"Vintage" Mics

[TomM]

I've been asked to think about hire lists for a production of City of Angels that we are doing at Bath Uni next term. The director has asked us to provide 5 vintage looking microphones, to be used for some of the vocals.

 

Clearly they need to work, so they have got to be reasonable mics.

 

As such the best I've used fitting this description I've had is the 55SH from Shure, which I'd expect to be hireable locally to us as its still a fairly common mic.

 

The only option I have mentioned to me is the EV Blue Raven. Unfortunatly this is only an idea based on finding it on Thomann. However the sales sheet from EV suggests a reasonable quality.

 

Has anyone every used the Raven, or know anywhere I might be able to hire and/or demo this mic?

Alternatively anyone have any other suggestions?

 

Cheers

 

Tom

[Rob_Beech]

Hi Tom.

 

Whilst the Shure mic you mention is a classic, popular design which sort of has vintage written all over it, IMO its never been the best sounding mic in the world.

 

I THINK I have heard the Blue Raven being used although EV do a couple of similar ones, I was only attending a gig at this point, it sounded very good (although it probably helped that everything after it was good quality and that the source material was also good).

 

I was looking to source a few reslo mics a while back, they aren't that hard to come by, but sometimes finding the right ones can be tricky, also they are not the best sounding mics and are a little fragile.

 

Rob

[bruce]

I'm sure there was a similar thread a few months ago, and one suggestion was effectively to use the "vintage" mic simply as a prop, and either mount a small condenser beside it, or even inside it.

[Pete Alcock]

You could investigate a MP33325 Retro Mic from CPC. No idea what they sound like, but it looks the part. As Bruce says, you could take it to bits and put a decent condenser mic capsule in it if you wanted a different sound. At £20 it's probably worth a punt.

 

Pete.

[TomM]

Whilst the Shure mic you mention is a classic, popular design which sort of has vintage written all over it, IMO its never been the best sounding mic in the world.

I agree with you about the shure not sounding the nicest, it is a mic I've used before and know I can hire locally, and I'm not sure the source material is up to the level that a much better mic is required.

 

Thanks all for the help

 

Tom

[wako_jacko]

my solution would be, as previously mentioned use vintage ones as props only, (saves you having to find them ** laughs out loud ** :D) and then use radio mics on the performers (if it is the same performers using the mics, if as previously mentioned having condensers next to them, or if possibly using shotgun's (?) and pointing them at the area (not sure what venue type your using)

 

hope this all makes sense

 

w.

[MarkPAman]

my solution would be, as previously mentioned use vintage ones as props only, (saves you having to find them ** laughs out loud ** :)) and then use radio mics on the performers

 

It could be that I'm strange, but if the singers move away from the mikes & the sound does not change, I might suspect miming. :D

 

If the look is "vintage" can the sound not go (slightly) in that direction too? The Shure mike mentioned is in no way a bad one. OK so not the best, but loose some top end, add a bit in the mids and you'll get a pretty good "old fashioned" sound.

 

2p

[rob.d]

How about the Beyer Opus 65? Theyre cheap and cheerful, granted a kick drum mic but at the end of the day a dynamic mic which should sound reasonably good on anything. In fact im sure the spec sheet in the box suggests it can be used as a vocal mic- though I'd suggest you probably wont persuade it to capture anything at a distance, and a bass roll off might be required!

 

Stay well clear of the Eagle type mic suggested from CPC (its not quite the same as the Eagle but I dare say they hatched in the same nest- forgive the pun!)- unless you want to replace the inards its a no go. Awful sound, truely awful.

 

2p too!

 

HTH

 

Rob :D