Topic: AKG sd advice

[Tye]

 It's time to unload my LD's and knock down the size of my rig

 I have been luggin large cans around since I started taping so I have decided to move to AKG SD's  and finally become a member of Team AKG!
 

 I mostly run indoors in small/big clubs and ocasionally in bigger venues and outside

 Would like to start with a 400 series but the lack of money is guiding me towards the 300 series.

 Anyway I plan on running my BM2p+ UA5 > JB3 behind what I end up getting but   
after reading up on these mics it sounds like the Wmod UA5 is better suited for
AKG's (correct me if I'm wrong)

 Don't want to part with my busman mod yet  so I was wondering if anyone here runs AKG391's> BM2p+UA5>JB3  or possibly JWmod460's > BM2p+UA5>JB3  and might have some pros and cons on each setup.

 The low end is what I am searching for most of my recordings lack that low end the AKGs usually bring.
   
 I will most likely go with cards to start but if I find a good deal on hypers I'm snatching them up!

 I will have to sell off my SP C3's to fund the new mics so keep an eye out in the yard sale soon if you are interested .   
                            Tye

[audBall]

 Don't want to part with my busman mod yet  so I was wondering if anyone here runs AKG391's> BM2p+UA5>JB3  or possibly JWmod460's > BM2p+UA5>JB3  and might have some pros and cons on each setup.

Paging bdasilva re: 39x's > BM2p+

IMO, the Busman mods and AKG's are a perfect match.  When I owned my UA5, my AKGs (although LDs) sounded fantastic through it. Mitch ran his AKG SE5's (older SDs) through it for a few songs one night and I was real happy with the results.  The BM2 always seemed to produce a nice, tight, yet fully round low end 

Hope this helps..

[Tye]

  I figured the bm2p+ mod would pair up nice with mostly any mic and sound nice.

 Don't get me wrong I love my busman mod and it has tightend up the low end dramaticlly when I got some Hydra silvers you could really  hear how the mod opened up the low and high ends!

[jnorman34]

the 460s will demonstrate a much lower noise floor than the 391b's, and have better quality mic amps.  i do like both mics though, and have gotten excellent results from both sets.  the 460s are particularly wonderful if modded by jim williams, and reach a quality simijlar to the 480s.   however, the mods are not cheap, and i wouldnt hesitate to go with the 391s, depending on how good a deal you can find on a pair.  i have done some very nice studio recordings with the blue line mics, and they are a favorite of some of the jazz musicians i work with.

[poorlyconditioned]

the 460s will demonstrate a much lower noise floor than the 391b's, and have better quality mic amps.  i do like both mics though, and have gotten excellent results from both sets.  the 460s are particularly wonderful if modded by jim williams, and reach a quality simijlar to the 480s.   however, the mods are not cheap, and i wouldnt hesitate to go with the 391s, depending on how good a deal you can find on a pair.  i have done some very nice studio recordings with the blue line mics, and they are a favorite of some of the jazz musicians i work with.

Cool.  Nice to hear some positive comments about the bluelines...

[jeromejello]

i run the 460s into a bm2p+ and love it.  i have many shows into the oade dmod and those are really nice too, but he busman ua-5 was a definate upgrade... more detailed, but kept the warm analogish sound i like.

[BayTaynt3d]

I just upgraded to 480's from 390's. Not sure, but they (the 390's) might be going up for sale soon...

[Tye]

i run the 460s into a bm2p+ and love it.  i have many shows into the oade dmod and those are really nice too, but he busman ua-5 was a definate upgrade... more detailed, but kept the warm analogish sound i like.

 Are your 460's modded? I haven't heard many good things about unmodded 460's. It seems like most would rather just go to the 480's

[bluegrass_brad]

I prefer my unmodded 460's to the modded ones.  I like the transformer sound though.  I thought the modded 460's were a bit bright for my taste, but as always YMMV.  460's are a definite improvement over the Bluelines, but the bluelines are very nice for the price.

[jhirte]

I think there are a set of 460's in the Yard Sale section? also, check ebay, I saw a set on there for reasonable last week (thursday?) might still be on there.

I'd go 460's over 300's any day of the week. You'll get higher quality mic in all aspects, and the ability to get the JW mod down the road.

I've only run my 460's thru a UA-5 (d-mod) once. It was very good sounding. but I still prefer the V3 over the UA5.

Good luck!

-Jim

[carlbeck]

Yup, I would take a pair of 460's over bluelines any day of the week. I started with 390's back in the day & when I moved up to a pair of 480's it was like night & day. The 460's are closest to the 480's & are about the same price used.

[anodyne33]

I won't harp on it 'casue I seem to fluff the Bluelines at every chance I get, but here's a recording that Swampy made of my old band that made me but them for myself:

http://www.archive.org/details/Doodis2005-07-23.flac

and I have a show in the kickdown that I did last weekend of a Jazz/Funk?rock group stagelip with mine that I like a lot.

