Compressors/Studio Mics

[SteveAATW]

I've become involved in helping out with the recording for a new TV channel and this is a bit outside of my experience really so got a couple of questions

 

For the in studio work am planning to get some DPA mics as they seem to be pretty standard in TV. Is this just brand loyalty or do they have any big advantages over Sennheiser or AKG equivalents?

 

On the same track, compressors. I've used XTA C2's recently for live PAs & MCs, but only because I could borrow them for free :unsure: Are there any decent spec models that you can recommend from other manufacturers that will do the job, budget is around £2-300?

 

Cheers

[Rob_Beech]

First off, the mics. As with most things, different mics for different applications. It's generally about where you put them and more importantly, what's going into them in the first place that makes a larger difference. We can't deny that the general reputation of the DPA mics is very good, and there is a valid reason for this. But it all depends on your budget. Some of the very cheap stuff can actually sound rather pleasant (see a recent thread). Are you looking to buy new or used, or either.

 

As for compressors, again, new or used. I am a big fan of the Drawmer 221 / 241's which can generally be picked up second hand well within your budget. The 221's being an older unit which I have several of tend to be picked up on ebay between £100 and £120. Can't fault them as a unit. We'd all like to be able to use a rack full of C2's but for most of us, it's not that easy. You won't go far wrong with the Drawmer gear. Just be advised that some of the older stuff, certainly most of the 221's only have jack ins and outs. But this shouldn't be a problem.

[Bobbsy]

What sort of mics are you talking about?

 

For lavs, my experience is that in TV Sony tends to have the lions share of the market, with the ECM77 still the workhorse. For TV use, lavs are actually used clipped onto ties or lapels (as intended) so they tend to sound okay in that position without much extra EQ help. I've also encountered MKE2s and Tram 150s for use in studios, but in my experience, the Sony mics have about 90% of the market.

 

(Where DPAs ARE popular is on music where their mini over-the-ear boom mics work well indeed).

 

If you were talking about desk/lecturn/stand mics, DPA do get used, but I've probably seen more AKGs. The 451 with a collection of swivels and extension tubes were very popular. Since they stopped making those, the market is a bit wider with SE300s (and various capsules, tubes, etc) get used but so do various others.

 

As for compressor/limiters, you'll find Drawmer in quite a few TV studios. I've mainly used the DL241 two channel unit which tends to go for about £450 or the DL441 which is about £650 for four channels. However, I've heard good things about the MX30 which you can get for in the £250 range (though I've not tried one personally.

 

Bob

[Matt Riley]

For comps, I use a few dbx 166xls, and they're a good bit cheaper than the drawmer stuff (£150 for 2 channels), but well built and sound good.

 

The DBX 266 is also worth more than its £79 pricetag, though there's a certain knack for getting a really good sound out of it.

 

M.

[jamesperrett]

If you are going to be doing this sort of thing regularly then it might be worth joining the Institute for Broadcast Sound - more details at http://www.ibs.org.uk - Their magazine is well worth reading, even if you aren't a broadcast engineer.

 

Cheers

 

James.

[SteveAATW]

Cheers guys, all the inputs appreciated. Got a Drawmer on order and will look into the Sony lavs. The DPAs I was going to get were lavs for in studio use - interviews, green screen stuff etc. It's a music channel but the majority of the stuff they'll be used for will be speech. We will be filming PAs and punters in some clubs but that will be mainly done by SM58 headed SLX handhelds and a 416 in a boom