Mic stock

[ceecrb1]

Ok, I can believe I´m going to be guilty of a "which mic" thread..... but hoping this one is different..

 

I´m wondering, about investing a little cash in my personal mic stock, as I´m doing quite well hiring it "to myself" (ie the company where I work as they have none)....

 

Now what I´m trying to do is obviously use the money wisely....

I´m pretty sure that some 57's and 58's would be a good investment... yes other mics may be cheaper or better... but I´m trying to also think of clients looking for/accepting the stock I have, rather than going somewhere else.

 

I currently have 2 c747s and some 451's, and 2 old akg d190 but I use those as "voice of god" so they are "mine" rather than stage. (one in each of my 2 "sound cases" I take on site). finally there is my rta mic.... but thats really kept for rta, even though I´ve heard they are quite good in various other situations..

 

Like always its always impossible to stock and make cash from everything any client could ever ask for...

 

The http://www.thomann.de/gb/shure_dmk5752_4.htm seems a decent deal price wise and its just a boxed set that I can get all round use for.. so just add some 58's and I´d have a decent start there.

what'yal thinking?

Gonna be sooo good having my own company 100% up and running... its coming, just a matter of time :-D cant say too much more just yet.

p.s. I´d accept 2nd hand in working condition as long as they are not too bashed up if anybody is looking to make some cash :-D

I'd rather buy 2nd hand and well used than risk fakes from ebay.

[Trunker]

Maybe a Sennheiser e606 for guitar and a Senheiser e602 for kick drum. A set of pencil condensors for drum overheads? Add a few DI's if you not got any and along with the 57's and 58's you have mentioned, you will have a nice lttle set up.

[ceecrb1]

Yeah I have to admit I do like senheiser mikes , a little cheaper and clearer, even the sleaker look of the E845's over 58s

 

 

Yeah di's I have... If it werent for mine there would be none at work! Or ground loop isolators.

[whisky-zulu]

I have a pair of Sennheiser e614s which I've found work well on OHs as well as lecturn mics, and I'm sure no end of other applications - just never really had the oppotunity yet to experiment much with them; Sennheiser e604s on Toms, plus their mounts are quite useful if you want to substute in other mics and don't have the stands.

 

Have seen the E845s used on a couple gigs that I've worked as house crew on and they've done the job very well.

[jamesperrett]

I currently have 2 c747s and some 451's, and 2 old akg d190 but I use those as "voice of god" so they are "mine" rather than stage. (one in each of my 2 "sound cases" I take on site). finally there is my rta mic.... but thats really kept for rta, even though I´ve heard they are quite good in various other situations..

 

 

You are well set up for condenser mics for overheads so I'd say you are looking along the right lines with the Shure drum mics. However, the kit doesn't look particularly good value for money as the individual mics are probably cheaper and the only extras with that kit are the mic mounts. In my opinion SM57's are too big to be used with clip on mounts so I don't think they would be useful. I'd go for short stands instead - I have some with round bases which are very easy to place amongst a crowded drum kit.

 

Alternatives to consider are the AKG D112 instead of the Beta52 and Sennheiser 604's instead of the 57's. I would also think about one or two Beta 58's along with a few standard 58's. While there are other choices with will be better in specific situations, these are the sort of mics that everyone will recognise.

 

James.

[themadhippy]

if youve the money sm98 work well for drums and a lot of other stuff,if not then some 604's,add in a beta 57 or 2, a few 56's or 609's and youve got most things covered,o and a 91 and m88 for kick,sorted.

[RichM]

This is my "standard" set, which I pack if I haven't had a rider or other instructions. In my experience they will cover pretty much any eventuality. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I've yet to encounter a band/engineer that would turn them down.

 

 

D6 x 1

Beta91 x 1

SM58 x 4

Beta58 x 2

SM57 x 4

e606 x 2

e604 x 4

c414 x 2

SE1A x 2

 

Plus 4 Klark Teknik DN100 DI boxes.

[tolley1466]

if youve the money sm98 work well for drums and a lot of other stuff

 

And they look great and they're not chunky like a 57 or a Beta 56! The only annoying thing is the Mini XLR connectors.

[Rob_Beech]

if youve the money sm98 work well for drums and a lot of other stuff,if not then some 604's,add in a beta 57 or 2, a few 56's or 609's and youve got most things covered,o and a 91 and m88 for kick,sorted.

 

Not a bassoon mic for kick...Surely not...oh wait.

