Open Mic: Tell Us About Your Favorite Microphone

on Nov 10th 2009 with 32 comments
This entry is part 10 of 16 in the How to Choose and Use Microphones Session
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Microphones come in all shapes and sizes, a variety of designs, and come as cheap or expensive as you like? What is your favorite mic?

Each Tuesday we open our mic to readers and lurkers alike to come out of the woodwork and tell us your thoughts and opinion, your experiences and mistakes, what you love and what you hate. We want to hear from you, and here’s your chance.

What is your favorite microphone? What do you like about it? How did you discover it? Are you still in search of the perfect mic?

Do you use just one general purpose mic, or a variety of mics for different purposes? How many do you use at one time?

Or are you the sort of music producer that never needs or uses a mic? Do you see that changing in the future?

 
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Adrian is writer and editor for Audiotuts+ and Envato Notes. He has been playing keys and acoustic guitar for three decades, and has six kids. Follow him on Twitter at @envatoaudio.  

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  • Todd Cumpston

    I have tried out a bunch of mics on my vocals, but the one i keep coming back to is one that I picked up at a NAMM show about 8 years ago. It’s a Superlux CM-8HA large diaphragm condenser- I know, it’s not a name. But I tell you, everyone who hears it on my voice just LOVES it! And it only gets better as I step up my pre-amps. Best $60 I ever spent!

  • http://www.intuneaudio.ca Charlie McEvoy

    I picked up a pair of DPA 4051 last year. To say I love them would be a wild understatement. Any instrument or ambient recording becomes simple and taken up a bunch of notches using them.

    For vocals the two go to mics in my mic locker are the AKG 414 B-XLII or the Rode K2. Very different mics. It all depends on the voice.

    Charlie
    http://www.intuneaudio.ca

  • http://www.intuneaudio.ca Charlie McEvoy

    I picked up a pair of DPA 4051 last year and love them. Any instrument or ambient recording is taken up a bunch of notches and becomes much simpler with them.

    On vocals the two mics that I use the most are the AKG 414B-XLII or the Rode K2. It depends on the voice

    Charlie
    http://www.intuneaudio.ca

  • http://www.rinkpodcast.com Tapeleg

    I really REALLY like my Heil PR40.

  • Jaffe

    Love my Shure Beta 58…

  • drew

    vocals
    akg c 414II

  • Epithet Music

    I’ve tried a million mics and there are a lot of high end mics that sound good but my most used mic is def the Shure SM7b. It’s an amazing mic on over 90% of the voices out there as long as you have a good mic pre to push it.

    Some of my favorite mics include U87, M49, Blueberry, Bock Audio 195, Bock Audio 151/251, and AKG c414.

    My next purchase is the Bock Audio 195. That with a SM7b and maybe a tube mic later on will get it all done.

  • http://www.theworldisabsurd.com mark

    A couple of favorites over the years include the Neumann TLM103 and the AKG C414. The best bang for buck mic I’ve come across is the Studio Projects B1. It’s cheap, clean and bright. Even better, it’s about 1/15th the price of the other two I mentioned.

    • http://www.audio-issues.com Björgvin

      I agree with Mark. The TLM and the 414 are great. Simply great.

      I’ve used the AKG Perception 200 a lot as well. It’s a budget mic but it’s very nice for home studio projects.

  • http://www.thedigitalgod.com shawn guess

    Peluso 2247 LE for vocals. just fantastic. BLUE Kiwi for vocals or acoustic guitar. Audix all over the drumkit (D1, D2, D4, D6).

    but the Peluso is the “oh my god i cant believe how great my vocal sounds” mic for everyone that sings through it.

  • http://www.lightrainends.com Neil

    I just got the MXL 4000 and I’m really liking it on my voice (I like a crisp, strong high-end). Haven’t tried it on anything else, but the 603 small-diaphragm that came free with it sounds great on acoustic.

  • Epithet Music

    You guys that are mentioning mics under $500 can take that some where else because you obviously haven’t heard enough high end mics to have a valid opinion.

    • http://www.thedigitalgod.com shawn guess

      and you guys that think a good mic HAS to cost a lot can take that somewhere else because you obviously listen with your wallet and your ego and not your ears ; )

      • Epithet Music

        Damn, any mic is good for the money pretty much. But you have people talking about MXL4000 like they are in the same category as a Peluso or Neumann, or AKG vintage mics. This is about favorite mics. Not what mic you like because you’ve only used one or two.

        Anyone that has heard more than a couple of mics would never pick some of the favorites mentioned.

    • http://joelfalconer.com Joel Falconer

      There are filthy rich artists who love the AU$200 SM57 so much that they barely use anything else. This is “Tell Us About Your Favorite Microphone”, not “Tell Us About the Mic with the Flattest Frequency Response You’ve Heard”.

      • Epithet Music

        That’s why I own several. The SM57 is a staple. Every one that has been in a real studio knows that. It still doesn’t justify mentioning consumer condensers like they are a great mic.

