Love the salt/sugar analogy. Never heard it that way before... Also like the little to no edit technique on your videos, makes everything much more natural. "...full of its full potential..." :P that's awesome.
So did I! We were lucky in our purchase of a pair of really heavy Kieth Monks extending four-footed stands with 6ft. booms and heavy counter-weights. So we don't need bricks! Ha-Ha!
Great intro to the recording studio mic use. Thanks. My 'best' mic is undoubtedly the Calrec Soundfield SPS422 which we use for Orchestral and Chamber use. The 422 I use in both Stereo and M-S configuration. We started up with E-V dynamic mics and have a whole bundle of them from 660A (4) 665 (2) RE20 (2) - these I had to re-foam about a year ago. RE55 (3) a wonderful mic literally flat from 20Hz - 20kHz. (YES!!). Then invested in PL37 (4) small dia. o-head condenser mics. So that's our Electro-Voice collection. We also use pressure-zone mics (4) and Schoeps BLM (2) I'm experimenting with a pair of StudioSpares S300 ribbons which live on their ends in their awesome wood cases along with their spare ribbons (just-in-case). I need mic pre-amps for the RE55's and other dynamic Mics and am not over enthusiastic about our Focusrite OctoPre Platinum LE 8 channel units. They're comparatively noisy. Any suggestions for a REALLY quiet 8 channel replacement?
BULGAFIGO Thanks for such a high complement! I have been shooting video and have an episode about setting the gain that will be coming out either next week or the week after. More show ideas are always welcome!
I am a big fan of those i5 and the e604. Both are really good budget-friendly mics. Personally, I would go with a great general purpose mic first and then an overhead second, then whatever else your ears crave from then on, if you were just starting out. It's much easier to figure out the kinds of sounds you are looking for from there, as vague as that seems. Great video!
Brandon Yeah that's really the idea. As you said, start off with your general purpose stuff and keep your most intensive tasks in mind. If it's a work horse like the 414 then cool. I mentioned overheads, because those are the acoustic and vocal mics which is where a lot of folks are starting out...they record themselves. Thanks for the feedback!
I have a bunch of different mics but if I ever get robbed and have to start over I will just buy a Shure DMK5752 kit (comes with a SM Beta 52 and three SM57) and a pair of Audio Technica AT4040. I don't see any scenario where these wouldn't make an excellent job. Oh, and a lavalier and a boom mic for video work.
I've heard an old M88, an M88 Classic, and a new M88TG all side by side, and its surprising how identical the sounds are between them. I personally think the M88 is the most underrated widely available mic out there.
Creative Sound Lab Kick, bass, guitar, vocals for both male and female depending on the voice. I would like to give it a try on toms, but I don't have enough M88s.
I think I would describe top end as acidity (Because too much is still overpowering, but none, and it's lifeless) Low end as sugar, Provides body, fullness, and mid is salt. Mids have to be there, but you don't always want them to be up front. Sometimes you do. Just like salt.
Yeah, for horns the go to is a ribbon mic. I think that anytime you can take a muddy instrument, and use a mic that thins the sound pulls it back into the middle of tone, and brass is just the opposite. I know not everyones tone is bright, but brass can often need some thickening or warming, and using a quick but warm microphone like a ribbon, or even a standard 414 can work well.
how come no one ever mentions the 545 unidyne (predecessor to the sm57, I find them to be like removing a blanket off of a 57 when recording guitar amps and its been my go to mic
Hey! Great videos. Seriously. Learning so much. I'm excited to go home and try it. Two things, what's the best way to support you? You take donations or anything? And you should make a video on buying a preamp on different budgets.
Isn't the only difference between the SM57 and SM 58 the grille? They're internally identical to the best of my knowledge, diaphragm included. I might be mistaken about that but that's what I recall from music school (MI, VIT/IAP).
For the MD421-N you said you had to modify it. Was it an old Amphenol dual impedance connector style? I have recently got a vintage Unidyne III 545 with one of those connector types and was wondering what you would recommend for the wiring style.
