If you could only have mics from one manufacturer...

[Aled Hughes]

A light-hearted one for sunday...

As the title says, if you could have microphones from only one manufacturer, who would it be?

My vote is for Beyerdynamic - great range, although I'm shure Sennheiser could run them close.

I've tried to go for fairly well known current brands with a reasonably broad range for the poll, but I'm bound to have missed someone obvious!

Let's keep it ti current models.

Aled

[Hugh Robjohns]

I'd probably go for Sennheiser as you can do almost everything with a pocket full of MKHs (20/30/40/50/60/70/800) and MDs (421s and 441s). Beyer would run a close second, though, as would AKG. Neumann have great capacitor mics, but the dynamic side of things is a bit barren.

I once spent a week in Damascus training about 30 men and women from across the arabic region in the technical and artistic aspects of television sound. The training facility's mic cupboard only had AKG mics in it, but pretty much everything AKG made at the time (early 1990s). I had no trouble at all finding suitable mics for a wide range of typical TV applications. Don't think that could have been said for most other mic manufacturers.

[The Elf]

Sennheiser for me too. Quite apart from their capacitor mic's I could do 80% of my work with a few 421s and 441s.

[Bob Bickerton]

Sennheiser here too, but I'd miss a few other mics like Neumann capacitors and Beyer dynamics, the Beyers especially so for live work.

Bob

[jimjazzdad]

Can't afford a locker full of Neumanns so I will tip my hat to the Austrians (although I would defer to the older, pre-Harmon, pre-world-sourced products). When I look around my home studio, my trusty C414 mic and my K240DF headphones are two AKG products that I have always enjoyed and never regretted. But I understand the Senny love too. Audio Technica is definitely a dark horse in the race as well.

[Ariosto]

For me AT but preferably ribbons, so Royer.

[Aled Hughes]

Sennheiser are running away with it!

I'm not surprised, and I agree that there isn't much that can't be done with MKH and MDs - I've used an MD441 or 421 on pretty much every studio job in the last few years, and MKH40 on many of those too.

Where Sennheiser are lacking are LDC (only the cheapish MK4, I think?) and ribbons (none?) - Beyer on the other hand have great mics of all kinds, although perhaps nothing that quite matches the MKH an MD range. Having said that, a Beyer M201 has featured on all my recent jobs, and I've just ordered two myself. A pair of MC930 may well be next on my list.

Aled

[Hugh Robjohns]

Where Sennheiser are lacking are LDC

Yes... it is an odd omission... but technically Sennheiser owns Neumann, so they have that area covered remotely.

Talking of Beyer, not much you couldn't do with a handful of Beyer M201s, MC840s, MC930s and M130s...

H

[Guest271017]

Radio Shack isn't on the list.

[The Korff]

I went for AKG, on account of their workhorses like the 414, the lovely old dynamics (224 etc), and the nice posh ones like the C12/C24... but completely forgot that they don't do ribbons. Dang!

[Dave B]

Bum. I meant to vote for AT - partially for loyalty as my first 'proper mic' was a 4033, but mostly because I was hoping to skew the results - but I accidentally voted AKG. But then, being serious for a second, I could probably live with that. If I were only to have a load of Neumanns then I'd be constantly worried about breaking them. Nice to have some posh stuff, but good to have some workhorses that can be battered a bit.

You can tell it's been a while since 0Vu was round these parts - not a single mention of Brauner anywhere ...

[Hugh Robjohns]

Bum. I meant to vote for AT

Yes, pretty comprehensive range of different technologies... likewise Shure.

You can tell it's been a while since 0Vu was round these parts - not a single mention of Brauner anywhere ...

Bit of a one-trick pony there. It's a very good trick, obviously, and it comes with valve or FET innards, but I'm not sure I'd want to put anything from Brauner within striking range of a drummer...

[Sam Inglis]

The only manufacturers I can think of that are strong in all the major categories -- SDC, LDC, ribbon and dynamic -- are Audio-Technica, Beyer and Rode. The fact that Rode now own SoundField might swing my choice in that direction, but I'd be pretty happy with any of them.

[Drew Stephenson]

I think Rode are the only ones I could afford more than 1 mic from

[Hugh Robjohns]

The only manufacturers I can think of that are strong in all the major categories -- SDC, LDC, ribbon and dynamic -- are Audio-Technica, Beyer and Rode.

I think Shure ticks all those boxes, too.

H

[Aled Hughes]

I did think of putting Rode and SE on the list, as they have a good few models punching above the 'cheap and cheerful' that they were initially known for, and a very extensive range. I have a good few mics from both.

[ManFromGlass]

I think the OP has an evil ulterior plan -

Who here isn't now at least considering a new addition to the collection! Where's my Radio Shack catalogue? .........

[Aural Reject]

You can tell it's been a while since 0Vu was round these parts - not a single mention of Brauner anywhere ...

I think he's flogged most of them now, Dave

[John Willett]

I notice Schoeps and DPA are missing

But the only manufacture listed who does almost everything is Gefell:

• LDC in both FET and valve options
• wide range of SDC mics
• several high quality dynamic mics
• smart-phone reporter mic
• large range of measurement mics

The only ones they don't do are tie mics and gun mics - but an omni or cardioid in a parabolic reflector will get round this.

Otherwise I would probably have said Sennheiser, as the MKH range are very good and they do a range of good dynamics - but the LDC is only a bottom-of-the-range type and there are no measurement mics.

[Sam Inglis]

Gefell don't do a ribbon mic. I'd want one of those much more than I'd want a shotgun or a measurement mic or a reporter mic!

[Hugh Robjohns]

I notice Schoeps and DPA are missing

Their model ranges are too narrowly focused for a one-make-takes-on-every-application situation. There are no LDCs, and no dynamics of any type. If you were only going to record classic acoustic repertoire you'd have no argument on picking either of them... but not to cover all musical bases.

But the only manufacture listed who does almost everything is Gefell

Almost... but still no ribbons.

You're right about the Sennheiser LDC, but at least it has one in the range, and it's not bad.

H

[John Willett]

You're right about the Sennheiser LDC, but at least it has one in the range, and it's not bad.

Two actually - one cardioid only (MK 4) and one switchable (MK 8).

AFAIAA - technology from Neumann Berlin, but off the bottom of the Neumann range.

Reasonable for the price, not bad mics by any means; but not in the range of Neumann or Sennheiser MKH series.

[Dave B]

You can tell it's been a while since 0Vu was round these parts - not a single mention of Brauner anywhere ...

I think he's flogged most of them now, Dave

Shirley Not???

Suddenly the insanity of the world now makes sense. This could explain Brexit, the rise of the far right, Trump, rivers of blood, plagues of locusts, etc

I also notice no mention of Behringer. This is just the kind of anti-Behringer wingeing ... blah blah blah ...

(thought I'd get that one in before someone else did)

[Aled Hughes]

I also notice no mention of Behringer. This is just the kind of anti-Behringer wingeing ...

Now then, if I made a thread about having all your equipment from one manufacturer, Behringer are perhaps the only company who'd make it possible for you to work at all, be it live or recording!

[Hugh Robjohns]

Depends how you define 'manufacturer'... but if we're allowed Harman Pro we can choose from toys with the following badges: AKG, AMX, BSS, Crown, dbx, DigiTech, IDX, JBL Professional, Lexicon, Martin, Soundcraft, Studer, and SVSI... which covers most bases pretty thoroughly!