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Author Topic: What are your "holy grail" mics?  (Read 16619 times)

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Offline tim in jersey

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #30 on: August 11, 2018, 02:20:18 AM »
Well that would be my sequential s/n Km84s in a Schoeps wooden box.  ;D ;D   Bought these from a guy who needed money for car repairs. 1k for the pair in great condition.

$1000?!  Goodness, I just threw up in my mouth a little.  Right place, right time!

I bought my Schoeps MK4/41>CMC 6, shocks and ORTF bar rig for under $2.5K back around 2003/2004 from a Wall St. trader Panic taper that wanted out of the game... I've since added 4v's to the arsenal and traded the 4's for a pair of MK21's and added KC5's.

Also added a pair of AKG 480 bodies and CK98 short shotgun caps, 2 pair of AKG 568's that were sitting on top of an electronics disposal pile after a room demolition from where I worked at the time a few years back. Oh, and a few AKG Blueline bodies and card caps and articulating knuckles from the same dumpster-dive. All approved by management. And I quote: "We no longer need that 'junk'. Take it home if you want."

OK!

Offline voltronic

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #31 on: August 11, 2018, 03:13:33 PM »
I also don't think there is any sort of magic microphone that transforms your recordings.  There is definitely a quality difference between the high end brands and the cheap stuff, but experience and proper technique make so much more of a difference than throwing more money at the situation.

That said, here are some mics I would like to own if I could afford them.  You can tell I'm a fan of omnis.

B&K 4006 TL (discontinued; replaced with DPA 4006)
Josephson c617set
Sonodore LDM-54
Sennheiser MKH30


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Offline EmRR

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #32 on: August 11, 2018, 11:19:15 PM »
I also don't think there is any sort of magic microphone that transforms your recordings.  There is definitely a quality difference between the high end brands and the cheap stuff, but experience and proper technique make so much more of a difference than throwing more money at the situation.

You can tell I'm a fan of omnis.

Yeah, I'm with ya.  Just today I did an omni mic comparison with a close acoustic guitar, 4 mics, and they are all useful.  The preference even switches up depending on the playing style.  The angle of the mic makes a big difference.  In some cases any two might sound pretty much the same, in another case wildly different.  It's in figuring what to do with them, where to put them, how to treat them in post, etc. 
Mics: DPA 4060 w/MPS 6030 PSU/DAD6001/DAD4099, Neumann KM 131, Oktava MK 012, Sennheiser MKH 105, MKH 20, MKH 30, MKH 40, MKH 800 TWIN
Recorders: Zoom F8n, Sony MZ-R50

Online billydee

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #33 on: August 12, 2018, 12:17:59 PM »
Nakamichi CM-700's with all of the capsules they offered.

Offline aaronji

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #34 on: August 13, 2018, 06:16:41 PM »
I'll have to listen to some DPA recordings.  Thanks for the heads up.  You're talking about the MMP-C bodies right?

Yes, the MMP-C. There is a photo of one in this post with a quarter for size reference. I thought I posted one with an AA battery, too, but I can't find it at the moment. I can take other pictures, if you'd like. These things are small enough that I almost always clip to the XLR instead of the mic body itself. Saves wear and tear on the bodies and it also allows me to set-up almost completely before taking the mics out of their cozy little Pelican home!

DPA also sells full-sized bodies and a couple of flavors of active cables (either P48 or microdot, each available with end or side cable exits). The microdot actives can be used with a d:vice (and, presumably, other low voltage supplies). Of course, there are a bunch of capsules available, including a couple of "budget" options, and a number of cool accessories.

The 4015s were my grail mics (which I would define as "mics I lust after that are either too expensive, too scarce, or both" rather than as "magical and defying the laws of physics") until I found a gently used pair at a decent price. I guess now I would love to get some 4011 caps...

Offline justink

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #35 on: August 13, 2018, 11:10:29 PM »
I've got my Holy Grail mics... both pair of DPA's.  my next "fill in the blank" mics for my kit are one of the active variety AKG hyper ck3 or ck93 variety.
Mics:
DPA 4023 (Cardioid)
DPA 4028 (Subcardioid)
DPA 4018V (Supercardioid)
Earthworks TC25 (Omni) 

Pres and A/D's:
Grace Design Lunatec V3 (Oade ACM)
Edirol UA-5 (bm2p+ Mod)

Recorders:
Sound Devices MixPre10 II
Edirol R-44 (Oade CM)
Sony PCM‑M10

Offline goodcooker

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #36 on: August 14, 2018, 02:26:24 PM »

Hypercardioids - Schoeps MK41
Cardioids - DPA 4011TL and/or Schoeps M221tube body/M934b capsule
Wide Cardioid - Neumann ak43/km100/LC3 although I do love my MBHO subcards for a lot less money...
Omni - DPA 4006

A pair of AKG C61 would be nice too...