Hey there, thanks for the video and the fresh perspective. I'm just starting out recording music at home, for personal enjoyment, and I am considering buying my first mic. You made a good argument for splurging on a good overhead as a first investment. Since I'll be recording percussion (A cajon as a "drum set" and shakers as "cymbals"), an acoustic guitar and vocals, I set my eyes on a Small diaphragm Condenser. Do I must have a pair of these, or can I do with just one? Thanks in advance!
You can start with just one, and buy a second one when you have the money. Two is nice to have, but there are ways to record with just one. Depending on what kind of sound that you like, there are many good options, and at various price points. I personally like ribbons, which are the opposite of SDCs it seems in tone.
Thanks for the solid answer. I do have another question, if I may: you showcased the Beyerdynamic M88, and it seems like a solid choice for what I'm looking for. I have one of those USB interfaces as my mic preamp (a Mackie Onyx Blackjack, to be exact). Do you know if I'd need to boost the signal from that mic (with something like a Cloud Cloudlifter) or would my preamp be strong enough without it? I know that people with similar interfaces trying to use Shure SM7B or Sennheiser MD421 need to add a Cloudlifter to their arsenal; I wonder that's relevant to the M88. Thanks in advance!
I use up to 4 Electro-Voice PL37's - but just one is better than nothing! And they're not that expensive and come from a good source. There are vids on Electro-Voice Mics. from the Electro-Voice 'Mic Guy' look him up on RUclips.
I might be interested in courses but I would like to know who you are and what you have accomplished to know who you are professionally. I could not find that info anywhere. Could you provide a link.
The elements in conventional moving coil dynamic microphones like the SM57 typically have a fair amount of mass to move, compared to ribbon and condenser mics. This limits the transient response. Sometimes this is a desirable trait, sometimes not.
There's also an effect with both ribbon and moving coil dynamic mics that's dependant on the impedance of the preamp. That's one reason why you'll notice a greater difference in sound when switching a preamp's impedance with these mics compared to a condenser.
creativesoundlab is there any kinda of snare mic that has better "off axis rejection" to better assist with hi-hat bleed? i heard the telefunken m80 (snare/short version does) but haven't seen any proof yet other than an engineer's word bout it.
+lexhitreset Yeah, I've been wanting to try out that m80 for a while now. Don't have any experience with it so I can't say. For me most of the hihat comes from the overheads, but I also do everything I can do point the back of the mic at the hihats. I think one question that may help is what type of frequencies are you really needing out of a snare mic. Is it the lows, and mids? Perhaps a darker mic would give you that while capturing less of the bleed. I'm just thinking out loud how I use ribbons for the overheads, and it gives me a really great fullness because the cymbals are less emphasized.
i dont mic the hi-hats personally, the overheads do a good job of capturing it in the terrible rooms i track in (yes i should overrule my wife and treat the shit already). its just hard to capture the crisp snare (close mic) and keep away the harshness of the hi-hat spill. positioning is most likely a problem for me since I have short T-Rex arms, so my hats are "danger close". In the locker now for snare are an i5, sm57, sm7b. Overheads: pair adx51's, and shinybox ribbon mics with lundahls which are spectacular on the kit. but i'm thinking an angled mic cable and that m80-sh. So your thinking maybe try to worry less bout that crispness. let the overheads do that? i know my snares dig that punch around 240hz and more bottom end for under that.... i think my biggest concern every time is to make sure the snare has weight and not sound like a pop can. *end rant*
FRANK IN THE KITCHEN Yes! The class a combo of videos and live video meetings. You can be anywhere to be apart of my recording school. Check out the link for the details.
+LaloWolzzz I like them both. The SM7b with an API style pre is a great combo in my experience. I just used one last week with a WA12, and I really dig the sound. very in your face type of sound. The sm7b can be used for many things, and AT4040 is more for the clean sound.
+creativesoundlab I am looking for a ART pro MPA II preamp, you think if I save some more money will be too much difference? (To use with the sm7b, I mean)
+LaloWolzzz Have no idea. Never used that preamp, but I had people commenting that the WA12 changed how the sm7b sounded in a good way. I think that a good pre will help upgrade the sound for any mic, but the pre shouldn't hold you back from making a great recording either.
can you lend me one I'm 15 and I don't have money but I'm pretty good at music and I need one but I dont have a job or money to buy one and you have alott
2:15 What is the first step?
