Mics

[ronin]

I'm looking to buy a condenser mic and pre-amp(would love a tube amp) but can't decide. I have a bit of a budget and would love to stay under 2-3 hundred for the mic and the amp each. Of course I am very aware that in this case what you pay for is what you get, but i haven't planted my money tree yet. The mics I'm tetering between are an AKG C 2000 B,Studio Projects B3 , Rode NT1-A or Rode NT2-A.

For the pre-amp I took a look at the PreSonus Blue Tube Dual Path and the M-Audio DMP-3.


Has anyone had any experience with these or know of anyone that has some pro and cons to throw at me. I just need some more input other that what I have read on the sweetwater website.

[xenos]

I've got the Blue Tube. I've used it both for recording (for vocals, beefing up drum samples, etc.) and playing live (running vocals and guitar through it). Overall I've been fairly impressed with it, especially for the price. As I'm sure you've read, it's got separate tube and solid state gain so you can just give your signal a clear boost or add a bit of tube warmth and grit if desired. I'd say it works great for my applications, and I have no regrets about not holding out for the more expensive tube mic pres that have caught my eye. I don't know about the M Audio one, so I can't provide an A/B comparison unfortunately...

As for mics, I can't offer much help, but I've heard good things about both of those Rode mics you mentioned. Hope this is of some assistance.

[C.A. jones]

you can actually get some good gear in that price range. I would stay
away from the rodes and look into a Groove Tubes GT66 that should run you
2-300.

As far as pre amps....check out the Groove Tubes Brick...should be around $300

I have learned a ton from this site....check it out. http://www.gearslutz.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=44

more stuff

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/showt...highlight=GT66

Most of the guys on there are the real deal.

talk to Dave Cannon or Gilbert at Guitar Center Plano.

And you will always need a sm57

[ronin]

Originally Posted by xenos

I've got the Blue Tube. I've used it both for recording (for vocals, beefing up drum samples, etc.) and playing live (running vocals and guitar through it). Overall I've been fairly impressed with it, especially for the price. As I'm sure you've read, it's got separate tube and solid state gain so you can just give your signal a clear boost or add a bit of tube warmth and grit if desired. I'd say it works great for my applications, and I have no regrets about not holding out for the more expensive tube mic pres that have caught my eye. I don't know about the M Audio one, so I can't provide an A/B comparison unfortunately...

As for mics, I can't offer much help, but I've heard good things about both of those Rode mics you mentioned. Hope this is of some assistance.

yes this helps greatly. i currently have the the presonus firebox and love it(thank you mr. anderson)! so i figured the blue tube would be on par or better.

the mics are what realy has me up in arms. the reviews are pretty much 50/50, so i guess it just depends on personal taste. from most reviews, peeps seem happy with the rode choice. but there are some cons cuz of the large diaphram and picking up a lot of reflective noise.

[ronin]

by the way ,does anyone know if guitar center does student discounts?

[Roos]

no student discounts that I know of, but they have payment plans.

talk to Sean Anderson (grey).

Me? I have an SM57 and SM58, but I usually do all my vocal recording through an Electrovoice RE-20... yes Lou... the same ones in all the radio stations. I get the fullest sounds through it. Everything else is on the production end.

[ronin]

well dont they at least price match?
and do you got any suggestion on the pre-amp?

[Roos]

Originally Posted by ronin

well dont they at least price match?
and do you got any suggestion on the pre-amp?

hmmm. SOME stuff they will beat prices on, but some stuff has fixed prices and they can't budge.

I don't know much about Mic pre-amps and stuff. I've always found that the technology you use can always be improved, but what you do with it is what really matters. I don't have any fancy gear really, and I do alot of stuff analog.

For example, the kick drum for my song 'What I Like 2 Do'... I bounced it to an old 4 track reel-to-reel recorder and then back to the computer just to fatten it up.

Again... Sean knows it all. Ask him.

[ronin]

but i thought you were the other guru, mr. guru.

[Roos]

Originally Posted by ronin

but i thought you were the other guru, mr. guru.

you've obviously been in my stash.

I find ways to work with what I got and make it sound how I want it to. That's all that matters to me. Technology and top of the line equipment is great if you have the 1)money and 2)time to learn how to use it all. Sure, if I get to a point where I can produce music full-time, then I will probably step up on my technological end... but I'd rather just make music as often as possible right now. I was talking to Merritt about the Powermac I am going to get, and new programs, and whatnot... and I asked him about stepping up to some programs like Pro-tools and Logic... he told me I should stick with what I am using. Acid. I dunno many who use Acid. It's Logic, or Ableton or another one... but good ole Acid works fine for me... and I don't use any refills or plug-ins or VSTs for it either. I actually don't even know how to use them (by the way, anyone who can come over and show me how to use em will be rewarded greatly). I just play music on a keyboard or drum machine or drums, record it into Acid like an old multi-tack recorder, and tweak it till it sounds good to me.

I'm always up for a quick learning session on fancy gear... but if it means spending hours on a manual, I'd rather play with what I got.

So...

Guru?

No.

Happy Musician with basic knowledge and an ear for production?

I think so.

[Left]

Originally Posted by ronin

I'm looking to buy a condenser mic and pre-amp(would love a tube amp) but can't decide. I have a bit of a budget and would love to stay under 2-3 hundred for the mic and the amp each. Of course I am very aware that in this case what you pay for is what you get, but i haven't planted my money tree yet. The mics I'm tetering between are an AKG C 2000 B,Studio Projects B3 , Rode NT1-A or Rode NT2-A.

For the pre-amp I took a look at the PreSonus Blue Tube Dual Path and the M-Audio DMP-3.


Has anyone had any experience with these or know of anyone that has some pro and cons to throw at me. I just need some more input other that what I have read on the sweetwater website.

What are you looking to record with these mics?
That's the first thing you need to know. Vocals, instruments, drums? If it's for vocals you could get away with one mic. I would definitely look into buying a (matched) pair for anything else...stereo kicks the shit out of mono, you dig? Especially with acoustic instruments such as piano, guitar, drum overheads, etc.

For overall multipurpose recording i would get a pair of nice pencil condensors...i bought the rode nt-5's and they kick MAJOR ass...i've heard nothing but good things about the nt1 and 2's as well. i also researched the studio projects quite a bit, they're asian manufactured (which used to be a bad thing) but supposedly their stuff is getting better. probably not on par with rodes or akg's though. I personally would choose (from what you have listed) the rodes, i love them.

Preamps are just expensive period. you can always get a cheap ass behringer mixer with phantom power, but if you're looking for quality you have to pay. presonus and m-audio are two semi affordable brands i would look into.

[Roos]

oh yeah... I don't have any pre-amps either.


I run everything through a little 12 channel Mackie mixer. Before that I ran it through my DJ mixer.

:shrugs:

[ronin]

thanks for the help i will def take your suggestions into consideration.

[ronin]

sounds to me lie your ana nalog gear junkie mike, but thats all good in my book.

[Sinacle]

damn sounds like roos bootlegs it like do. I do know though dont get caught with a preamp that doesnt have phantom power. a friend of mine got one and could do shit with it.