Thinking about toys to get myself for christmas, and I've been looking at the NT5 matched pair. They need to be flexible (equally at home on drum overheads or on a piano).

They'll be used mostly for studio work, but I expect I'll use them for live stuff too. Any opinions? Alternatives for the price (~£200)?

Thanks!

http://www.adkmic.com/catalog/studioseries/sc-1.php

Check these out IMHO brilliant, used to be available through Turnkey so you may have problemsfinding them

Thanks. Looks like they might not be so easy to get hold of though. Something to bear in mind though.

Another mic I was looking at was the SE Electronics SE4, although these obviously cost heck of a lot more. I was thinking of ringing DV247 and seeing if I could get hold of some different mics to try out...

I've not yet tried the SE4 but I'm a big fan of the SE electronics range. If the price of the SE4 is a bit high for you (and you don't need the interchangeable capsules) I'd recommend the SE1A stereo pair you can get. I've used them for all the things you mention (plus lots of other stuff) and find them a good sounding, versatile workhorse. You might even get a second pair or a least a spare mic within your budget!

Auditioning is a good idea. I don't know if they still do, but SE themselves used to give 7 day trials of their range directly to buyers...worth a call.

Bob

Turnkey is still up and running, but as a mail order company only. I spoke to one of their sales staff earlier in the week. He told me that the shop may reopen at some point....

I bought another 4 SE1a mics from them - great, cheap all-rounders, £55 each inc VAT (the last ones I bought, in February, they were £50 each). They're probably not the best mics for you - I wouldn't use them for a main recording pair - they can sound slightly harsh and ragged in the upper mid region, and they're not especially quiet. Do you have to buy small diameter mics? If not, try the NT1A from rode - a large-diameter condenser, very quiet indeed, a bit bright, but superb for the price, which is about £115 each.

I know that SE were offering a 'try before you buy' service - worth giving them a call. I think their UK distributers are Sonic Distribution:

Company Sonic Distribution
Address Unit 23 Westbury Close
Townsend Industrial Estate
Houghton Regis
Dunstable
Bedfordshire
LU5 5BL
UK
Email sales@ghostacoustics.com
Telephone +44 (0)845 500 2 500
Fax +44 (0)1582 470269

I've already got an NT-1a, which is very good. Maybe a second one of these and a set of drum mics would be a better buy?

Digital Village in Bristol said I'd be able to give mics a spin if I wanted...

I would be inclined to buy another NT1A - A pair of these would be ideal for recording piano, or as overheads on the kit.

You need to think about how you work, and what mics you already have. If you record live, rather than overdubbing, you'll want overheads for your kit in addition to the NT1As - so a couple of SE1As might be useful too, and still within budget.

From feedback I've received from other people I would avoid any of the very cheap sets of drumkit mics. You're better off with a few good mics than a full array of China's worst!

For some types of music you can manage with a single pair for recording the kit, provided you're working in a room with a good acoustic, you put the mics in the right place (use your ears), and it's not competing with other loud instruments in the same room. I've often done this with jazz ensembles. If you add a mic for the bass drum, and one positioned so as to pick up both the snare and hi-hat, you can get by in most circumstances.

You could try making your own bass drum mic: there was a vogue about a year ago for using a small loudspeaker driver (I've tried it with one from a Bose 802) as a microphone. I jest not: search on Google!

That's what I was thinking. I may also look for a pair of good budget pre-amps, as opposed to using those built into my MultiMix (which are well... let's just say they work). Focusrite and M-Audio to my ears sound the best at the kinda prices I'm thinking (£100ish), but then again, I'm not that experienced with pre-amps.

I strongly suggest you try a pair of Oktava MC012. I have five and love them for kit and acoustics guitars especially. They're perfect for orhcestral work too, as a crossed pair. This is just one of many reviews on the net:

"When I first wired up the MK-012s, I was playing and monitoring through headphones. I was so shocked I stopped playing — compared to my memory of the C1000S, the Oktavas sounded like I’d removed three sheets of tissue from the mic capsules. The presence and transparency of the Oktavas blew me away. Suddenly all those mean reviews of the C1000S seemed justified. Suddenly, I felt I was really hearing my own drum kit."

ATB.

Pete.

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They are excellent mics for the money. I sometimes work with a well-known engineer who uses several dozen of them on major, high-spec orchestral events. On his recommendation I have bought have a few of my own, and been very happy with them.

Yep, love both the MC-012's and NT5's......

nt5's brilliant for all instrumental recording, nice and transparent, rugged, come with good hardward, and really, who uses much more than cardioid pattern? also great live, did a tour in nasty pubs with nasty PA's and on guitars they worked brilliantly.

just if you go Oktava, make sure you get the russian ones, not the cheap nasty chinese imitations that have been floating around recently.....

I have a similar issue...I'm torn between an NT4 and a pair of NT5's....not quite sure which to get. it would mostly be for location recording (for NT4), but also for light live theatre use (for NT5's)....hmmm....thoughts anyone? cheers! BobbyJ

BobbyJ - Why don't you go for the NT5 Pair and a birdperch/t-bar, then you have the best of both worlds.

I have 4 of the NT5's and can't reccomend them enough as drum overheads (very wide pickup pattern) and a great flat frequency response. We've also been using them as Choir overheads - they are EXCELLENT for this!

Let us know what you think if you get them. Merry christmas!

Ive used a matched pair of NT5s and I've not found them too enjoyable in a recording environment.

I used a pair of SE4s the other day as a set of room mics for a kit, and was very impressed.

Thats my opinion. May be of some use!

Although bear in mind the SE4 is quite a bit more expensive. Would you say the difference in performance accurately reflects the price difference?

Also, in what ways didn't you find them too special? If you're referring to the slightly wooden sound, this is something of a Rode trait I've been told (and something I've been getting used to the sound of).

It really does depend on what you're going to be miking, what style of music, and the environment...
Yeah, "woody" could be a word for the NT5 sound. Something like that could always be adjusted slightly with some EQ. Then again, theres the saying "you cant polish sh t".

The NT5s are good mics, and probably a very good starting point. With a bit (£300!) more, you could have some AKG c451s which are also small diaphragm condensors, lovely as drum overheads, snare mics, guitars, pianos, list goes on.

Though in your price range? The NT5s could be a safe bet, all be it nothing special.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I went for the NT5s in the end after having used the NT4 and liked the sound it produced (although I found it inflexible). Waiting for them to arrive today!

Have to agree with the others, I have 2 pairs and find them a very usable mic.

The work quite well for micing up choirs to add a small bit of reinforcement.

If you have more money you can certainly do better but for the price you can't go wrong