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anybody DIY a condenser mic?

anotherfreak

Asked by anotherfreak,

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anotherfreak Veteran HFCer

anotherfreak

Posted
Posted

http://microphone-parts.com/collections/microphone-kits

I've been setting up my studio, and I am getting to really subjective(and expensive) recording mics. I am looking for a mic that'll do vocals and acoustic guitars. and I have been researching mics for about a month now, and I am getting nowhere AND I know I could not spend $1000 on a mic.

my first thought was getting the Carvin multi pattern tube condenser and modding it with a different capsule, but I have been checking out these kits and I was wondering if anybody has any better suggestions. I have been watching Reverb, and ebay and I just don't see paying what these classic mics are worth :)

is there anything you have experience with?

I have been using a Audio Technica 3035 for the last 10 years and gotten good results, but I wanna get more clarity and body from the mic itself.

what is your mic of choice?

Why?

you guys are the best at this, so what works for you?

29 answers to this question

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tomteriffic Veteran HFCer

tomteriffic

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Bill, i hadn't seen these kits before. They look pretty interesting. Just one thing to note and this is a *very* general rule of thumb. That is that a large diaphragm mic will work better on vocals, a small diaphragm on instruments. In fact, a large/small dual mic approach is common on acoustic guitar. I don't have any $1,000-plus mics either. For myself in the condensor department, I've got:

Large diaphragm:

Rode NTK (tube, instant Lou Rawls)

Studio Projects C-3

Equitek E-300

A-T 4047 (their take on a U47)

Small Diaphragm:

Oktava C-012

A-T 33R (pair)

I also get a lot of mileage out of a Shure KSM-32 a mid-size (3/4") diaphragm mic that seems to do a lot of stuff well.

YMMV, closed course, professional driver, do not attempt at home etc.

Bloozguy Veteran HFCer

Bloozguy

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For $180 you can hardly go wrong with that Carvin microphone. I was not able to find any self-noise specification for it but with all of those positive comments it must be fairly decent. If it does turn out to be noisy you could always swap out the 12AX7 for a lower gain tube which should lessen any self-noise.

Just make sure you use a good spit guard for vocals. The shortest route to a lousy sounding (or even non-functioning) condenser microphone capsule is dried spit.

I agree with tomterrific -- in the studio we always used two microphones for acoustic guitar. A large diaphragm condenser (typically a Neumann U87 or AKG C 414) aimed at the sound hole and a small diaphragm condenser (typically an AKG C 451 EB) aimed at the fingerboard.

I no longer have a U87 or C 451 but I have gotten pretty good results on acoustic guitar with an AKG C 414 B-ULS along with an Oktava MK-012. If you buy a used Oktava make sure you do not buy one of the Chinese fakes. There are a few websites describing how to tell the difference.

Most of my recording studio colleagues considered the AKG C 414 B-ULS to be a good "desert island" microphone. Multi-pattern, -10 or -20 dB pad built in, LF rolloff built in makes them pretty versatile.

veatch Veteran HFCer

veatch

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Good notes above. The AKG 414 are good, as are the Oktava. The Rode NTK is good bang for the buck. A SolidTube is not very versatile, but does give you something different and are usually pretty cheap, used.

If I want to do something fast, I usually grab a 414TLS - sounds good on most things.

Good luck. Microphones can be a total moneypit... :)

kenjones Veteran HFCer

kenjones

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I used to try to record music at home and bought a few condensers, among them a Shure SM81 and a Shure KSM32. One thing I will warn you about a condenser, especially one used for recording vocals: you need a dead-quiet room to record in. I live about 100 yards from a freeway and I could not use the KSM32 for vocals because the freeway noise was too loud. After one tropical storm the freeway flooded so bad that they had to shut it down for 2-3 days. I used the opportunity to record vocals. Also, any kind of air conditioning will print to your recording (I almost typed "print to tape"!).

But... maybe I was doing it wrong.

Anyway - a few times a year I record voice-overs in my video client's offices. I have tried to record with the KSM32, but with the office environment it just picks up EVERYTHING. To minimize any "ambience" I end up using my Beta58 (and have the talent "eat" the mic) or use my Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun (which is a fantastic voice-over mic).

anotherfreak Veteran HFCer

anotherfreak

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Everyone said the AT 3035 was a better mic than the cost reflects, and I have gotten some good sounds out of it, the best lesson was in controlling the room. I don't quite understand the physical differences and the thought processes between a transformer/transformerless/tube mic when they spec out so similarly. Or why pick a U47 over a U87? those are popular mics to clone, and seeing their costs, I'm glad they are cloned. I have enough skills with circuits that I feel comfortable with a kit, and that's prolly the only way I could get a mic like this.

The Carvin looks like a great deal, multi pattern, large diaphragm, good specs. I might start there and mod/gut it later.

do I really NEED a handful of mics, I just want one that sounds like MY ear :)

anotherfreak Veteran HFCer

anotherfreak

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Turn the furnace off for the duration. And refrigerators.

water softeners ;)

squirrels

dogs

fish tanks

.............

and cellphones :)

I think my biggest problem here in Dallas is gonna be airplanes, all those muffled mids/lows

tomteriffic Veteran HFCer

tomteriffic

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Used to live under an approach path near an airport. Fortunately it was for a short runway that was only used for commuter flights and there were only a very few in the evening. I had the timing pretty much down and would just make sure that the red button wasn't lit up during those short periods.

