Neumann ribbons? News to me. What models are you using? The classic RCA ribbons are very highly regarded and thanks to guys like Stephen Sank, getting a new lease on life. Also, Wes Dooley has a line of fantastic ribbons (I have his R84 model), which are modeled after the old RCA mics. These are the large geometry ribbons.
David Royer makes a line of small geometry ribbons modeled after the classic Speiden mics, and these are fantastic mics too. For people on a budget, Beyer has some models still in prooduction, though most engineers I chat with still prefer older, classic models.
Your AKG is a large diaphragm condensor, a cousin of the classic AKG and Neumann mics of the 50's that now command upwards of $20,000 in the marketplace. Another standard studio LDC is the Neumann U87, a favorite of Trent Austin's, at least it was last we spoke. Like any micing situation, the room is a factor, and an LDC will definitely bring your room into the picture.
The extreme of this is the PZM mics, which originally were designed to mount on the wall or other reflective surface. I would believe Zappa used these on horns. When it came to recording, Zappa threw away the book and therefore rewrote it. Not everything he did was a success, but he really pioneered the "home studio" and was not afraid to experiment. Glad his family is restoring the YMRK, hope it becomes a museum someday!
Mics are one thing, but the preamp they go into needs consideration if one is a serious student of the recording arts. I won't get started on this, but there are a ton of great preamps out there and as many mediocre ones. And like mics, they range in price from $100 to $10000.
Nick, since you are in Chicago, if you haven't done so already, you should visit Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio. His mic and preamp collection is pretty spectacular, and I think his rates are quite reasonable considering who he has worked with. You might really like what he can do for your sound.
Gave up analog for ACID Pro? Yikes! I love ACID but not for tracking. What is your front end into the computer? I use a system called Paris, which is very analog sounding and has great effects and EQ. My room is pretty lame here so I can't get too excited about recording my horns here, but it is still a worthwhile thing to do.
- Paul Artola
Ellicott City, Maryland
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Originally Posted by NickD Bobby Shew once told me that he highly recommended recording one self. I would agree with him whole heartedly.
I use an AKG C414 condensor mic. It requres 48 volts phantom power, but it gives a farily clean sound (or at least it seems to to ME). These mics are said to have a "bright" sound, but you can eq that to taste in the mix. I like to record flat. That may all change as I am retiring (retired, actually) my 16 track tape deck. All of my recordings done since the start of the year have been direct to PC, multitracking using ACID Pro. So, on these, I do my eq on the fly.
Now, my buddies who are full time studio engineers all tell me that ribbon mics are the best for trumpet. They say they produce a "warmer" sound. Now, from an acoustics point of view "bright" and "warmer" are all implying the same thing: they don't have a flat response, or at least perfectly flat response. The only way you can change timbre or tone quality is by tweaking overtones, and that simply means some sort of EQ is going on somewhere. Oh well... Again the studio dudes like those ribbon mics. The old RCAs seem to be the best, but they go for a kings ransom. Neuman ribbon mics are the ones that have ended up in front of me when I have played sessions here in Chicago. I can't afford those either.
There are less expensive ribbon mics out there, I'm sure, but some research is in order.
Frank Zappa used to like PZM mics ( I think that's an abbreviation for pressure zone mics). I've only encountered those back in the days when I would take gigs with the circius when it came to town (Ringling Brothers - the Shriners were more old school about the tech thing). We had these big pieces of plexiglass in front of us with a little transducer fastened in the middle of it. I have NO idea how it sounded, and I'd be skittish about recording with it.
I'm bettin' mic technology has progressed quite a bit. Any new stuff out there? some neat new electret developments? Now, I'm curious.
FWIIW coming from me.
Peace.
Nick Drozdoff |