Killa_Hertz
690 posts
Mar 05, 2016
6:03 PM
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Looking to start messing around with recording. And i need a few good instrument mics. The 57 is an obvious choice, but i want a few to be able to play with mixing multiple mic positions. i cant really buy 3 or 4 sm57s .... and all the mics i have are hiZ for the most part. Accept my pyle 57 rip off (which is actually a good mic and may be a good option) But if there is a model mic out there im unaware of that can possibly be had cheaply used off ebay or whatever, maybe i can get some good recommendations. It would be great if they also could double as a harp mic, but not required. Low price point. Relatively good quality sound. Thats the long n short. Any suggestions?
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mlefree
613 posts
Mar 06, 2016
2:35 AM
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Killa, an Astatic 335H-7 is a good little harmonica mic'. It can be had for $25 - $50 on ebay.
Astatic 335H-7 mic's on ebay
Michelle
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Last Edited by mlefree on Mar 06, 2016 2:36 AM
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Killa_Hertz
691 posts
Mar 06, 2016
6:11 AM
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Yea i actually have one. And am not really a fan to be honest. They sound ok, but not very hot.
But i need instrument mics for micing amps. Maybe a good boom mic for micing the room, and a good condenser for vocals n recording playing clean.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Mar 06, 2016 6:55 AM
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Piro39
96 posts
Mar 06, 2016
8:07 AM
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You can look into these mics clones of Shure sm 57 & 58. I've read good things about them.
http://www.speakerrepair.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=genem&Category_Code=microphones
Last Edited by Piro39 on Mar 06, 2016 8:09 AM
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isaacullah
3154 posts
Mar 06, 2016
8:21 AM
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Ifnyoubare looking for a great 58 clone, the Behringer xm8500 is a great mic, which goes for $20 a pop. I seem to recall they also sell a three pack with an even lower price per mic. This is my main dynic mic. Very harp friendly, and very flexible for multiple uses! I've head to head blind tested it against a real 58, and I actually liked it better. It's got a flatter response, so seems to sound better with instrument use.
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Killa_Hertz
692 posts
Mar 06, 2016
9:23 AM
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I was wondering if there were any vintage mics that were high quality that could possibly be picked up now for cheap.
Like i said i have a pyle 57 clone. I love it. The clone route may be my best option. Idk.
Im leary about beringer tho. I ve heard not good things about alot of their gear. But if you say they sound good, maybe I'll check one out. But a 58 is more a vocal mic. Im looking for instrument mics. Sm57, sanheiser md421, something like that.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Mar 06, 2016 9:28 AM
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Barley Nectar
1162 posts
Mar 06, 2016
11:39 AM
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I have recorded with the old EV 664. Worked well. Good harp mic too, it is Hi Z.
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Killa_Hertz
696 posts
Mar 06, 2016
12:56 PM
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Hmmm. I wonder how guitar or
Harp would sound with the amp miced with a hi Z mic. I just assumed it would be a rather dirty signal. But i suppose if i PAD the channel they may work just fine. I mean when playing dirty it would be ok probably, but i was thinking that when trying to play clean it would be difficult to produce a clean sound.
Anyone have Thoughts on this? Or experience getting a clean signal out of a hi z mic thru a mixer?
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Mar 06, 2016 12:57 PM
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1847
3270 posts
Mar 06, 2016
1:14 PM
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are you in the states?
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Barley Nectar
1164 posts
Mar 06, 2016
2:46 PM
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I don't believe the impedance of a mic has anything to do with clean or dirty.
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Killa_Hertz
697 posts
Mar 06, 2016
3:02 PM
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1847 ... yes I'm in the states. Philly area.
BN. ... maybe your right idk. It just seems that HiZ tends to distort easier. Due to clipping i suppose. Idk. I don't have any experience with recording. Or using hiz mics for anything but harp.
I suppose it depends on the mic. Some of the hi z mics aren't quite as hot as others. Perhaps they would work ok.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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shakeylee
514 posts
Mar 06, 2016
3:43 PM
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Killa hertz,keep in mind,you are always welcome to borrow gear from me .
I think 58's work fine to mic amps and instruments. I have two 58's and a 57 .
I also do a lot of my recording with a simple blue snowball. It just makes things easy .
BTW,I ised a Pyle mic for ages . Love that mic
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www.shakeylee.com
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Killa_Hertz
698 posts
Mar 06, 2016
6:38 PM
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Thanks shakey. The pyle mics are surprisingly good. Yea I'm just going to go simple with it i think. I was just wondering if i could be getting something better for my money.