2:45 Drum overhead tips
4:30 AEA R88 Ribbon Mic
6:02 High End and Speed of Microphones
7:04 Close microphones
7:10 Beyerdynamic M88
7:32 Shure Beta 52
8:50 Snare Drum Mics
8:56 Audix i5
9:08 Shure sm57 Modded
9:30 Shure sm57
9:40 Shure sm58 Cool tricks
10:55 Shure sm58 on Vocal
11:45 Mid Range of Microphones
12:15 e604 for toms
13:07 Electrovoice 635a
14:03 Electrovoice RE20
15:22 MD421-N (White 421)
16:00 CAD m179
17:47 C414B-ULS
18:58 AT4040
20:20 Perspectives of buying mics
Love the salt/sugar analogy. Never heard it that way before...
Also like the little to no edit technique on your videos, makes everything much more natural. "...full of its full potential..." :P that's awesome.
+André-Michel Goulet Thank you!
I don't know why but I chuckled at the bricks hanging off of the boom arm
Yeah, I have the weight lower now.
So did I! We were lucky in our purchase of a pair of really heavy Kieth Monks extending four-footed stands with 6ft. booms and heavy counter-weights. So we don't need bricks! Ha-Ha!
Great intro to the recording studio mic use. Thanks. My 'best' mic is undoubtedly the Calrec Soundfield SPS422 which we use for Orchestral and Chamber use. The 422 I use in both Stereo and M-S configuration. We started up with E-V dynamic mics and have a whole bundle of them from 660A (4) 665 (2) RE20 (2) - these I had to re-foam about a year ago. RE55 (3) a wonderful mic literally flat from 20Hz - 20kHz. (YES!!). Then invested in PL37 (4) small dia. o-head condenser mics. So that's our Electro-Voice collection. We also use pressure-zone mics (4) and Schoeps BLM (2) I'm experimenting with a pair of StudioSpares S300 ribbons which live on their ends in their awesome wood cases along with their spare ribbons (just-in-case). I need mic pre-amps for the RE55's and other dynamic Mics and am not over enthusiastic about our Focusrite OctoPre Platinum LE 8 channel units. They're comparatively noisy. Any suggestions for a REALLY quiet 8 channel replacement?
Best channel on RUclips! Thanks for sharing this infos!
Can you make a video about how to set the gain properly?
Thanks!
BULGAFIGO Thanks for such a high complement! I have been shooting video and have an episode about setting the gain that will be coming out either next week or the week after. More show ideas are always welcome!
I am a big fan of those i5 and the e604. Both are really good budget-friendly mics. Personally, I would go with a great general purpose mic first and then an overhead second, then whatever else your ears crave from then on, if you were just starting out. It's much easier to figure out the kinds of sounds you are looking for from there, as vague as that seems.
Great video!
Brandon Yeah that's really the idea. As you said, start off with your general purpose stuff and keep your most intensive tasks in mind. If it's a work horse like the 414 then cool. I mentioned overheads, because those are the acoustic and vocal mics which is where a lot of folks are starting out...they record themselves. Thanks for the feedback!
very interesting indeed :) i've just learnt a bunch of very handy stuff, thankyou
julian phillips You're welcome and thank you for the comment.
The M88 also sounds awesome on snare.
I have a bunch of different mics but if I ever get robbed and have to start over I will just buy a Shure DMK5752 kit (comes with a SM Beta 52 and three SM57) and a pair of Audio Technica AT4040. I don't see any scenario where these wouldn't make an excellent job. Oh, and a lavalier and a boom mic for video work.
I've heard an old M88, an M88 Classic, and a new M88TG all side by side, and its surprising how identical the sounds are between them.
I personally think the M88 is the most underrated widely available mic out there.
What else besides snare do you use it on?
Creative Sound Lab Kick, bass, guitar, vocals for both male and female depending on the voice. I would like to give it a try on toms, but I don't have enough M88s.
