I don't mean to be flaming but rather wonder if I am the only person who finds Nak mics, CM 100/300 and 700 the most over hyped mics ever made. Back in the early 80's, 83-84, when I first started taping I pluged into several tapers that used these mics. I did so upon the recommendation of other tapers who loved them. Well, it didn't take long for me to determine that I didn't like them, finding them too far removed from the original source. Anytime I recorded with them they seemed to give a way differant sonic impression than what I remembered at the show.
I went to Senn. 421's or 441's, AT's and then AKG 460's, 480's, Schoeps CCM4, etc. blah, blah, blah..............for a more enjoyable and accurate sound. Listening to recordings made with Nak mics always gave me a head ache within 7-10 minutes, forcing me to turn it off and find something else that sounded more relaxed.
Anyway, IMO, here is what I think Nak does wrong:
1) They mess up the timbre of instruments
2) They tend to compress, thus compromising dynamics
3) They have a mid bass boost that adds punch but loses defination "one note sounding"
4) They exagerate the high end adding splashiness
5) The midrange has an uneasy edginess to them
Again, IMO this is the house sound that I have found throughout the entire Nak series.
After 23 years of recording I haven't found one mic that annoys me more than Nak. Am I the only one that thinks so? Are my ears that screwed up? Why are folks so in love with these mics? Is it that they compensate for the sonic deviations of their playback systems?
I have noticed that on a boom box the coloration of the Nak mics are not noticable and can sound pleasing but on anything accurate they sound like finger nails on a chalk board.
Do I need to get my hearing checked or are there some serious problems with these mics?
I respect stlram's comments, but as a dedicated Nak user, I am going to have to put my two cents into the argument.
1) They mess up the timbre of instrumentsI think that alot of different factors will mess up the timbre of a sound. The room, that crazy wind in the ampitheater, your mics being a centemeter off center. Timbre is just such a variable, and I think that a better mic will produce a more true timbre, but I also think that Nak's do just fine with it!
2) They tend to compress, thus compromising dynamicsThis one I really can't agree with. I think that when used properly in the right setting, Nak's will not compress. For example, if you use the cp4 shotgun caps in a bar taping a band without a pa, you may get some odd effects, because the Shotguns are unneccessary in that setting. This also depends almost soley on the other equipment it is plugged into.
3) They have a mid bass boost that adds punch but loses defination "one note sounding"That may be my only valid complaint about my Nak's. Ideally, every tape I make would have that slightly comressed, punchy, tight bass sound that you might hear on a digital soundboard recording. Nak's can make the bass a bit muddy, and like you said, "one note sounding." A good example would be the Dead at Bonnaroo 2004. Every tape I hear has Phil tottally IN YOUR FACE. But it definitely came out worse through the Nak source I have.
4) They exagerate the high end adding splashinessI've never had a problem with this. Actually, it's quite the opposite. I usually have to compensate for the slight (and I emphasize slight) high cut by moving my rig closer to the speakers/sound source.
5) The midrange has an uneasy edginess to them Now this makes me mad, just kidding!!!
To me, Nak's have the warmest midrange of their microphone type. It's no wonder that countless pairs (and even trios) of Naks have been ran through reel to reel tape machines. The mics have this warm, fuzzy blanket around their sound, and I just can't get over that vintage-y analog type sound coming through on your speakers during transfer. Once again, if used in the wrong situation, or with a bad sound source, your mids will come out harsh.
But then again, if you are taping a bad sound source, your tape is going to sound bad, no matter what mics you use.
So thanks, stlram, I enjoyed analyzing my favorite (and only) mics in the world!
Please, let's hear some more thoughts!