I gotta make time to come see one of your shows bro. Ill be up there when the weather gets better for sure.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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arcticbreaze
2 posts
Mar 07, 2016
2:09 AM
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Behringer xm1800s is a sm57 copy and does work well, i bought the 3 pack for $90nz, used to mic my small amp at gigs and for recording.
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Killa_Hertz
699 posts
Mar 07, 2016
5:22 AM
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Yea ... thanks artic.
Isaac said the same thing. And i was told the same by thing a few others.
I bought a used 3 set with case in great condition for $20 last night.
Now I'm going to need a few cables. I think I'll make my own. Anybody know a good place to buy xlr cable. Think I'll buy a bulk pack of neutrik ends and about 100 ft of cable. I dont Trust them cheapo cables.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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isaacullah
3155 posts
Mar 07, 2016
7:54 PM
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Glad to hear you took the plunge on the Behringer's. Seems like you got a great deal too! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the tone you get. Hint: wrap a little gaffers tape around the bottom of the ball, leaving just the front of the ball exposed. Makes it easier to fully cup and to overdrive! These mics really respond well to cupping technique. I do get being apprehensive about Behringer gear, as some of what they make is absolute crap. But every once and a while you'll find a well.made Behringer product that offers good price per quality. These are one such item.
In terms of cables, Inused to make my own too, but stopped because I found it actually didn't save me much money in the long run. Now I buy decent cables from monoprice.com. They are the best price per quality ratio I've found so far. Have bought both xlr and 1/4" cables there and they are all madw very well. They are user serviceable in that they don't use molded one piece construction, but rather metal jackets that unscrew to expose soldered connections. Thus far, I've had no failures with their cables...
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Last Edited by isaacullah on Mar 07, 2016 7:56 PM
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Killa_Hertz
704 posts
Mar 07, 2016
9:21 PM
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I got a pretty good deal on 100 ft of mogami cable.
7 sets of neutrix xlr connectors
Under $100
Doubt i could have bought em assembled that cheap. But i know what your saying. Sometimes it's not worth the hastle.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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Tiggertoo1962
38 posts
Mar 08, 2016
1:20 AM
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Looking for a few mikes myself ATM, but I didn't like the fact the Behringer XM8500 doesn't have an on/off switch, as I like to be able to turn my mikes off when not in use. Checked out the customer feedback on the Samson Q4 and liked what I heard, so decided to order one to try it out. Anybody already have one of these and, if so, what's your opinion on it?
https://www.thomann.de/de/samson_q4.htm
Last Edited by Tiggertoo1962 on Mar 08, 2016 1:21 AM
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Killa_Hertz
705 posts
Mar 08, 2016
5:21 AM
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I got em cheap enough, so ill give em a shot. Imma put em head to head with the pyle n see how they do. Them pyle 57 copies are pretty good. I may be buying more of them in future.
For harp mics, you can't beat the Tape recorder mics. IMO. They sound awesome. The DM13 is my personal favorite. Im trying to figure out how to mod one and put a vol. pot on it. N shorten it. Turn it into a sort of bullet/stick.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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shakeylee
516 posts
Mar 08, 2016
10:44 AM
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you got a deal!!
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www.shakeylee.com
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rogonzab
894 posts
Mar 08, 2016
11:32 AM
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I love Akai`s mic, I own 2 dm13!
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Sorry for any misspell, english is not my first language.
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Killa_Hertz
708 posts
Mar 08, 2016
1:54 PM
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Yea shakey i lucked out. I hope..... Provided they work 8^/
Ron. Ive got a few 13's. I also have a few other models of akai, aiwa and some others. Most of em are really rockin mics. Especially given the price.
They are funny tho. All the elements act a lil different. Some are hotter, some have especially crispy highs. Im talking about comparing the same models A/B.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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isaacullah
3156 posts
Mar 08, 2016
4:38 PM
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Yeah, if you are making enough cables, then it's certainly gonna save costs! I never made enough though. Just one or two at a time. But yeah, grab a beer and a soldering iron, and crank 'em out on a lazy Sunday!