Both were 391s>stock UA5

-s

[TNJazz]

I like the transformer sound though.

QFT.  All hail the mighty transformer!

Are your 460's modded? I haven't heard many good things about unmodded 460's. It seems like most would rather just go to the 480's

With the CK61 cap, yes the modded 460s and 480s sound better than the stock 460s.  With the classic CK1 cap though, it's a whole different story.

[F.O.Bean]

I won't harp on it 'casue I seem to fluff the Bluelines at every chance I get, but here's a recording that Swampy made of my old band that made me but them for myself:

http://www.archive.org/details/Doodis2005-07-23.flac

and I have a show in the kickdown that I did last weekend of a Jazz/Funk?rock group stagelip with mine that I like a lot.

Both were 391s>stock UA5

-s

heres another recording from the same festie, diff band w/ 481>v3 for comparisons sake

swampy's split 391's were tight

[jnorman34]

comparing the 480s to the blueline mics is a bit unfair.  the 480s rank among the very finest SD condenser mics available today.  they are nearly interchangeable with my DPA 4011s, and i prefer the 480s to the schoeps cmc64s i had.  while i have always liked the bluelines, the 480s offer an amazingly transparent, flat and accurate rendering of literally every source i have used them on - they are my favorite mics and i use them on every studio session.  stock 460s are indeed a nicer made mic than the blueines, but the acoustic differences between 391s and 460s are more in terms of differnt timbre, whereas the 480s are basically invisible and do not seem to color the source at all. 

[RebelRebel]

comparing the 480s to the blueline mics is a bit unfair.  the 480s rank among the very finest SD condenser mics available today.  they are nearly interchangeable with my DPA 4011s, and i prefer the 480s to the schoeps cmc64s i had.  while i have always liked the bluelines, the 480s offer an amazingly transparent, flat and accurate rendering of literally every source i have used them on - they are my favorite mics and i use them on every studio session.  stock 460s are indeed a nicer made mic than the blueines, but the acoustic differences between 391s and 460s are more in terms of differnt timbre, whereas the 480s are basically invisible and do not seem to color the source at all. 

I dont hear the 480 as being invisible at all.....  dont hear schoeps as invisible either. i dont think ive ever heard any mic that I would call invisble other than my mk221/c617 (mg) and my 4006TLs. the AKG 480s had a low end thump that I did not care for . the mk4 ..i can take or leave, but the mk2S and mk21... top notch.

the modded 460s sound really nice to me.

[jeromejello]

i run the 460s into a bm2p+ and love it.  i have many shows into the oade dmod and those are really nice too, but he busman ua-5 was a definate upgrade... more detailed, but kept the warm analogish sound i like.

 Are your 460's modded? I haven't heard many good things about unmodded 460's. It seems like most would rather just go to the 480's

mine are stock 460s, and to reinforce what has already been said, i prefer the transformer sound.  if i desire a different, faster, more transparent sound, i can still send them in for the mod.

with my playback and my tastes for analoguish warm fuzzies, i am very happy with my 460s the way they are.

[jnorman34]

raoul and teddy - i'm just relating my opinions based on my personal experiences with each of those mics in the studio.   YMMV, as they say...

[RebelRebel]

raoul and teddy - i'm just relating my opinions based on my personal experiences with each of those mics in the studio.   YMMV, as they say...

no worries. I just find it remarkable that people hear things so differently! crazy stuff! I got called deaf for saying that schoeps sounded a bit "closed"..but that is what they sound like to me.

As far as AKG goes...I have to say that the 426B has to be the best mic ever.

[anodyne33]

i prefer the transformer sound. 

that makes me miss working in a room with 5 KM84i's

[jhirte]

raoul and teddy - i'm just relating my opinions based on my personal experiences with each of those mics in the studio.   YMMV, as they say...

no worries. I just find it remarkable that people hear things so differently! crazy stuff! I got called deaf for saying that schoeps sounded a bit "closed"..but that is what they sound like to me.

As far as AKG goes...I have to say that the 426B has to be the best mic ever.

I have similar feelings towards Schoeps. Never have been a big fan. Don't get me wrong, I have heard some amazing tapes with them, but something about their sound I don't dig, and I cannot put my finger on what it is exactly.

Been VERY happy with my 460's since I bought them over 2 years ago..

with that said, I dont think there is any comparison between the 300's and the 460/480 lines. to me the 300's sound very colored. And again, same with the Schoeps, I've heard some amazing tapes done with them..

I guess it all comes down to preference. What you want to hear/can hear. which all goes down to preamps/ad combos, room sound, the mix, your playback, etc..etc..