Topic: Newbie: Advice on buying the right Mic set up

[guysonic]

Not yet mentioned are my versatile headworn or baffle mic stand mounted (same set can be used for both purposes) Sonic Studios DSM mics.   Baffle can be made of wrapped-twine bound up on mic stand cotton towel.

One advantage is D50 direct powering of these mics with NO performance hit common of other mics requiring higher mic powering for fullest loudness handling.

Model DSM-6S/L is suggested as appropriate for your interests using deck setting on 24 bit depth, and mic input setting in LOW or 20 dB (preamp gain switch function) giving this deck's lowest distortion, widest frequency bandwidth, and maximum input headroom.

See retail section for more details on two piece DSM mic + flash deck compatible rigs: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=83254.0

Many hundreds of sample music recordings made with headworn or baffled DSM mics found at www.sonicstudios.com/mp3_2slp.htm

Using a DSM mic array gives you the best for having both very low profile and mic-stand mounted recording ability.

[rich]

i totally agree with Todd R with respect to leftover cash for things like shock mounts, mic cables, windscreens, mic stand, memory cards, etc. also, once you get your core rig thought out, purchased, and assembled...i highly recommend finding a gear bag that adequately stores and protects your gear. it does not have to be flashy. it does not have to be a porta brace, petrol, kata, etc. your local camera store and/or REI and/or whatever has plenty of options. i am a big fan of gear bags that now have a built in rain cover...rain does not fall in indoor arenas, but beverages often do. good luck and have fun.

rich

[ArchivalAudio]

just saw Dean was selling his ADKs he keep his gear very clean and is a trustworthy and upstanding guy
get his  mics here: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=138580.0
and a little box and you'll be good to go!


here are a number of LMA recordings with the ADK's
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=ADK%20AND%20collection%3Aetree

and of Dean's recordings on LMA ( various rigs)
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=grabski

[acidjack]

Agree with much of what has been said here.   I don't know your background in taping, but one consideration not to be overlooked is the old adage "buy nice or buy twice".  This advice is advice I should have taken myself but didn't.  I had taped enough that I knew I would be taping a good bit and generally liked what it was about.... but ended up buying tons of different gear in rapid succession until I ended up with what I have now, Schoeps and DPAs.

I'm not suggesting you get Schoeps and DPAs - but I would say that if there is a set of mics you *really like* that is a slight reach for you (maybe, for instance, the Neumann 184s) it's worth waiting a couple extra months to get that rather than ending up making "incremental" upgrades.

The Naiant littlebox is a solid product that is probably worth the investment no matter what mics you get; it's small, easy to use, inexpensive, and high quality.

To that and the excellent D50, I'd get the absolute best mics *that you personally like* that you can afford.  Meaning, if to your ears something less expensive or not from one of the best-known German/Danish manufacturers is your favorite, go that route.  I have zero knowledge of the Milabs or ADKs, but those are two examples of slightly less "big name" products that many love. 

To give a simpler answer to your questions, if you're buying new and you get a littlebox, that leaves you with cash for Pelusos or Busmans.  If you're buying used and willing to wait, you can probably get some AKG 460s in that range as well.    Again, it really depends on what you like.  There is something to be said for buying new, in terms of warranty service and knowing how the product has been treated.  However, I've bought both of my high end mic sets on this board in the YS and had zero problems. 

Also, if you like the sound of themdix 1280s are in the range, new, and they have the advantage of being easily usable for low-pro work, especially if you get a Church $65 active cable and a small battery box. 

[Fitz]

Great stuff guys.. I am seriously considering the Nevaton MCE-400 microphones in the yard sale as a set of stealth mics (waiting to hear back form BC).  The little/tiny box preamp.. as for the stand set up, I am still up in the air and will listen to some LMA shows with the ADKs adn follwo up..  For some reason my brain is pushing me to over spend and buy some Neumann KM187.. someone talk me out ot that 

Thanks again,
Fitz

[Fitz]

Acid Jack,
You make a great point hence the reason form my hesitiation on the open set up, I will most likely streatch myself however the Nevaton MCE-400 mics sound really good and will cover a stealth set up and get me into the game with up comming Hot Buttered Rum show.'

Thanks for the food for thought..

[Todd R]

More food for thought:  I wouldn't recommend omni mics generally for open taping (like the mce400).

For stealth taping, omni mics are much more forgiving for head/body movement if you've got the mics mounted on your head/person.  Also with stealth, you may well (thinking GA shows here) have the ability to get into the "impact" zone and be very close to speaker/PA stacks where you've got a good ratio of music to chatter.  For open taping though, you'll often be in a taping section, probably further back, and in those instances I don't think omnis are usually the best choice.

I really don't know anyone who uses omnis for indoor, open taping on a regular basis (for 2 channel anyway), particularly for open taping back in a taping section.  Omnis outdoors, omnis on-stage, omnis as part of a 4 mic mix with some direction mics, yes.  But generally for open, taperssection taping, people are using directional mics like cardioid mics or hyper-cardioid mics.

You might want to do some listening to omni recordings in general (regardless of brand) for indoor shows -- check out Archive.org for instance.

Sounds like you might want to get the nevatons to get you covered for stealth and get different mics for open, which isn't a bad plan.  But if you end up using your Nevaton omnis for indoor, open taping in the short term, you might be a bit disappointed with your recordings, esp if people are anywhere near as chatty for bluegrassy bands out your way as they are in CO.

Also, if you're on a limited budget, you might put some consideration on how you'd like to split up your funds for stealth mics vs open mics, depending on what type of recording you're expecting to do.  As in, split the funds evenly; put more towards open with a more modest stealth set up; or get a high-end stealth set up and put little to no money towards the open set up.

[acidjack]

^^^ Also true.  The one good thing about going the Nevatons route is, I think they are at least generally accepted to be good enough that you won't be itching to "upgrade" them for quite awhile - you can keep them and get some new cards later, rather than get cheap cards, dump them at a loss, and get more cards.  I had my DPA 4061s before my HQ cardiod mics, and I plan to keep them pretty much indefinitely.  Small, HQ omni mics are easier and cheaper to make... IMHO there is a lot more variation in the quality of cardiod mics, and it is much harder to have a small, cheap cardiod mic that shines in open-taping scenarios than a small, cheap, omni mic that will be damn good if used right (which probably means, headworn or other applications like onstage... not being in a taping section).

You can get some good recordings with the Nevatons without investing in a stand or the other accoutrements of the hobby, and heck, you CAN open tape with them (especially outdoors) in a taping section type scenario and it won't be abysmal, probably - just not ideal. 

It's worth noting that the open-taping applications of small omnis can be improved by the use of a Jecklin disc or "J-disc", or other types of boundary mounts, which can make them more directional.

Anyway, while you're enjoying your Nevatons, you can always be saving up for the killer cardiods you really want...   

[ArchivalAudio]

check out the countryman B3's
read this thread
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=138486.0
and listen to some of Richard's samples with them
personally I get some sweet open mics first then worry about the low profile $teAlth stuff later

-Ian