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Author Topic: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?  (Read 17674 times)

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runonce

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #15 on: January 05, 2011, 04:20:06 PM »
The BSC1's are great IMO.  Can't beat em for the price. 
And I don't think that there is anything similar at all about the BSC1's and "Chinese" mics except for the appearance.
As far as I know, Busman builds/wires the internals himself with high quality components where possible.  I believe that he uses the best components that he can use AND keep them at a price point that is affordable to most "invested" tapers/musicians.   And he provides excellent quality control and customer service.

They aren't a pair of Schoeps/Neumanns/Gefells.....  but they don't cost the same as a pair of Schoeps/Neumanns/Gefells either.
Even though my pair of BSC1's are on the back burner right now....  unless the day comes that I feel that they are obsolete for me, I can't imagine ever dumping em.....  they are worth way more than their price tag in my book.  Great sounding mics that won't give you an ulcer worrying about em when you have to go take a leak.

275(?) shows are a lot of shows....  but I guarantee that everyone could use a pair of hypers in their bag now and then.  zman's experience out-weighs his gear bag........  his experience helps him make great recordings with a single pair of mics. 

But I would agree that one pair of mics with single capsules can definitely be superior to one pair of mics with multiple capsules.  But the options for that scenario are slim when looking within a "reasonable" price range.

I think that burris is pissin on a product that he's not familiar with (no offense intended).  But then again...  I'm a Busman fluffer.

BSC1's come from NoCal....  not China.

He might do business out of NoCal - but I'd be certain the mics are manufactured in China...

But - I think the materials and circuits are all specified by Busman...and perhaps there is something he does to the capsules stateside.

I've held the Busmans and their twin, the Avantone CK1 - and the Busman is much heavier and seems a better build...and sounds much better to me.

And for the record, the Behr C2s do suck badly - the Avantones are much better for the price...

Chinese SDs are NOT all the same!!!

Offline yug du nord

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #16 on: January 05, 2011, 04:27:34 PM »
^I'm no authority and could very well be wrong..... but doesn't Busman upgrade the critical internal guts....  which creates his own sonic signature?  I don't know how much difference it actually makes, but I'm pretty sure that Chinese mics don't feature van den Hul wiring.

I agree.... not all Chinese mics are the same.  That's why it can be a crap shoot with em......  poor quality control.
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Offline Belexes

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #17 on: January 05, 2011, 04:53:22 PM »
]It seems like a great deal but you don't need all those patterns.

You need more options than just cardioids for various different taping situations. To limit yourself to one pattern will not do you any favors.
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Offline Todd R

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #18 on: January 05, 2011, 06:02:59 PM »
^I'm no authority and could very well be wrong..... but doesn't Busman upgrade the critical internal guts....  which creates his own sonic signature?  I don't know how much difference it actually makes, but I'm pretty sure that Chinese mics don't feature van den Hul wiring.

I agree.... not all Chinese mics are the same.  That's why it can be a crap shoot with em......  poor quality control.

Semantics probably, but when I'm talking about chinese mics, I'm talking about components from china, particularly bodies and especially capsules.  I've heard some allusions to busman's new modified capsules, so I don't really know about those, but the BSC mics had originally been made using chinese bodies + capsules.  Busman definitely had his own stamp on them, either by specifying what electronics went into them or by stuffing and soldering them himself (don't know which one it is).

But this isn't different from any of the other companies selling "chinese" mics -- they aren't just one exact kind of mics with different brand names on them. There probably are lots and lots of different "chinese" mics based on internal designs and component selections.  A smaller range in capsule as many mics use the same capsules, though there are also some different capsules used in the various china-sourced mics.

Studio Projects and Behringer are probably specifying what they want too, like busman.  But I know that Pelusos and Charter Oaks are done the same way as Busmans -- use the chinese bodies and capsules and then provide their own electronics and components (again, I don't know if this is specified and then done in a chinese factory or done in-house by these microphone companies). 

Clearly the boards, circuit designs, components, build-quality, reliability, etc, can all vary on the chinese based mics. I'm sure Charter Oak and Peluso are just as proud of their mics are as Busman is, and their users are likewise just as proud (I know I have a high opinion of the Charter Oaks I have, having owned and used many of the other ones). To me though, that doesn't change the fact that they all fall into the camp of "chinese" mics.