I think I would describe top end as acidity (Because too much is still overpowering, but none, and it's lifeless) Low end as sugar, Provides body, fullness, and mid is salt. Mids have to be there, but you don't always want them to be up front. Sometimes you do. Just like salt.
This is so funny man. I love it. Spot on.
What about Horns? No one speaks about how to record or mix brass! I would love to see a tut pal. Keep it up!
Yeah, for horns the go to is a ribbon mic. I think that anytime you can take a muddy instrument, and use a mic that thins the sound pulls it back into the middle of tone, and brass is just the opposite. I know not everyones tone is bright, but brass can often need some thickening or warming, and using a quick but warm microphone like a ribbon, or even a standard 414 can work well.
+creativesoundlab thanks for the advice!
@@creativesoundlab Our Calrec SPS422 deals with Horns just nicely!
how come no one ever mentions the 545 unidyne (predecessor to the sm57, I find them to be like removing a blanket off of a 57 when recording guitar amps and its been my go to mic
Jesse Balber yesss. I love these for guitar amps as well. It sounds more natural and less scooped to me.
Hey! Great videos. Seriously. Learning so much. I'm excited to go home and try it. Two things, what's the best way to support you? You take donations or anything? And you should make a video on buying a preamp on different budgets.
)Someone's first preamp. What to look for... thank you!)
a noise-free one. I use a two-chan. Surrey
I be been watching quite a few of his videos and he seems to have a trend of food analogies.
Yep, food works. I think that most art is similar, just different manifestations.
Isn't the only difference between the SM57 and SM 58 the grille? They're internally identical to the best of my knowledge, diaphragm included.
I might be mistaken about that but that's what I recall from music school (MI, VIT/IAP).
Heil PR40. Amazing on cabs and kick.
MV88 for guitar cab ?
do this for studio gear
For the MD421-N you said you had to modify it. Was it an old Amphenol dual impedance connector style? I have recently got a vintage Unidyne III 545 with one of those connector types and was wondering what you would recommend for the wiring style.
Hello,
I hear you have a very high voice, But I have a very deep voice, what kind of mic would you suggest ?
RE20
Hey there, thanks for the video and the fresh perspective.
I'm just starting out recording music at home, for personal enjoyment, and I am considering buying my first mic.
You made a good argument for splurging on a good overhead as a first investment. Since I'll be recording percussion (A cajon as a "drum set" and shakers as "cymbals"), an acoustic guitar and vocals, I set my eyes on a Small diaphragm Condenser.
Do I must have a pair of these, or can I do with just one?
Thanks in advance!
You can start with just one, and buy a second one when you have the money. Two is nice to have, but there are ways to record with just one. Depending on what kind of sound that you like, there are many good options, and at various price points. I personally like ribbons, which are the opposite of SDCs it seems in tone.
Thanks for the solid answer.
I do have another question, if I may: you showcased the Beyerdynamic M88, and it seems like a solid choice for what I'm looking for.
I have one of those USB interfaces as my mic preamp (a Mackie Onyx Blackjack, to be exact). Do you know if I'd need to boost the signal from that mic (with something like a Cloud Cloudlifter) or would my preamp be strong enough without it? I know that people with similar interfaces trying to use Shure SM7B or Sennheiser MD421 need to add a Cloudlifter to their arsenal; I wonder that's relevant to the M88.
Thanks in advance!
I use up to 4 Electro-Voice PL37's - but just one is better than nothing! And they're not that expensive and come from a good source. There are vids on Electro-Voice Mics. from the Electro-Voice 'Mic Guy' look him up on RUclips.
I might be interested in courses but I would like to know who you are and what you have accomplished to know who you are professionally. I could not find that info anywhere. Could you provide a link.
What do you mean when you say a microphone is "quick/fast"?
The elements in conventional moving coil dynamic microphones like the SM57 typically have a fair amount of mass to move, compared to ribbon and condenser mics. This limits the transient response. Sometimes this is a desirable trait, sometimes not.
