Mics

[CaptainHook]

found a guy in germany who sells octava mk012 cheap.
Hook, have you used them?

Sorry, haven't heard them.
Think we've decided on 2 Royer 121's and a couple of 414's for now..
Was looking at 4038's (similar price to 121's) but the 121's seem more like
a workhorse considering the SPL level it can take..

I'd be too scared of trying a 4038 on a dist. gat cab. Without a pop filter at least...
Even done that hollis?

Maybe we'll get a 4038 or two somewhere down the track...

Can't say i trust ebay enough to buy anything off it.
Hope you get it hollis.
-----
I've never worked with buckton... but i've heard got things about him from people.
Would like to see his place sometime.
The guys from mission gizzard seem to love him.
Have you worked with him michelle?

[dragonorchid]

I have not worked with him, but I have heard his work, and recommend him, like I do you :-)

[Chuck Madison]

I just mixed three tunes with him. Awesome, had a really good understanding of what I wanted too. Will definitely work with him again on the remainder of the ep.

You can listen to the 3 songs I mixed with him here: http://www.overplay.com/diefenbacker

[hollis]

I'd be too scared of trying a 4038 on a dist. gat cab. Without a pop filter at least...
Even done that hollis?

day in day out.
been using them for years on very loud amps.
if the mi'cs distoring then pull it back.
if its still distorting then sometimes you just have to give up and try something else.
you do realise that the royer is also a ribbon?
I would have thought the max SPL would be about the same.

[hollis]

AKG's just turned up.
They are in near perfect condition which is pretty amazing considering that they must be at least 20 years old. I've given them a quick test, and they are working, no crackles, hisses, or farts....seems to have all the top and bottom end. I could not be happier.

[CaptainHook]

day in day out.
been using them for years on very loud amps.
if the mi'cs distoring then pull it back.
if its still distorting then sometimes you just have to give up and try something else.
you do realise that the royer is also a ribbon?
I would have thought the max SPL would be about the same.

Cool, have just been told to be careful with using them on Gat cabs...
Have heard of the ribbon being torn from a couple of people etc...

Yeah, the reason we want a pair of 121's is because they're ribbon..
Actually, they handle much more SPL than most ribbons where designed to..
http://www.royerlabs.com/r_121.html

Diefenbacker ~ only had time to download one of the songs..
Sounded alright.

[dragonorchid]

has anyone ever tried an AT4060 and Rode K2 side by side?

[hollis]

no, but Buckton has a 4060 I think and loves it.
I'd say that the AT eats the rode for breakfast.
rodes are pretty horrible microphone IMO.

I'm into my 4th day  of recording in Chicago.
As this is a microphone thread these are the mics that have impressed me.
josephson e22's.
toms (top and bottom) and bass and guitar cabinets so far.
its a  side address SDC thats pretty flat and can take high SPL.
Kind of like a 451.
full and absoluttely massive headroom.
very responsive to slight changes in position

Altec 150 with M21 cap.
a valve omni that I'm using as a room mics on drums, vocals and bass cabinet.
I described this to one of the engineers here as ' dark without  being dull '.
a really beautiful souning mic. very rare.

RCA 74jr.
little brother to the famous 44.
sounds gnarly on guitar amps.
sounds perfect for the mellotron going through a fender twin.

cool.

[Alex]

Haven't really read the whole thread, but were you guys talking about Andrew Buckton...?

I just heard something he recorded for a finalist in the Play it strange competition, I wasn't impressed at all. His mix destroyed the song IMO... it was so drenched in reverb, which didn't fit the sound of the band at all. I'll have to listen to something else he's done...

[simon_ishtar]

Ishtar- The Enemy Within
Ishtar- Plea

Both on Mel's site
www.myspace.com/melfromishtar

Also think he did a good job with At a loose end, Cliff Hedley and Battle Circus.... not to mention the myriad hardcore and metal bands he's recorded over the years.

[Alex]

Yeah, they're all alright. I'm still not very impressed. I don't like the drum sound he gets, and none of those mixes are particularly outstanding to me. Your band sounds pretty good. Really loving Battle Circus. Reminds me of Muse.

[dragonorchid]

It tends to be a love/hate relationship with his mixes to me. Love some, hate some. nothing in between. but because he is one of the more reasonable priced engineers in auckland, and does a good job, I really don't think we should be critisizing him on this forum. especially since at the moment I would say that his mixes are alot better than mine... he's been doing it far longer than me, and I'm sure there is alot we can learn from him.

[Alex]

Well, it's not a case of critisism, really, as it's a subjective issue. Sorry if my comments offended anyone, I just don't personally like what I've heard of his mixing/production style.

[dragonorchid]

sweet as alex, just doing my job (mod ) coz it's my forum , so no worries    I probably over reacted

[Alex]

No worries

Your smiley selection is great

[simon_ishtar]

Yeah, they're all alright. I'm still not very impressed. I don't like the drum sound he gets, and none of those mixes are particularly outstanding to me. Your band sounds pretty good

Over reaction? I don't know. Yes, we are pretty good. A lot of people say one of Aucklands best live acts. Some people might also say we are a lot better than microfiction.
 Where are all the recordings you've done junior?

[Steve]

Mics

[dragonorchid]

Simon, now I think you're over reacting   he hasnt said anything bad about your band, infact he gave you a complement. man, it's far too easy to misinterpret written stuff, apart from the smileys, one can never guage the tone in someones voice when they are saying something on here.