Some time ago I bought a whole bundle of tape recorder mics from a thrift shop. Got like maybe 8 of 'em for around $5. I was gonna use them as element donors in DIY mics, but never got around to it. I seem to recall that some were much better than others when I initially tested them out. Had a bunch of brands from no-name up through Sony, Panasonic, etc. A huge variety of connectors (lot's with two plugs). Some are very cuppable as is, but others are very slim and hard to hold. But yeah, point is that it is very possible to get a decent mic outta one of 'em. But none of them sound as good as that XM8500, nor my vintage EV 635a (which can still be found at decent prices).
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Killa_Hertz
729 posts
Mar 11, 2016
9:53 AM
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I got those beringer mics in yesterday.
Initial impression .... the case was a nice touch. There was actually a spot for 3 mic clips aswell as the 3 mics. I took the mic clips out and reshaped the foam to fit two more mics. The foam on the top n bottom (between the mics and the box lid and bottom) is a bit thin, but its pretty decent considering.
The mics feel pretty solid. The screens are nice, thick, and stury. The mics have an on off switch which is nice to have. I A/B the mics with a few others. The only one that really compared was the pyle 57. (Tested both with line xfrm) The pyle 57 was louder and more chrisp. I was kind of disappointed at the beringers actually. The sound was ok.
However when i removed the grill the mic came to life. Louder, better high and low response than the pyle. The grill is really thick. It must really block out a good bit of sound. Inside there is a secondary grill protecting the front of the element. However the two soldered points for the element are right on the side and exposed with the main grill off. It would be very easy for them to get shorted out. I figure if i take a piece of pipe (rob roy would work well) and thread the inside to match the mic, i can make a sleave to protect the points from shorting. This would make the mics more like a 57.
With the 57 you have to get a good cup on the sides because of how the grill is made up. With the beringer opened up , the element is right there. So a good cup is much easier. Especially if the sleeve i make extends flush with the top of the element. It will already be cupped.
I may also try to get ahold of a real 58 screen and see if it makes a difference. I also had the idea of chopping one of these screens in half at the center ring. Then putting another material flat across the top. This would give it a sort of bullet shape.
So that's my impression anyhow. I really cant believe the sound you can get out of cheap mics like these and the pyle. Its pretty excellent for the money. Thanks yall for recommending them.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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isaacullah
3158 posts
Mar 11, 2016
4:35 PM
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Killa, interesting review! You know, I never did think to try playing the Behringer without the grillnon! I'm gonna have to try that! Like your idea about potential mods. A trip to the plumbing section of the hardware store may inspire! Do try just wrapping tape around the bottom half of the ball as I suggested above. It makes a very big difference in terms of cupability.
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Killa_Hertz
741 posts
Mar 14, 2016
9:38 AM
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Thanks isaac ... yea my idea to make one of the screens into a bullet shape is kinda based off of your tape suggestion.
If you block off the bottom like you suggest, but had a thinner material up top.... Aswell as making it flat and closer to the element ... might make it work pretty good. Idk imma mess with em a bit here and there when i get time n I'll let you know what i come up with
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
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MindTheGap
1280 posts
Mar 14, 2016
9:50 AM
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Stop me if you'd heard this before, but when I was initially trying to get to grips with mystery of harp mics, one thing I read was that it's a known harmonica gambit to take the grill off an SM58 to make it behave, cupped, like an SM57.
I then had some fun removing grills from all kinds of vocal mics and seeing how they responded. And yes, even the cheapie ones did the thing.
Here is a reference...
http://www.angelfire.com/music/harmonica/ampdmics.html
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Mar 14, 2016 9:53 AM
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Killa_Hertz
742 posts
Mar 14, 2016
2:49 PM
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Hmmm ... interesting. Did not kno that. But apparently everyone else did ... lol. O well . Was just curious how it would sound. I thought It only made sense. I wanna try it with my 585. Because i wasnt much impressed with it either. But it doesnt seem to screw off.
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"Trust Those Who Seek The Truth. Doubt Those Who Say They Have Found It."
Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Mar 14, 2016 2:50 PM
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Barley Nectar
1168 posts
Mar 14, 2016
7:01 PM
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Another thing you can try is using an Impedance matching transformer, Low to High, between the mic and the amp. If you find something you like Greg has the same xformers that can be put right in a mic shell. They are pretty small but really boost a signal! Hawkan did a demo of this a while back. It was an eye opener. You may want to contact him for some info or find the thread. I'm talking harp mic now, not instrument mic...BN
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Barley Nectar
1169 posts
Mar 14, 2016
7:02 PM
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An Audix D3 is a fine instrument mic. Might find one reasonable...BN
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