Again, semantics really, but if Busmans (at least the original bsc mics) don't fall into the category of chinese mics, then neither should Charter Oaks, and Pelusos, and ADK's, and Avantones (and Rodes, and AKG Perceptions, etc, etc).
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Offline willndmb

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #19 on: January 05, 2011, 08:21:59 PM »
i like my BM mic set and have been thinking of selling it
if someone is interested PM me

reason for sale, just have not been using them as much as i had hoped and could use the money for other things in life
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Offline setboy

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #20 on: January 05, 2011, 09:28:32 PM »
]It seems like a great deal but you don't need all those patterns.

You need more options than just cardioids for various different taping situations. To limit yourself to one pattern will not do you any favors.

I agree. I almost never run cards with the venues I tape at.

Offline page

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #21 on: January 05, 2011, 09:36:45 PM »

Your favorite mics suck.  ;D

fair enough.  :D

In all seriousness though, it's why I advocate that the OP listens to the AKG blueline mics and see if that's something he's interested in. Just cause I don't like the house sound doesn't mean someone else might not, and at the end of the day, we're taping for ourselves first most of the time.

The SP C4s are sort of budget mics right? That would be another one to tack on the list maybe.
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Offline acidjack

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #22 on: January 06, 2011, 10:48:12 AM »
Quote
Then why do I have 4 pairs?  And why are you getting one more pair -- though conveniently dropping me to 3 pairs as it raises you to 2.  :P  (Yours are on the way, BTW.  I'll send tracking shortly.)

My over-abundance of hypers that I'm working to pare back notwithstanding, I actually agree with Burris about the cardioids.  I've often owned cards only at several points in my taping career, and they are very versatile and you can make lots and lots of good tapes with just cards at your disposal.


I think because I'm turning into as much of a gear slut as you are.  That being a compliment, of course  ;D
 
I tape indoors almost exclusively, and some of those venues are quite boomy.  Sometimes the mk41s, because of their flatter response, don't cut through that as much as I'd like.  As is probably true for you, hypers are more important to me than they are to others. 

But as it seems you also agree, if I only had one set of mics, it'd be a good pair of cardiods (although it'd be an awfully close race between them and the mk41s.  And I would rather have one pair of good cardiods than 5 crappy mics of different patterns (not that the Busmans are crappy; I've never used them.  I just mean generally). 

For the OP, it really comes down to, do you like the sound of the Busmans and the price?  If you do, buy them.  If you like the sound of the AT4041s or something else in that price range more, but are holding back because they're only one pattern and/or don't come with multiple caps, you probably ought to buy the cardiod mic you prefer the sound of instead of the Busmans.
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Offline printguy

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #23 on: January 06, 2011, 11:05:42 AM »
I love my BSC1 set but would happily trade it for a pair of KM184s.
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Offline halleyscomet8

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #24 on: January 06, 2011, 11:27:49 AM »
i have only used my card caps once. i always use my subs or hypers
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Offline setboy

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #25 on: January 06, 2011, 04:44:37 PM »
I love my BSC1 set but would happily trade it for a pair of KM184s.

Offline newplanet7

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #26 on: January 06, 2011, 08:59:35 PM »
What is the realistic top end of your budget?
Like page said, there are others like the AKG Blue Line, which I am not a fan of either BTW. Those were my first mics.
I have no experience with the busmans.

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #27 on: January 07, 2011, 01:39:06 AM »
One thing to keep in mind with TS products such as these mics, and perhaps the JK Labs box...  What can you expect out of long term service???  I would rather spend extra money knowing I could have my mics serviced in 20 years...  I would love to own Busman or Peluso mics, but can you expect the longevity of AKG out of them???

That being said, I own ADKs...

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Offline Todd R

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #28 on: January 07, 2011, 11:04:28 AM »
What can you expect out of long term service???  I would rather spend extra money knowing I could have my mics serviced in 20 years.

20 years? Who keeps mics 20 years? ??? ;)

I change my mics around more often than my wife changes purses. :P
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Offline Gil

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Re: Busman BSC 1- worth buying?
« Reply #29 on: January 07, 2011, 11:47:24 AM »
What can you expect out of long term service???  I would rather spend extra money knowing I could have my mics serviced in 20 years.

20 years? Who keeps mics 20 years? ??? ;)

I change my mics around more often than my wife changes purses. :P

I've only had mine for about five or six years, but I'm pretty sure they're at least as old as I am ;D

And while we're on the topic of cheap mics, I have to throw some support behind the Nak 300s and their OEM brethren.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2011, 11:49:13 AM by Porno Gil »
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