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Amazing looking new retro mics

R

Robroy

Guest
Jun 21, 2006
3,551
3,605
#1
OK, so I was turned on to MCM electronics stuff a year or so ago and buy a lot from them. I was also in a 50's rock band and was thinking about mics that look kinda like the Sure:
preview.jpg


And I LOVE the Stellar Labs headphones sold by MCM.

So, I get this months catalog and what to I find? This:
35-8850.jpg

You have to go to their site to see the high resolution, sorry.
Dynamic for $39 and condenser for $49
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Thoughts? Should I pick one up before Sure realizes they are totally ripping of the design (except I'm pretty sure they are plastic, since the shipping weight is only 1.5 lbs.)?
 
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#4
modulusman said:
Well if you don't care what you sound like then a cheap mic is the way to go.
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Thing is, the company that makes these mics also makes the cheap headphones I use. They are so good that the engineer at a local recording studio is replacing all of his headphones at the studio with those. They are the best under $200 headphone I've ever felt or heard. And in the studio there is no bleed into the mics. They are $17.50.

If Stellar Labs can do that with headphones, maybe they can do it with mics. It's not much of an investment to find out. I confess that I don't know how useful the condenser version is though. Looks are a bit less relevant there.
 
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#7
Robroy said:
Thing is, the company that makes these mics also makes the cheap headphones I use. They are so good that the engineer at a local recording studio is replacing all of his headphones at the studio with those. They are the best under $200 headphone I've ever felt or heard. And in the studio there is no bleed into the mics. They are $17.50.
Click to expand...
Which ones?
 
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#10
Do be aware that the dynamic mike is cosmetically similar, but different from the Shure 55 design.

The Shure 55 is unidirectional, meaning a "cardioid" pattern with maximum rejection from sources behind the mike.

The dynamic one you linked is super-cardioid, so it will have a more responsive, polarity-reversed, backward angle lobe and nulls at more like 135 degrees from on-axis. It will behave differently on stage as it relates to feedback from monitors.

Otto
 
#16
AndyPanda said:
The real vintage mic is not very usable - but they do have a look. I've had several of the vintage ones in the past and when I've sold them, the buyers have pulled the guts out and put an SM57 capsule inside.
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I would agree that the unmodified 55s is not a great sounding mic. But they surely look cool. I've never used mine in a band situation. In fact, mine don't work. I inherited them from my Dad who purchased them new back around 1960. I still haven't found anyone to upgrade them with better guts. At least anyone that I feel comfortable with. Instead of pouring money into these I'll probably spend the money on a Heil Fin if the vintage bug really bites. :)

M. M.
 
#18
ofajen said:
Are you talking stage use, with floor monitors? Probably best to stick with cardioid pattern. For recording, you want a figure of eight, typically a quality ribbon mike, so that singers can address it from both sides while maintaining eye contact.

Otto
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Thanks Otto
Yes I would be using it on stage , perhaps with monitors but not always. Some gigs are coffee houses with just one vocal amp. I'm seeing more an more Bose columns where the group doesn't use monitors. My groups are always acoustic bluegrass country folk etc. with two to four string musicians non using amps.

Robroy said:
The Condenser one.
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Thank you also Robroy
Do you still say condenser after my above description ?
again
thanks you both
 
#19
I agree with the poster above who hinted that you get what you pay for, but...with the price of admission a mere $49 or $39 why not take a chance? If these mics don't live up to expectations just skip one happy hour with the wife or a friend and you're nearly back to breaking even. :thumbsup:

M. M.
 
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#20
blowinblue said:
I agree with the poster above who hinted that you get what you pay for, but...with the price of admission a mere $49 or $39 why not take a chance? If these mics don't live up to expectations just skip one happy hour with the wife or a friend and you're nearly back to breaking even. :thumbsup:

M. M.
Click to expand...
HA! That's how I do it too. For the price of a loaded, extra large pizza.
 

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