Small-Diaphragm Condenser mic Advice?

[BruceBrown]

I met a guy at the forum from here in Nash. named Fett. He has a studio and is an engineer here in town. I went by and saw his studio the other day and he showed me some Small condensers that he loves. he said the were cheap. I called him awhile ago as soon as I hear back I'll forward that info.
I think you can find something good in your price range.
The other option is upgrade your large diaphragm and kill 2 birds with one stone. Large Diaphragms sound good on Ac too. You can sing into it also.
My go to mic is AT 4033. Use it on everything.
Later
BB

[pedrocosta]

Thanks a lot Bruce.
Really appreciate it.

I guess I thought I'd focus on getting a second mic that was more instrument specific and then start researching a new Vocal mic.
Keep me posted on what your friend says.
Thanks again

[eeoo]

I don't have any of these mics but many folks on this forum rave about them. I almost grabbed one of these at the Road Rally. For $84 how can you go wrong? Maybe someone who has one will chime in?

http://web.me.com/finalmix/Gauge_Microp ... ECM84.html

eo

[pedrocosta]

Thanks Ethan,
I read about them on the Taxi site. But wanted to hear some testimonials as well.
From other on-line reviews I got the impression they weren't so good. But maybe some of the passengers feel otherwise

[jazzstan]

About 3 years ago I got a large diaphragm Rode NT1A to use on acoustic guitars, but a few months ago picked up a Gauge ECM-84 ...(at a discount at the Road Rally) and I'm really pleased with it.

[kitchensinkmusic]

At the rally I bought two of the gauge large diaphram ECM 87s and 1 ECM84. I gave the 84 to my drummer so I haven't spent any time with it but the 87 sounds great.
I recorded my tune Un Momento Del Castillo with Bruce's favorite mic (AT 4033) and the ECM 87 in an XY set up - each mic fully panned. I can't remember which side which mic was on and I can't hear the difference. Maybe you can.

http://soundcloud.com/richardstratton/u ... -castillo3

[pedrocosta]

Thanks guys.
This is my all in one mic right now:
http://www.apexelectronics.com/category ... t/Apex420/
They don't even mention vocals for this one. They say it's high SPL, does that mean it can double as a more of a dynamic mic?
I'm starting to feel that maybe what I should be buying is a vocal mic.

[mojobone]

I'd recommend either these Audio-Technicas, or a matched pair of Rode NT5s; they're very similar to the Neumann KM184s, if you add a little shelving boost (3db) at around 8kHz. There's an inexpensive omni capsule available, too, so these are tops for flexibility, though the ATs might have an edge in quality.

This CAD BOGO pair is a smokin' deal for the price: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... 4000000000 Even if you decide to upgrade later, they'll still come in mighty handy, cuz they're small, easily positioned, even in the tightest spaces, and come with pad and lo-cut switches.

[pedrocosta]

Thanks Mojo,

The more I read the more I think I also need to replace my vocal mic.
I was looking at the AT combo pack:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT4040SP/
Thoughts?

[mojobone]

Thanks Mojo,

The more I read the more I think I also need to replace my vocal mic.
I was looking at the AT combo pack:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT4040SP/
Thoughts?

That's very nice, if you could only have two, they'd be a safe bet, and will more than cover all the basics except stereo miking. (you can do stereo miking with a large and a small diaphragm condenser, but the larger mics can sometimes be a little tougher to position on acoustic guitar; on upright bass, using both can be a big plus, but you really want a matched pair for stuff like drum overheads)

AT's stuff is very high-quality, and a great value, they'll take a ton of dBs, before they'll crap out, so you don't really need a pad switch, though it's sometimes nice to have a lo-cut switch when working close on an LDC. I've been using their stuff for over thirty years.

Apex mics have quite a reputation for good quality too, despite the low price; I suspect Apex is the one Fett raved about; I think Ronan Chris Murphy mentioned them at the Rally, also. I love the Gauge ECM87 for my vocals, and I have an MXL that's extra-crispy, for up-close Gary Allan-type stuff, brings out the grain, but it's too harsh for much else. Most of the rest of my 'around the house' miking gets done with SM57s; they're amazingly versatile, paired with a nice hot preamp.

Go with that, if you need both, but definitely take a flyer on those CADs at a later date; they're giant-killers.