  • esben lorenzen

    Gotta say, the SM58 is an all-time winner!
    however, for vocal i like the sE Z5600a II.

  • http://www.burzinskimusic.com Burzinski

    I first had an AT4033. Good on acoustic guitars, too bright for my voice… And because I work at home, not a good choice for you record everything, including neighbours and birds…
    I then chose a dynamic microphone in order to reject the noise around, a shure beta 58… Not bad but not the one I was satisfied with…
    Also tried an AKG 414 BXLII, fantastic sound but same issues as the AT 4033…

    Because I love warmth, I finally chose a ribbon mic : the Sontronics Sigma. Good noise rejection. Really warm on vocals, with far more air than dyamic mics, and a fantastic dynamic range, for it’s phantom powered, so you don’t need to take care about impedance issues like other ribbon mics…
    Also really good on acoustic and electric guitars. So it’s the only mic I use now…

  • http://www.recordonsite.com/ Recordonsite.com

    AKG 414B-XLII … a very good and versatile mic.

    http://www.recordonsite.com

  • http://www.universalindie.com Universal Indie Records

    Love my Shure Beta 57a

  • http://www.fortysevenmedia.com Nate Croft

    Right now, it’s the Shure SM7. Vocals, guitars, you name it. About the only thing I think I wouldn’t really try them for if for drum overheads ;-)

  • Joshua Bogart

    My current favorite on “my voice” is the EV RE-20..and I have to admit, my curiosity was peaked seeing Thom Yorke use it…….although, I’m curious to try that Shure SM7 as mentioned earlier (Jeff Tweedy uses this). I have a real raspy voice that can be very harsh with a mic such as my AT4050 or AKG 414….I like how the RE20 tends to make my voice sound smoother and less brittle…….

    But if I was trapped on a desert island with only one microphone, it would obviously be the SM57…….(and btw, Sinatra used these for his voice).

    • Joshua Bogart

      Oh, forgot to mention, that’s through an Apogee Duet and Ensemble.

    • http://www.rinkpodcast.com Tapeleg

      I love my RE20, but the Heil PR40 is my new favorite. If you have a chance, try one out on “your voice.”

  • http://www.WinkSound.com Mateo

    The only two mics I own are a Shure 57 and a Rode NT1 I bought about 6 years ago. I only use the 57 every now and then, pretty much whenever the Rode is in use for something else. The Rode NT1 gets most of the use, primarily for Vocals (singing and post production voice over work).

    The Rode NT1 is definitely one of the finest mics I have ever recorded with.

  • XJ

    Neumann KMS104 for vocals :D

  • http://www.otheroom.com Barry Wood

    This is a pretty open-ended question. Even limiting to a single application doesn’t help much because what works on one instrument/voice may not work as well on another. It really comes down to trying things out and trying not to get stuck in one methodology. One recent example comes to mind: I was tracking some djembe and figured that an Earthworks QTC-1 would be the right choice for capturing everything that the djembe was putting out. I also threw a Sennheiser 421 up at the same time. The 421 ended up sounding much better than the QTC-1.

  • http://www.mihaisorohan.net/ Mihai

    I’ve been in several studios, recording trumpets for different bands and projects, and the most impressive sound I got from a AKG C 414 B-XLS, the next best thing was a Oktava MK 219. In one session I had several microphones including Shure SM57 and Oktava MK 219, that convinced me to buy one Oktava microphone.
    Now I have a Oktava MK319 which is the redesigned MK219, a must have.

    Once recorded with a Neumann U67 (this year), there is a studio here that still have 3 of them… now that would be a nice Christmass present… :)

  • Alex_HS

    Sorry my English!
    I worked about 9 years with Rode NT1 (one at home and one on my old job) – great allrounder for money, used it on vocals, percussion, sax, acoustic guitars etc. Used Shure SM7 on some vocals – very nice mic. Used old ribbon Oktava ML19 for some voices – great “elastic rubber” low-ends and some cutted highs, but this is easily solved with EQ or exciter. I own vintage tube LOMO 19A19 too and it soundig great on classic-like vocal (opera, etc) and not as good on amateur pop vocals. Now I will work with Neumann TLM49 in new studio, but not yet tried it in real work.

  • Joe

    favorite mic would be the new elam 251e. Also love the Bock 251. Another mic i really like is a custom c12 i had built from an apex 460 with a Peluso p12 capsule an amt14/1 transformer with a 6072 tube. This mic for about $1200.00 comes pretty close to the high end sound quality of mics 3 times the price. of course your vocal chain is what really brings out the best in these mics. i like my c12 through my lachapell 583 in to a buzz essence in to my Apogee. Very sweet sounding with allot of character.

  • Rolltape

    The AKG C12,Neumann U-87 and lomo 19A19.

  • http://blog.canal.cl/ ignace

    I have an Earthworks drum kit and I have been using them for years on everything: the SR-25 has never let me down, as long as I can deal with having to compensate the low end. I don’t like them on acoustic guitars though, mostly because their output is not as high as one might need with mid-priced preamps.