Line Audio CM3/OM1 || MBHO KA500 hyper>PFA|| ADK A51 type IV || AKG C522XY
Oade Warm Mod and Presence+ Mod UA5s || Aerco MP2(needs help) || Neve Portico 5012 || Apogee MMP
SD Mixpre6 || Oade Concert Mod DR100mkii

pocket sized - CA11 cards > SP SB10 > Sony PCM A10

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Offline Gutbucket

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #37 on: August 27, 2018, 12:12:42 PM »
What are your "holy grail" mics?

The one I've searched for for years yet remains unobtainable.  Technically not outside the realm of possibility, yet not offered by any manufacturer that I'm aware of- A lightweight, miniature, low-voltage-powered, two-wire capable bi-directional (fig-8).

The transformer balanced version of the Niaint X-8S is closest I've found, but is heavy and not two-wire capable.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline muj

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #38 on: August 28, 2018, 03:42:36 AM »



starting to love this one...

jcable77

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #39 on: August 28, 2018, 04:00:54 AM »
I dont know about “holy grail” but ive wanted a pair of Earthworks SR77’s for maybe 20 years now. Some day...

Offline voltronic

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #40 on: August 28, 2018, 06:00:18 AM »
What are your "holy grail" mics?

The one I've searched for for years yet remains unobtainable.  Technically not outside the realm of possibility, yet not offered by any manufacturer that I'm aware of- A lightweight, miniature, low-voltage-powered, two-wire capable bi-directional (fig-8).

The transformer balanced version of the Niaint X-8S is closest I've found, but is heavy and not two-wire capable.

Not 2-wire and not miniature, but this as small a fig-8 I know of.  About the same size as a Schoeps CCM8, but 1/3 the price.

http://ambient.de/en/product/emesser/
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Offline Gutbucket

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #41 on: August 28, 2018, 08:41:02 AM »
^ Thanks.  Aware of that one but never tried it.  Seems about as close as it gets, afterwhich the search goes cold.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline dactylus

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #42 on: August 28, 2018, 09:02:12 AM »

starting to love this one...

^^^^
What kind of mic is that muj?
hot licks > microphones > recorder



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Offline rocksuitcase

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #43 on: August 28, 2018, 09:02:51 AM »
Used to be an AKG C422 would have been my holy grail. Nowadays I find myself coveting the MBHO line if I weren't such an AKG hound.    OTH, those Earthworks sure are purty.     
music IS love

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Mics:         AKG460|CK61|CK1|CK3|CK8|Beyer M 201E|DPA 4060 SK
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Offline Gutbucket

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Re: What are your "holy grail" mics?
« Reply #44 on: August 28, 2018, 01:17:11 PM »

starting to love this one...

^^^^
What kind of mic is that muj?

A search turned up B9 Audio- https://b9audio.com/. Looks to be a Chinese microphone manufacturer emulating Schoeps. 

Their microphones look attractive, the published response graphs look good and the samples on the site sound nice, but not much info there otherwise.  Here's a cut-sheet on the Blumlien stereo microphone muj appears to be using- https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/48a8cb31-a4e2-44b6-a8d3-b3e77664ad9f/downloads/1ccqt2plq_835666.pdf

In addition to that and various cardioids, omnis, a supercard and and shotgun, there is a native B-format ambisonic microphone and an interesting emulation of the Schoeps KFM360 called the VR Ball- https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/48a8cb31-a4e2-44b6-a8d3-b3e77664ad9f/downloads/1ci1clsft_157637.pdf.

It is similar to KFM360 but includes the addition of a 2nd pair of fig-8's, vertically-oriented in addition to the horizontally-oriented 8's coincidently arranged with the flush-mounted omnis on either side of the sphere, as well as a front-center microphone position which apparently may be swapped between various polar patterns.  Making a total channel count of 7 recorded channels rather than 4 if all microphones are in use.  This one is interesting since the KFM360 has long represented a holy grail microphone for me (which is actually attainable, if not by myself), which has influenced my thinking about live music recording and the development of my oddball mic techniques. I dreamed up pretty much this same combination a few times over the years while thinking about that stuff and it's interesting to see such a flight of fancy appear as an actual product!

Hoping muj will chime in with more info and details on the qualities of the Blumlien stereo mic..
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

 

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