Help choosing a few mics - $5k to spend

[andre99]

Hi, I'm currently setting up a small home studio and was looking for a bit of experienced guidance on mic choice.
I have about $5k for the lot. I'll be recording upright piano, drums (4 mics), electric guitar, acoustic guitar and female vox.
The music is, for want of a better phrase, 'coloured, vintage' ie. not clean pop.

I think the best way to spend the money will be to get 2 mics that would be good as both piano mics and drum overheads. Anyone have any thoughts about which mics might be a good choice for this? The others should sort themselves out. I know it's personal preference but I haven't had enough studio experience to get to the personal preference stage!
Thanks in advance

[gigpiglet]

hi mate
im sure there will be lots of different answers, but my personal thought (and what i owned for many years) as to what is "needed"

pair of small diaphram condensors (with or without changeable capsule patterns)
i had oktava 01's (i still have them, and now another pair, and still use them every session)

one "main" large diaphram (hopefully with patterns, but maybe not)
i had Mann M21. i still use it (and have since bought more of the same) though i also have "better" choices now too.

one "workhorse" dynamic. SM57, or 421 or SM7 (i always had 57's from my live work)

one ribbon (if you can afford it - even a cheap one for flavour) i hadd oktava again. and again, still have, and have bought more of the same (i currently have three of them) also used nearly every session - 10 years on - and with many other choices in the cabinet.

for 5k you could easily achieve that (less if you wanted)
- pair oktavas for 500 (or you could get pair KM184 for 1k)
- U87ai 3k or also much cheaper options (like the mann, or AT5040 etc)
- SM57 $200
-plenty of cheap ribbons, or if you go the cheaper main mic, you could splurge on a royer or similar 1k

so 5 mics, well under 5k if you want to go the cheaper (but still good) options, or right on 5k if you go my "top" choices all the way, and that will have you very well equiped to record anything that comes at you from vocals, acoustic piano/ guitar, strings, a whole kit (kick, snare, stereo OH and room) elec gtr etc etc

hope that helps

[The Tasmanian]

Just a thought...
You could get away with much less than 5k on the mics,
but no matter what you choose, the mic pre's are VERY crucial in getting a great sound.

As Gareth mentions, you can get many good inexpensive mic's to do the job at small prices.
Some mic's are ridiculously cheap - (like Little Blondies - $120 each)
An average inexpensive microphone (like a 57, 421, AKGD112, most Beyers, etc) will sound SO much better and alive with a great mic pre.

Start first planning with killer mic pre's, would be my advice.
For eg: Classic Audio VP28 mic pre's are stunning, I know a few people that sold their original API pre's when they heard the VP28's - they have an extra line stage so that they can be gained up to change the sound - which makes a huge impact on the sound, and allows the preamp to be nice and clean, and by driving the preamp, one can alter the sound to get even more "vintage" texture.
Something most preamps cannot do - to me this is like having 3 different sounding pre's in one unit.
Great for guitars, drums, piano, vocals - anything you throw at them.

Good luck - spend wisely!

[gigpiglet]

totally good point chris!
i was assuming that given the 5k mic budget - pres had already been considered

given my personal example above, when for years i only had 4 "studio" mics (2 x oktava, mann m21, oktava ribbon) plus my live stuff (57's and 58's) had 4 x Peach mic pres. (my first and BEST studio purchase!)
a 57 into a peach is a new ballgame!

so as chris says, if you havnt thought about pres, dont blow your whole 5k on mics.
a couple of good pres and some of the cheaper mics i mentioned will get you further.

if you already have great pres - go crazy and your 5k will do you wonders!

[andre99]

Thanks Gareth and Chris, I haven't got the pres yet but I have a few grand to pick up a couple of nice ones.
Just had a look at the VP28s and the build looks pretty tough, at least for me!

[Hookemeister]

Sorry I didn't see this sooner, otherwise I would've told you to snap up that pair of Milabs DC-63's in the For Sale section.

I'd PM Steve Jones just in case they have'nt been sold.... you won't regret it.

Cheers