Must have microphones?

Discuss the hardware/software tools and techniques involved in capturing sound, in the studio or on location.

Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Wonks »

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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

And the Sharks with the frickin lasers.... :bouncy:
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Aled Hughes »

Hugh Robjohns wrote:Hmmm... that would be a tough call.

A Shure Beta57 can do pretty much everything tolerably well, doesn't need phantom power, and would survive desert island conditions...


This is interesting. You'd take it over dynamics like a Beyer M201 or M88, or a Sennheiser MD421 / 441, for instance? I've never used the Beta57 much, only on a few live gigs, and never given it much consideration... but now I'm intrigued!
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

The M201 is a fabulous mic indeed,, but I'd be upset by seeing it get scratched and ruined by the sand, and the MD421 is a great mic ruined by a stupid clamp that annoys and frustrates me every time I use it! :-) I just think the 57 (orig or beta) would cope better, and I'd be less upset if it got damaged!
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by John Willett »

Hugh Robjohns wrote:... the MD421 is a great mic ruined by a stupid clamp that annoys and frustrates me every time I use it! :-)

Actually I LIKE the clamp on the MD 421.

It locks in and holds the mic. safely in any position - if the mic. is hand-held there are no protruding bits. It's a much more elegant solution than having a big fat traditional type of clip that would not hold the mic. safely when pointing downwards (eg: for a saxophone).

It's easy to put on and remove and I like the design very much. :thumbup:

But my mic. body and clip do come from the 1970s (or 80s) and they may have made them better back then. ;)
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by twotoedsloth »

I'm really surprised that you like the mount for the MD421.

We have four MD421s and I rarely used them because I would get frustrated with the mount, so I'd go and grab something else, usually a Beta57 (for drums) or a 441 (for trumpet or trombone).

We got some new Rycote mounts, and I've rediscovered the MD421s, I use them on most of my Jazz recordings these days.

Back on point, my must have microphones would probably include an AKG c422, or pairs of DPA 4006s and Neumann TLM 193s.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

John Willett wrote:Actually I LIKE the clamp on the MD 421.

I knew somebody must! ;-)

It locks in...

...and most struggle to figure out how to release it!

if the mic. is hand-held there are no protruding bits.

There aren't on any other handheld mic either. ;-)

It's a much more elegant solution than having a big fat traditional type of clip...

I get what they were trying to do, but the fact that no other manufacturer adopted a similar idea suggests it wasn't really that elegant or practical...

...that would not hold the mic. safely when pointing downwards (eg: for a saxophone).

I've used lots of other mics on saxophones, and can't think of any that have fallen out of their clip! I take the point in principle, but I've never found it a sufficient problem to make me wish every mic had a 421-style clip! Quite the reverse in fact...

I like the design very much.

That balances my loathing of it nicely, then! :-D
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by John Willett »

Hugh Robjohns wrote:[
...and most struggle to figure out how to release it!

Really? I'm very surprised ???

The first time I used it (back in the 1970s) I found it very easy to clip in and remove.

Removing is a doddle - press the button with your thumb and slide the mic. up with your fingers.

I got it instinctively the first time I used it and thought it a great idea then.

But - remember - this was invented in the days before Hytrel and mic clips were stiff plastic and did not grip the mic. at all. So - when it was invented - it was actually an excellent way of securely holding a mic.

The original clip for the MD 441 also had a sliding button to hold the mic. in so it would not fall out when pointing down.

When Hytrel came along manufacturers redesigned their clips with Hytrel so they hold the mic. tight at any angle. Shure redesigned all their clips and I do not think that any are now supplied with the hard plastic clip that were supplied when they first came out - horrible clips that did not hold the mic. firmly enough and could scratch the mic. with use.

Nowadays mics come with Hytrel clips - even the MD 441 now has a Hytrel clip. It was only the design of the MD 421 that made a large Hytrel clip a bit unsightly (though I think one is available now).

When it was invented, the 421 clip was actually an excellent idea and certainly worked very well originally - but the original 421 clips were made of metal and were better than the modern ones made of plastic.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Wonks »

I find it all too easy to knock the clip button on my 421s and the mic fall downwards when they've been set up for miking toms.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by ore_terra »

It looks like there’s a market for NOS or reissue MD421 metal clips :lol:
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Wonks »

Or a better locking version.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by twotoedsloth »

The Rycote Invision mount works great with the MD421. In fact, it is probably superior to the stock mount as it is not as prone to vibration and you can use the mount on other microphones if you're not using the 421.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Wonks »

I do have 4 Invision mounts.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

:thumbup::clap::D
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by John Willett »

Wonks wrote:I do have 4 Invision mounts.

Only 4 ? ;)
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Sam Inglis »

I like the InVision mounts, but the best one I have is one that came with an obscure Pearl stereo mic. The part that attaches to the stand has a ball-and-socket mount that lets you instantly point the mic in almost any direction and lock it securely in that position. I don't think I've ever seen another one quite like it.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Humble Bee »

K&M (who else?) makes an accessory that does just that. It goes between a normal mic clip and the stand and has a lockable ball joint. :thumbup:

K&M 19695-300

Doesn't save you from a crap mic clip tho...
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Sam Inglis »

Of course they would! Neat. Does it rotate in any direction or just up and down within the slot?
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Humble Bee »

They are a bit limited to the slot direction but they add a good bit of flexibility to the setup... the ball part spins freely tho. I think it was €15 and well worth the money.
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Bob Bickerton »

And if you’re looking for excellent mic stands and accessories, it’s hard to beat Triad Orbit http://www.triad-orbit.com - absolutely astounding quality and a price to go with it.

I took the plunge and have been well pleased, but I’m poorer for it!

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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by The Elf »

Hugh Robjohns wrote:... the MD421 is a great mic ruined by a stupid clamp that annoys and frustrates me every time I use it! :-)

+99!
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

Yay! Nice to know I'm not alone... and welcome back! Been busy organising Synth tables? :-)
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

Bob Bickerton wrote:And if you’re looking for excellent mic stands and accessories, it’s hard to beat Triad Orbit

Absolutely -- properly engineered to do exactly what they're supposed to and last a lifetime. I am really, really impressed with them.... but they do cost as much as something that's very expensive... :D

H
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Re: Must have microphones?

Post by The Elf »

Hugh Robjohns wrote:Yay! Nice to know I'm not alone... and welcome back! Been busy organising Synth tables? :-)

Been away teaching our ex-colonial friends what prog rock is really about (and how to pronounce 'aluminium'!) :lol:

In return I have a cowboy hat and a new habit of looking for rattlesnakes as I walk. Both will go down well in Sheffield town centre.
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