Bloozguy Veteran HFCer

Bloozguy

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A SolidTube is not very versatile, but does give you something different and are usually pretty cheap, used.

The AKG SolidTube (which is now discontinued) is pretty universally considered a piece of sh*t. The actual tube is in a portion of the circuit that has very little impact on the overall sound of the microphone but it allowed AKG to call it a "tube" microphone.

You would be much better off with the Carvin IMHO.

Or why pick a U47 over a U87?

The Carvin looks like a great deal, multi pattern, large diaphragm, good specs. I might start there and mod/gut it later.

do I really NEED a handful of mics, I just want one that sounds like MY ear :)

The U47 (both the tube and FET versions) and U87 have very different capsules which makes their sound different. The U47 capsule and preamp combination seems to be smoother and warmer than the U87 which makes them really popular for vocals, especially female vocals.

I used to own a couple 1964 vintage U47s and they sounded heavenly...but not for everything. We used our U47s almost exclusively for vocals because the legendary "smoothness" and "warmth" also made them sound slightly less articulate than the U87.

Yes, you do need a handful of mics if you plan to do any varied amount of recording. If you are recording the same voice and the same acoustic guitar you can probably get by with just one or two but as your ears get pickier you will likely decide that you need more.

And to muddy up the water a little more, try to find yourself a used Neumann TLM103. That is Neumann's "budget" U87. It has nearly the same capsule but in a single-sided version so it is a fixed cardioid pattern rather than mult-pattern like the U87 and the preamp circuitry is nearly the same. I picked one up used for around $500 and it sounds pretty darn close to a U87 to my old ears.

On a side note -- I am moving to Austin in January so you are more than welcome to try any microphone I have in my limited collection -- maybe you drive down to pick them up and I will drive up to get them when you are done. You just have to buy the beer. B)

gorch Veteran HFCer

gorch

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The Zoom stereo microphones do a very decent job too. I have them USB connected to the computer. Stereo, they sound very lively and low noise.

scottcald Veteran HFCer

scottcald

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Everyone said the AT 3035 was a better mic than the cost reflects, and I have gotten some good sounds out of it, the best lesson was in controlling the room. I don't quite understand the physical differences and the thought processes between a transformer/transformerless/tube mic when they spec out so similarly. Or why pick a U47 over a U87? those are popular mics to clone, and seeing their costs, I'm glad they are cloned. I have enough skills with circuits that I feel comfortable with a kit, and that's prolly the only way I could get a mic like this.

The Carvin looks like a great deal, multi pattern, large diaphragm, good specs. I might start there and mod/gut it later.

do I really NEED a handful of mics, I just want one that sounds like MY ear :)

Wire up your ear. Sure, the soldering will hurt a bit, but then you'll have what you want. ;)

geoff_hartwell Veteran HFCer

geoff_hartwell

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Yes mics are a complete money pit, haha.

I apologize in advance if this is off topic or way too ghetto a suggestion, but... If you dig that AT...

Having owned and used a ton of great mics, I gotta say the AKG perception 400 or 420 is a sick value, very versatile, and you'll be amazed if you compare the frequency specs to 414s etc, and more importantly do some blind comparisons. For example I used that mic on one track I produced where there were overdubs with a very expensive Neumann and I've fooled some really good ears as to which was which :)

fractal Inner Circle

fractal

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I just found that site a few weeks ago. I'm totally tempted to do the C12 clone (with the tube). I used to repair and modify vintage AKG and Neumann microphones for a living, so it sounds like a blast. (Plus, I need a nice recording microphone...)

anotherfreak Veteran HFCer

anotherfreak

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Yeah, I saw it a year or so ago, in the middle of moving so, everything went on back-burner. I have been writing a ton, and thinking of getting some decent recordings together. Bought a mac, simple interface, and started playing with studiolive one. I think a nice new mic might help ;) especially a NICE one ;)

I'd like to be able to just go out and buy one, but I'm not there yet, on a personal and fiscally professional level :)

anotherfreak Veteran HFCer

anotherfreak

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I guess the other thing bothering me is that I wouldn't consider a Carvin mic, the SM58/Beta clone. so I am kinda' hesitant about buying a big tube mic, even at that price. I have used Carvin mixers and power amps, but I never gave their mics a chance

snobbery?

fractal Inner Circle

fractal

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Another option to consider. The MXL 990 microphone, found on the big box websites is a darling of mic modders and apparently can be made into a pretty nice mike pretty cheaply. I believe the same can be said for several other MXL mics as well.

Here's one parts website I just pulled up at random:

http://microphone-parts.com/pages/mxl-990-mods

They have these now at Musician's Friend with a shock mount and a case for $50.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/condenser-microphones/mxl-990-condenser-microphone-with-shockmount

Although adding all of the "microphone-parts" upgrades almost costs the same as one of their kits...

fractal Inner Circle

fractal

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Musician's Friend Stupid Deal Today is a MXL V250 for $40. Unfortunately, I'll be placing a microphone-parts.com order soon...

:)

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