There's also an effect with both ribbon and moving coil dynamic mics that's dependant on the impedance of the preamp. That's one reason why you'll notice a greater difference in sound when switching a preamp's impedance with these mics compared to a condenser.
I'm sure he means 'quick to follow the dynamics'
bricks on a bungie! omg where has this been all my life lmao but seriously
creativesoundlab is there any kinda of snare mic that has better "off axis rejection" to better assist with hi-hat bleed? i heard the telefunken m80 (snare/short version does) but haven't seen any proof yet other than an engineer's word bout it.
+lexhitreset Yeah, I've been wanting to try out that m80 for a while now. Don't have any experience with it so I can't say. For me most of the hihat comes from the overheads, but I also do everything I can do point the back of the mic at the hihats. I think one question that may help is what type of frequencies are you really needing out of a snare mic. Is it the lows, and mids? Perhaps a darker mic would give you that while capturing less of the bleed. I'm just thinking out loud how I use ribbons for the overheads, and it gives me a really great fullness because the cymbals are less emphasized.
i dont mic the hi-hats personally, the overheads do a good job of capturing it in the terrible rooms i track in (yes i should overrule my wife and treat the shit already). its just hard to capture the crisp snare (close mic) and keep away the harshness of the hi-hat spill. positioning is most likely a problem for me since I have short T-Rex arms, so my hats are "danger close".
In the locker now for snare are an i5, sm57, sm7b. Overheads: pair adx51's, and shinybox ribbon mics with lundahls which are spectacular on the kit. but i'm thinking an angled mic cable and that m80-sh.
So your thinking maybe try to worry less bout that crispness. let the overheads do that? i know my snares dig that punch around 240hz and more bottom end for under that.... i think my biggest concern every time is to make sure the snare has weight and not sound like a pop can. *end rant*
@@creativesoundlab We use E-V PL37's for over-heads
as always very interesting video!!!
any class for possible overseas students???
FRANK IN THE KITCHEN Yes! The class a combo of videos and live video meetings. You can be anywhere to be apart of my recording school. Check out the link for the details.
awesome...!!!
thoughts on the D112?
Holmes, Spencer Jacob no thoughts. Listen to some demos. Sounds like add to me
The Audix D6 sounds good, too.
Crosstalk please explain the best ways to avoid it
Gee...we splitting the hair there... 1-inch proximity... I barely can distinguish which side of the door the noise is coming from.
Hey bro I need some help, I want to buy a new mic for screaming and clean vocals but I'm between Sm7b and At4040, can you help me? :D
+LaloWolzzz I like them both. The SM7b with an API style pre is a great combo in my experience. I just used one last week with a WA12, and I really dig the sound. very in your face type of sound. The sm7b can be used for many things, and AT4040 is more for the clean sound.
+creativesoundlab I am looking for a ART pro MPA II preamp, you think if I save some more money will be too much difference? (To use with the sm7b, I mean)
+LaloWolzzz Have no idea. Never used that preamp, but I had people commenting that the WA12 changed how the sm7b sounded in a good way. I think that a good pre will help upgrade the sound for any mic, but the pre shouldn't hold you back from making a great recording either.
An-a-cue-stick
Yep and I'm not changing. I've gotten hate mail for this. Screw it.
Creative Sound Lab ahaha
Creative Sound Lab fantastic video channel I have to say
Thanks man, glad you are here!
Well someone's hungry!
Ha!
4:30 uses a vibrator as a mic, I've seen you use weird recording techniques, nothing on this level tho!
Step 1: have money
Step 2: go buy mics
L'Quik Suárez Trustfunds rule the day in all the arts.
@@hr2186 nice excuse
A good mic is a good investment. Try finding an Electro-Voice RE55 Dynamic . . . . (20Hz-20kHz totally flat)
can you lend me one I'm 15 and I don't have money but I'm pretty good at music and I need one but I dont have a job or money to buy one and you have alott
+Tavonte Osby Most of these mics are not expensive, and I bet you could find a sm58 for under 20 bucks somewhere.
Really? a-Q-stic?
+Brad Hollis Yep, I love to play pool.