best condenser microphones

robert heif · 6th December 2007, 4:34pm

money is no object. Can you recommend a top of the line condenser microphone for the new studio i've set up. any other equipment you think is good please state. MONEY IS NO OBJECT!!!

Posh · 6th December 2007, 4:36pm

What's your budget?

Largest of Als · 6th December 2007, 4:48pm

What are you gonna use the mic for?

There are many different variation of condenser, depending on the required use.

Al

**GreatKingRat** · 6th December 2007, 4:52pm

Heh, this is a different kind of spam from what I've seen before.

djbarry · 6th December 2007, 4:59pm

The Bottle by Blue or a Neumann U87AI

**PapaZeb** · 6th December 2007, 5:00pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatKingRat

Heh, this is a different kind of spam from what I've seen before.

Should ask him if he knows where to find comfortable wide-legged jeans, similar to ROAD JEANS

Largest of Gregs · 6th December 2007, 5:21pm

or just ROAD JEANS

fracture4 · 6th December 2007, 7:04pm

is money no object coz your gonna steal it?

Yorgo · 8th December 2007, 12:24pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by djbarry

The Bottle by Blue or a Neumann U87AI

I seen a live vid of the stones and charlie had his whole kit mic'd up with U87's

See tbh, if it's just for overheads, etc, 414's and C1000's are okay, and Rode make good quality mid range vox mic's, see NT1, 2, 3.

But the U87 has to be the daddy.

**djtoast** · 8th December 2007, 1:41pm

If money really is no object, you should consider the ToastEnterprises 3000 - its not very well known because due to it's high price it's beyond the budget of most studios, but certain artists refuse to use anything else.

It's the successor to the legendary ToastEnterprises 2000, which was used for example by Stevie Wonder on Songs in the Key of Life, chosen not only for its unrivalled sound but because he thought the appearance fitted the mellow-yet-funky vibe he wanted in the studio when recording.

Like all good top-end mics it comes with a cable hard-wired, to avoid having its superior sonic properties ruined by someone attaching it via a sub-standard cable.

We're doing a deal on them this month and the price is down frm £2600 to only £1800 each, or £5000 for a set of three; send me a PM if you're interested.

djbarry · 8th December 2007, 4:36pm

hhhmmmm do they come in a choice of colours?.

the curiousity · 8th December 2007, 5:57pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorgo

I seen a live vid of the stones and charlie had his whole kit mic'd up with U87's

See tbh, if it's just for overheads, etc, 414's and C1000's are okay, and Rode make good quality mid range vox mic's, see NT1, 2, 3.

But the U87 has to be the daddy.

seconded.

the NT5s are nice for overheads as well imho.

also, good things to have, some AKG SE300 B power modules, which can fit 8 different types of condenser caps, the CK91 and CK92 being the cardioid and omnidirectional capsules respectively. there's also a shotgun, bi-polar and hypercardioid capsule available.

Expensive admittedly, but if you've got a couple of power SE3000s and a couple of caps for them then you could hire in one of the less used ones when it's needed and it won't cost you too much.

Yorgo · 12th December 2007, 11:59am

Aye, they're a good idea but I reckon i'd lose a few bits and bobs there!

My philosophy has always been buy a microphone that has been designed for one specific purpose and is 100% shaped and dedicated to that purpose, rather than a (although great quality) mic that is 80% efficient at 1000 different things.

But we're all different!

I've never actually used the NT5's, seen them, but not had a go.

Posh · 12th December 2007, 12:00pm

But what if money was no object?

the curiousity · 15th December 2007, 1:50pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorgo

Aye, they're a good idea but I reckon i'd lose a few bits and bobs there!

My philosophy has always been buy a microphone that has been designed for one specific purpose and is 100% shaped and dedicated to that purpose, rather than a (although great quality) mic that is 80% efficient at 1000 different things.

But we're all different!

I've never actually used the NT5's, seen them, but not had a go.

That's fair enough, if it's a philosophy that works for you then its something you should stick with. there's never any hard and fast rules about miking up any sort of instrument, only guidelines. But I've always rather enjoyed the use of those AKGs, and they are each well mapped to the purpose of the pick up pattern they use. Also, i've miked things from stringed instruments and woodwind to electric guitars to wierd percussion instruments. sometimes you just don't have enough 'dedicated' perfect mics for the purpose though.

But the NT5s were just fairly easy to get the right sound out of, lovely response. i've not used them a lot, i've not actually been doing much recording this year, but i used them for a couple of sessions last year and they're worth a shot.