Re: [Harp-L] Need a little advice



BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx wrote:
<I was wondering if anybody could answer a question for me
<and if anyone has some advice concerning affordable studio mics. <...Should I go for a ribbon mic? What pattern is best on a budget?


Don't know what you mean by "affordable." Large-diaphragm condensor mics are available for as little as $100. My Audio Technica AT4050 CM5 is a fine mic that cost me $500 used; Audio Technica's recent 2020 model has gotten a lot of praise at about $100. Most of the recently available condensors in the $100-200 range are made in China, and quality varies, so if you go for a very inexpensive mic make sure that you try it in the store and compare to others of the same kind.

Ribbon mics are generally great for harp and other instruments with a lot of high-end information, like violin--they soften the harshness of the high end. They're not often the first choice for vocals. Electronic Musician magazine recently ran an article comparing 5 inexpensive ribbon mics, and I suggest you try to find it.

Kiel makes a condensor for $129 that is designed to produce flat response throughout its frequency range. The mic is generally well-regarded; I haven't used it, so I can't comment on its usefulness for harp.

The same mic may not sound great on both vocals and harp. If your budget allows, you may wish to consider different mics for these purposes.

Finally, the mic shouldn't be considered separately from the preamp. If you're going to use the mic with a particular preamp, like the ones in your digital recorders, then by all means drag one or both of your recorders to the store and record a little bit of the same vocal or harp part with every mic in your price range. Then take home the MIC that sounds best with your preamps. If you're not wild about the sound of any of the mics with your preamps, consider spending part of your budget on a decent preamp. Good tube preamps from Presonus and others can be found in the neighborhood of $200, and go up from there. I've gotten good results on some of my recordings with an ART MP tube preamp, which retails now for well under $100, and my AT 4050 CM5. My solo recording of "The Star Spangled Banner" was made with this setup, as was the lead harp on my recording of "Auld Lang Syne;" both can be heard for free at:
http://www.broadjam.com/rhunter


Good luck and regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com
Latest mp3s always at http://broadjam.com/rhunter





This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.