[S&L]

As usual I will comment from the bargin basement which is the sound engineering level I am working at, aside from 57's and 58's I have found it useful to have a few pg48's - while they are not the same quality to be honest no one notices the difference at the gigs I do and I have used them for anything from backing vocals to bass drum. I always find it worthwhile having a few in my back pocket to fill out the range of my mics (and of whichever band). if I'm uncertain I also throw in the boot the 3 for £30 behringers (may the lord forgive me for admitting it) the switches are a little delicate and don't get me wrong I'm not setting them up as an equal to shure/akg but if I need to mic a guitar cab and I have run out or the band pul on an extra body to 'guest' and I'm short, if I suspect a mic of misbehaviour or just to put one in my pocket to test a line if something happens then they will do suprisingly adequately without winning prizes.

actually the last 3 gigs or so I have had a rat siniffer/sender in my pocket which is usually far more useful for line testing. http://www.soundtools.com/xlrsnifsend.html

...like I said these aren't the sort of mics you would choose to hire in or out but always worth having the behringhers and pg's 'just in case' people will forgive a little sonic mediocrity more than they will forgive..sorry I ran out or you broke my last one or... well you get the point. anywaqy a view from the bottom of the heap for whatever it's worth

[Unfathomable]

As usual I will comment from the bargin basement which is the sound engineering level I am working at, aside from 57's and 58's I have found it useful to have a few pg48's - while they are not the same quality to be honest no one notices the difference at the gigs I do and I have used them for anything from backing vocals to bass drum. I always find it worthwhile having a few in my back pocket to fill out the range of my mics (and of whichever band). if I'm uncertain I also throw in the boot the 3 for £30 behringers (may the lord forgive me for admitting it) the switches are a little delicate and don't get me wrong I'm not setting them up as an equal to shure/akg but if I need to mic a guitar cab and I have run out or the band pul on an extra body to 'guest' and I'm short, if I suspect a mic of misbehaviour or just to put one in my pocket to test a line if something happens then they will do suprisingly adequately without winning prizes.

actually the last 3 gigs or so I have had a rat siniffer/sender in my pocket which is usually far more useful for line testing. http://www.soundtool...lrsnifsend.html

...like I said these aren't the sort of mics you would choose to hire in or out but always worth having the behringhers and pg's 'just in case' people will forgive a little sonic mediocrity more than they will forgive..sorry I ran out or you broke my last one or... well you get the point. anywaqy a view from the bottom of the heap for whatever it's worth

 

to add to that, I don't personally keep a stock of mics, always hiring what I need from local firms that give me good rates, but I have two PG48s. Not a patch on the SM etc but useful in a hurry. Usually these appear as talkback mics, interval announcements, etc. I wouldn't present them to a lead vocalist on any professional show, but as a back up and a spare, always worth the £30 or so.

 

They also look the part if you have a band who are particularly violent with their mics... :)

[cedd]

My regular mic kit;

 

3 x SM58

3 x SM57

2 x SE1a

2 x Behringer B-1

4 x PG56

2 x EMO passive DI's

1 x Sennheiser e815s (talkback)

 

That's my regular pack that I take everywhere. I have specialist mics as well (hanging, DI's, PCC's, drum sets, clip on, etc.). Seems to cover most bases. I particularly like the Se1a's and the B1 is a cheap mic for what it is. Doesn't sound half bad too.

[Vince]

Glad to see someone else operating in the "budget" arena!!

 

Much though I'd like a pair of AKG c414s in the kit, it ain't going to happen any time soon unless I win the lottery.

 

(Mental note - must buy lottery ticket....)

 

If you provide mics for folk who aren't of the SM58-or-nothing persuasion I would like to recommend the LD Systems D1001. It is well built and IMHO a vey nice mic, acoustically somewhere between an SM58 and a Beta 58 (which it closely resembles). Oh, and half the price of an SM58. Handy for those gigs when mics are at risk of being spiked by over-enthusiastic death metal vocalists.

 

Other mics I have in the kit are Audix i5 (guitar), Sennheiser e604 (tom/snare) and Audix D6 (kick). I do have some Beta 98D/S mics for special occasions as well.

 

Cheers, Vince

[ceecrb1]

So, where do people generally buy your mics from?

Best prices?

 

I have found one place online in the UK that states to sell 57's and 58's at 50 quid new.... so cheap that I start to doubt the originality of them.......

(www.24retail.co.uk)

[whisky-zulu]

I've got most of my mics either from a local shop in Oxford (58s and 57s from these guys) - Oxford Guitar Gallery, or over the phone from a supplier when I make trips over to the US (American Musical Supplies [58s, 57s, e604s, e614s and a beta 52]) ; cheapest I've seen a 58 marked up at is £75 over here, same for a 57. The guys at OGG are very helpful and do know their stuff, so they may be able to post orders out.