[simon_ishtar]

He took a shot at Andrew Buckton's work because he didn't do a good job with a rockquest band. What the f**k does the boy expect in that circumstance?

 Andrew is a guy who has been round quite some time and built a reputation for being very good at what he does, admittedly most his projects don't have massive budgets like many international release cds do and will not sound as polished as if someone spent, say, $100K on the cd but that would be like comparing apples and oranges wouldn't it?
 Also how long exactly did he spend with this play it strange band?
I am presuming we are talking about a demo and not a full on production?
 Tall poppy cutters don't get a lot of my respect, especially when they are armchair critics to boot.



I note the compliment

 

[dragonorchid]

but I had already warned him, I think he got it the first time. 
Good point about the play it strange recording though, work done for charity probably didnt have as much time spent on it as normal radio single productions.

[simon_ishtar]

I'm happy to leave it at that, don't really want the hassle of a verbal fistfight. Maybe I'm misreading some arrogance in Alex's post.

[Alex]

He took a shot at Andrew Buckton's work because he didn't do a good job with a rockquest band. What the f**k does the boy expect in that circumstance?

I really have no idea what you're saying here... I didn't do a good job with a rockquest band?? What rockquest band...?

Yeah Michelle you're right- It's certainly difficult to gauge someones tone and meaning in a written discussion. I certainly wasn't trying to 'take a shot' at Andrew Buckton, not in the slightest. All I meant, in my original post, was that I didn't like his style of production on one recording. I hadn't heard enough of his work to form an opinion of him as an engineer or mixer. After listening to several more songs you mentioned, Simon, I certainly hold him in higher regards, but still don't particularly like the sound he has achieved on those recordings. It's not bad- it's just not my thing.

In no way was I trying to be arrogant, or trying to say that I could do better. I do, however, know what I like to hear in recordings, and I've listened to and analyzed enough recordings to know what sound I personally strive to get. Sorry if this came off as arrogant in any way, because it's definitely not what I was going for. I'm certainly not a 'tall poppy cutter'.. And by saying I'm an 'armchair critic' and seemingly trying to insult my band, it definitely seems like you are the one overreacting, and to me, seems rather hypocritical... but now I might be the one reading more in to words than what was intended.

In response to this:

Yes, we are pretty good. A lot of people say one of Aucklands best live acts. Some people might also say we are a lot better than microfiction.
 Where are all the recordings you've done junior?

I'm sure you are great live. I'm also sure other people would say Microfiction is better than your band... though I don't think it's fair to say either band is 'better'. Taste is all that comes in to it, and everyone has different tastes. No hard feelings though.. maybe we could do a gig together someday.

About my recordings, I can put a couple up if you like, or you can go to my bands myspace and listen to hypocritica.. but bear in mind that at the time of recording, we were 15, and it was tracked using 4 ($50) wharfdale mics. When we've finished recording and mixing our album, I'd be happy to put a song up here.

[Thomas J Cynic]

The last time old Tom
saw Ishtar play
at their launch
they were extremely
tight, slick in their performance
Simon could lay claim to being
nzs best guitarist
Mel sounds great
and is mesmorizing
Dave and Jamie lock together really
really well
and respectively are fantastic musicians
personal taste?
maybe
 if you are claiming you can play
as good as a guy who is
faster than Yngwie
as explosive
as Eddie
and as widely read
as Jimmy
the cynic is sorry Alex
you won't be on the same plane as him.

[dragonorchid]

Alex, I'd love to hear the album when it is finished. If you are a budding engineer, and as fussy as I am, we might have a job for you because we are swamped here at the rock factory and really need more recording/mixing engineers! I'm looking for a perfectionist

[dragonorchid]

p.s hope all venting is out of everyone's system , and I might have to steal that popcorn smiley for our collection.

[Steve]

[off topic] I can post a bunch of cool ones if you're serious about putting them on here.  [/off topic]

[cdtbeast]

I have been getting an awesome heavy guitar sound using a 57 & a Rode Nt2000 combo. It takes some setting up but it is well worth it. Mind you the guitar is running Bill Lawrence pickups - boutique tube screamer - modded 5150 

The Rode has plenty of nice sizzle which means I can dial out the annoying top end of the 5150 & it doesn't get muddy. The trick with the Rode is to set the high pass on the mic @ 60hz & have the db cut dial set to maximum cut & I run it cardoid for heavy & full omni for clean sounds.
The 57 is getting full tone range & by cutting the Rode @ 60 it gives the track more room to use the tones you actually want.
This setup works well with the Diezel amp as well.

The problem I had in the past is if I ran the mics @ full frenquency & then did a 60hz high pass after there was a noticable loss of tone.
If I cut it on input there was also a loss of tone as the mic was spitting out full tone & the 60hz high pass on input was thinning it.
However by being able to cut the 60hz @ one of the mics then the full tone of what the mic is spitting out is captured so mixing this with the 57 running full open is an awesome blend with a shitload more headroom & fat tone.
This means less tracking less editing less high cutting & less compression.

The Rode set to Omni makes a good centre overhead for drums as well.

I do like it blended with other mics for vocals as well.

[Tags:]

The Rock Factory Community  Useful Tools For Artists and Bands  Audio Engineering  Topic: Mics