What mic to buy next

[fader_jockey]

Any of the Guage Mics would be great. I've used them all. Own several.

http://www.gauge-usa.com/Gauge_Microphones/Home.html

One of my favorites for VOX depending on the vocalist of corse is the AKG414. At4050's are well worth their weight. I've used them on everything from drum overheads to jazz sax. I too am a huge fan of the SM7b. If you've got the cash I would look in to the earthworks set of 40k+ mikes. They will seem a bit harsh because were use to hearing mikes that are pretty soft 15k plus. Not exactly what I'd like for an overhead mic for metal drums (heavy symbols I assume). The earthworks make exceptional room mikes as well as drum overheads. The 20k pops. Check their website for their auditions of this.

All this is pending you've got a decent pre-amp and a solid A/D converter.

There are so many options. Maybe understanding exactly what you want your mic to do may help aid you in a decision. Experimenting with a room mic will definitely need to start with 1 a good room and then 2 an understanding of how acoustics work. Definitely check out mic specs (even though there aren't real regulations on these).

 

[C130AVN]

An oktava modded Michael Joly Rode nt1a is an close match to a Neumann U87. The mod isn't cheap but it turns a mediocre studio mic into an AWESOME do all Mic. I've spent the cash, and it's worth it. The midrange magic and articularity is there without the excessive simbalance of the original NT1a, very smooth, transparent, and awesome frequency response.

 

[Ajak]

An oktava modded Michael Joly Rode nt1a is an close match to a Neumann U87. The mod isn't cheap but it turns a mediocre studio mic into an AWESOME do all Mic. I've spent the cash, and it's worth it. The midrange magic and articularity is there without the excessive simbalance of the original NT1a, very smooth, transparent, and awesome frequency response.

Sorry I haven't had too much time lately (moving, school, music...).

That would be very interesting. But the mod is only made in the US and getting it from there back to europe would get pretty expensive I guess? I'll think about it, certainly sounds good. Thanks

 

[Munjibunga]

I will someday get a C414 but that's over my budget right now and I think I'll save up vor a matched pair. Same for the TLM-103.

I don't dismiss the SM-7 and the RE-20, but I'm looking for a condenser because I'll need it for drums too. And again there's the preamp issue with the SM-7.


I'm not sure about the Slate stuff. I'm generally sceptical about modeling gear and try to not use more digital stuff than necessary. And also what Ukiah Bass said.

How about a C214 or a TLM-102? If it were me, I might forego the large-diaphragm and go with a Shure KSM9. Switchable pattern and fantastic vocal mic.

 

[bluesdogblues]

New, under $1000?
Vocal and other?
Shure KSM44
or
Audio Technic AT 4080

Look for some used stuff too, you may find interesting option

 

[lowfreq33]

An oktava modded Michael Joly Rode nt1a is an close match to a Neumann U87. The mod isn't cheap but it turns a mediocre studio mic into an AWESOME do all Mic. I've spent the cash, and it's worth it. The midrange magic and articularity is there without the excessive simbalance of the original NT1a, very smooth, transparent, and awesome frequency response.

Joly does good work. I copied his mods on a pair of Oktavas I had around, and the difference was huge.

One I haven't seen mentioned yet is the AT 4047. Fantastic mic for all kinds of things.

I'm also a big fan of Blue mics. Right at $1000 is the Blueberry, which I liken to a U87 with a more extended top end. Below that you've got the Baby Bottle, also great all around but a little darker.

 

[teleharmonium]

Good dynamic mics are perfectly viable choices for drum overheads. Lots of classic recordings were made that way. If you want super bright splashy cymbals, you've got that covered with your small diaphragm condensors anyway.

I'm not normally one to recommend going hog wild on outboard preamps, but in your case I think you could use an upgrade there.

So I would suggest the very affordable KEL HM-2D - this is a LDC which is voiced kind of like an SM-7 or other broadcast large dynamic mic (RE20,MD421). They're versatile, and a bit more sensitivity and output than an SM7 but not as annoyingly bright or sensitive as most cheaper LDCs.

I find these to be easy to position and the results easy to mix, and have used them a fair amount mostly for voice, hand percussion (including at some distance as a room mic), and guitar.

That leaves you with some money to save for a couple of good preamp channels (maybe something like the Warm Audio WA12, which has gotten a lot of positive acclaim and is similar to an old API or Quad Eight design - but unlike all the other things I'm mentioning here, I have not heard that unit in person), or maybe a used Sytek 4 channel unit.

I think the AT 4047 is a solid choice for bass drum or a room mic in front of the kit and for bass amps, but I don't like it on vocals. It sounds like it has some capsule resonance that I don't care for, and it's finicky about the placement angle, the off axis sound is weird and unnatural on vocals. As a room mic though it's fine as long as the room doesn't have lots of reflections (and few mics can be expected to handle that well).

For similar money or a bit less the Blue Baby Bottle is somewhat better than the 4047 in all of those applications IMO. Both are based on the M7 capsule design and are sort of a poor man's Neumann Fet47. (Not sure if the Baby Bottle actually uses a fet head amp though.) The Baby Bottle does have a big proximity effect, and a hot output with no onboard pad, so it works best for vocals with some distance and with an inline pad or one on the preamp.