Topic: One pair of mics

[twalker]

So, I know this is a tough question and everybody is going to have differing opinions.  But, I am curious to see what you will say.

If you could only have one pair of complete mics what would you choose?  Think of it as your desert island set.

[heehaw]

Now I'm dreaming of MKH40 pair as my first and last bulletproof setup for using it anywhere in anytime. Indoors, outdoors, winter, spring, summer and winter. Maybe to add MKH30 later

[BlingFree]

Switchable caps count?

I've never heard a bad pull from my buddy's Neumann KM 100 / AK** mics. If I were stuck with one cap per body then I'd chose the Omni and Fig 8 for Mid-Side... should have everything covered then. So practical... 

[twalker]

Switchable caps count?

I've never heard a bad pull from my buddy's Neumann KM 100 / AK** mics. If I were stuck with one cap per body then I'd chose the Omni and Fig 8 for Mid-Side... should have everything covered then. So practical... 

I was originally thinking one pair of caps and one pair of bodies.  But, I am not sure now because sometimes you just need omnis. 

The Neumanns are great.  And, the versatility is nice.  I am wondering if everything that I record could be done with a single set of wide cards.

[SmokinJoe]

TLM 170's have always impressed me.  I've just never seen a pair in my price bracket.  I guess that's like being stuck on a desert island with Angelina Jolie.

If we restrict the list to things I actually have owned or used, it's a toss up between MK4's with bodies, and the Gefell M210 hypers.  I've owned both for the last year.  I've been trying to decide which to keep and which to sell.

[acidjack]

Tossup b/w the AKG 414s (which is kind of cheating, given the multipattern function) and something else.  The MK41, if you really mean one pattern and one capsule type, would probably get the nod for me as it never sounds "bad" anywhere and sounds better further back than other things, at least in my taping situations.

[page]

I am wondering if everything that I record could be done with a single set of wide cards.

Depends on how much information more than 120 degrees of frontal axis you need (and conversely, how much you value a pressure cap over a gradient) . For most of us here, that's none, for a couple of us, it's minimal. For what I know about you're stuff, I think you could get by with a subcard if you treated them as omnis and ran AB style.

2 years ago I would have said something like an mk41 or something like that (a dark/neutral hyper). Now it's the 4015 since my taping situation has changed. I actually may trim down to just the 4015 cap for a while. 2 years from now, who knows. 

[bryonsos]

If I pick a Neumann RSM-191, do I get to pick another mic to make a pair? 

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Cheating or not, I've always been partial to a good pair of AKG 414's.  2nd choice: DPA 4011's.

[ellaguru]

mg210 for me..

[Gutbucket]

It's so situation dependant (music style, venue type, taper's perference, stealth or open, etc) that it's not suprising the answer will be wildly different for each of us.  I currently own a pair of nice German SD cardioids (Gefell M94/MV692), well regarded multipattern LDs (ADK TL), a nice stereo LD mic (Peluso P-stereo), an ambisonic mic  (Tetramic), various miniature omnis (B3, 4060, 4061, panny cap based binaurals, old Shure lavs), and some other oddballs, but if I was only allowed to use one mic model from this point forward, it would be the DPA 4060.  I do require at least 4 of them though, not just a single pair.. and I ain't budging from that stance.

[jnorman34]

i do chamber music, so i would choose a pair of KM131 near-field omnis. 

[twalker]

I wouldn't consider a multi-pattern cheating.  A good pair of classic 414 mics can go a looong way. 

Gutbucket, you are exactly right.  There are a lot of variables to factor in.  When. I first got into this I recorded rock bands in small clubs.  Then I moved in to jazz groups in recital halls, then chamber and orchestral music in halls and churches and now I am back to doing rock bands and festivlas and doing less chamber and orchestral.  I love my 4006 stereo set and you'll have to pry them from my cold dead hands.  You might -and I say MIGHT be able to trade me for a set of MG m221.  However, outdoors at festivals I just don't get what I am looking for out of them.  So, enter a good pair of whatever.  And, I still have not decided on that whatever.  Everything in its right place, I guess.

Page,  the subcard has been rattling around in my head.  And, I may experiment with a pair someday.   

Joe, I know what you mean. Maybe one day on the TLMs...Angelina though would probably have to have her brood in tow.  That may be a little more than I could handle.

If I recorded nothing but classical and I could afford it I would own a trio of U47 mics.  Then I would be done.  The sounds from Mercury living prescence are/were amazing with that trio.  And, then there was the M201 Schoeps that was used on some sessions.  But, these mics would serve little purpose in the other stuff I do. 

Jon, I have been kicking around a pair of your caps for the less than open occassions.  Maybe...someday.

If I had to sell everything (all of my mics) and live with one pair of bodies, I would have to have interchangeable caps.  I am partial to my DPAs, so I would sell my DPA 4006tl set and get a 4006a set and a pair of 11 caps.  That way I would have both omni and cards.  The second choice would be an MG SMS 2000 set with 21 and 27 caps. 

Let's hear some more.

[spyder9]

Question has been asked before, but under the context of a "dream rig."

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=103559.msg1471567#msg1471567

[twalker]

Question has been asked before, but under the context of a "dream rig."

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=103559.msg1471567#msg1471567

Actually,  this is a little different.  I am concerned with mics only and only a pair.  A lot of the dream rigs mine included are multichannel, multi mic setups.  In my last post, I went a little further in adding a second set of caps.  My initial point was to determine if you could only have one set what would they be.  Plus, the dream rigs are just that...money no object.  If I were to sell all of my gear, I still wouldn't have the money to buy my dream rig.