Double Bass beyerdynamic m160, m88

[shwashwa]

does anyone here have experience with both of these mics? i want to pick up a mic to record with. i dont necessarily need it for live use. the M88 seems to get good reviews for live use but im wondering how it sounds recorded, and if the M160 sounds significantly better for the price (double the price). this is for home use, but i want to get a recorded sound that inspires me to record more, not less. i currently mess around with a sure 57 who's recorded sound makes me not want to record anymore, and i mix in the DPA 4099, but being a superhyper shotgun mic whatever it is, makes for great live use, but not a terribly full and natural recorded tone ( at least where im placing it on the bass). i may just decide to live with what i have, but i thought id ask incase anyone can help.

 

[Mike Arnopol]

the M160 sounds great on bass----much better than the 88. It does have a low output, however---without a good mic pre it can be noisy due to having to run the gain up. And being a ribbon, it is fragile,

 

[shwashwa]

yeah, ill be getting a ribbon preamp if i get that ribbon mic. one review of it said that it was alittle harsh in the mids? i just want a nice full recorded tone that isnt harsh, but still has some clarity. can this mic do it? most of the reviews ive seen on this mic are used on vocals, for which they dont love it, and on drums, mostly as overhead mics

 

[anonymous02282011]

I've got an M88. It's great live through the PA and I use it as a bass drum mic when I'm playing slab.

I think for recording Neumanns are the way to go and most good studios own at least one of those. I think the M88 would be too "rough" for the studio. By rough I mean lots of thump but not a lot of detail.

 

[Mike Arnopol]

For the price of a 160 you can get a pretty nice lower priced large diaphram.

 

[shwashwa]

yeah, but the 160 was appealing because it looks like it could be used with the H-clamp. i wouldnt think that the large diaphragm ones would work with the H-clamp. are there any small diaphragm condensers, moderate priced, that would sound nice? i know beyerdynamic makes one of those too. the MC930. anyone have any experience with them? of course there's the neumann km184, but i think that's alittle expensive for me.

For the price of a 160 you can get a pretty nice lower priced large diaphram.

 

[Vic Koler]

yeah, ill be getting a ribbon preamp if i get that ribbon mic. one review of it said that it was alittle harsh in the mids? i just want a nice full recorded tone that isnt harsh, but still has some clarity. can this mic do it? most of the reviews ive seen on this mic are used on vocals, for which they dont love it, and on drums, mostly as overhead mics

Here's a link to a great ribbon pre for recording. Beware, no phantom power if you decide to use a condenser later. That's an intentional design to eliminate any risk of frying the ribbon.

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