 18x series, you are limited to the single pattern that you bought.  With the 14x series, you can change caps and achieve many styles and recording patterns.

If you have no budget and just want the top of the line mic, look at the u89i or the tlm 170.   Now these are all Neumann mics.  There are a number of other brands out there.  Remember, everyone hears things differently and you should make your own opinion based on what you like!

[waltmon]

Gotta say vote 140 for the all purpose Nuemann here, from experience.  They definitely sound better thean the 184's and if your budget can stand the active set up package, well worth it. The active cables give you a greatr low profile option, extra light weight for clamping on other peoples stands.

   I had a dude clamp U89's (I think it was Tim)...any way to my little Boegen, and that baby was stressin'   

I also have a 722 available if it fits your budget....sorry for the shameless advertisement...I'm moving to 744T.

[TNJazz]

I just read the entire SD 722 vs. Korg Mr1000 thread all the way through, and now I have to decide if I want DSD or if I want to stick with whatever the 722 or the marantz 420 record in

That would be PCM.  Just to note, the Korg also records PCM, at sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz.  So if you didn't want to jump to DSD right away (due to the limited ability to play back full blown DSD at this time) you could always record PCM.

I have a 744T and a Korg in our small pack, and given the choice I would run the Korg over the 744 every single time if it were a stereo recording opportunity.  If its more than 2 channels we will use the 744 strictly out of convenience.  If Korg came out with a 4 or 8 channel portable, I'd ditch the 744 and NEVER look back.

[JoeKiller]

Being that you are starting out and money is not object, why not start smaller and get into the hobby first.  I've been in it for about 1.5 years and my tapes now, with the exact same equipment, sound sooo much better.  Taping isn't just getting the right gear, there is some art to it.  Go in the field and actually feel the wook stench attack your better senses.  Learn the skills and soon you will become a jedi taper.  You will need mind tricks sometimes.  I really suggest going for experience before you get the stuff with big $$$.  Unless you are always going to put hours into post production to put the stuff on the web every time, you are only recording for yourself. 

for what it is worth, I didn't buy my things until I had accumulated over 24 hours on this board in my stats and I still didn't quite know what I was doing!

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I agree that there are many really good options other than just Neumanns.  Unless you are planning to tape a lot of shows where you are the only taper, consider first getting a good recorder that will accept a 24-bit digital stream and then being a patcher for a while.  Take a lot of different digital patches, keep precise documentation, and after a while you'll have samples of situations and gear you want to consider.    I think that will help you a lot more than downloading samples from the internet because when you get home you will hear a recording of the show you just heard from the position where you listened.  I suggest patching out of less expensive rigs on some nights just to see how they compare.

In my case I started with some used Naks and when I was ready to pick new mics I listened to a comparison tape from Sonic Sense.  After listening to every track about 20 times, I ended up going with the Neumann KM184s because I liked the sound the best across the sample set.

You should look in the teams forum and find out where your local TS members are taping and you can meet some good people to help you with a patch and explain their rigs.