VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[jrkaiser]

For the price, I've heard fantastic things about the MXL 2003... Thanks for taking a listen and for the honest review.

I was trying out the Cascade Fathead over the weekend... I wasn't pleased with the work I had to do to make it sound half-way useable.

[Lance Blair]

FWIW, MXL has just come out with a lower self noise (I think it was 12db - comparable to Audio Technica Mics) 2003a. I find that the 2003 is in the ballpark of a TLM103, especially with a good preamp. That either speaks well of the 2003 or poorly of the 103...or both. MXL is an odd company - I dislike most of their microphones, and yet I love quite a few of them. I wonder how the same company that makes the 2006 can make the wonderful M3 or Genesis. They seem to be improving over the past three years.

I've got an MXL v67g that I'm itching to send in for an "Oktavamod". I love that mic for singing, but it's just not quite ready for primetime for VO - it needs a bit more "focusing" that a good mod can do.

As for the Fathead - I like that on instruments and drums. Even though I sold my PR40 it's a stellar guitar cab mic and kick drum microphone - one of the best in the biz. The TLM103might be bad on some male voices, but it's great on many female voices (Imogen Heap sings with it) and distant instrument/ensemble micing. Every mic has a purpose (in theory).
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[todd ellis]

the thing to remember with the MXL mics (and others) is that they are hand made in china and there is (reportedly) very little quality control. you might get a MXL V69 and find it to be wonderful (after i swapped tubes, i did) - and you might buy a pair manufactured on the same day and have one that is great and another that sounds like a hive of bees has taken up residence. it's a crap-shoot, really. jmho. (interested to hear george's take)

also - do people use ribbon mics on drums??? seems to me that much concussion would blow them out. (then again, i'm not a drummer)

also - BANGIN" gobos man --- looks really good.


t. ellis: maximizing parentheses since 2009
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[Lance Blair]

The QC in the better Chinese factories working on behalf of US owned mic companies has improved, and they're just plain making better microphones - and slightly more expensive ones where more quality is put into them. I'd have no problem in terms of QC buying good MXL or ADK or a Blue Bluebird. All of the v69me I've heard have sounded the same...peoples expectations of the mic are what is different. I've heard some TLM49 recently that made me think "What the????"

Having been to non-mic factories in China and Korea, I have a high opinion of what they are capable of doing.

I'd also mention Studio Projects and CAD as makers of good Chinese microphones. I've never heard a bad one from their QC.
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[Frank F]

I am with Todd on using a ribbon for drums - a definite "no-no". Todd also mentioned the easy "mod" of changing the tube. This little concept is the easiest modification to use on tube microphones.

Changing the transformer and capacitors is nice, but costly and should be done by a pro. A friend sent his tube microphone in for modifications to a company in Canada ( I wont mention the name of the company here) and when returned it had a poor quality capsule and very shoddy soldering; consequently it sounded like - well, you guessed it.

SOME Chinese mics are sounding pretty good - others like - uh huh. Aphex, for example, is now making a low cost, nice sounding (once the tube is changed) set of microphones. The MXL 4000 is fairly nice for the cost.

The caveat I use when suggesting microphones to another person is: "Use the microphone in your studio under your normal operating conditions with your equipment BEFORE you buy". The microphone I use or suggest you may or may not like with your voice or your other equipment (i.e.: sound card, preamp, editing software, computer, etc.).

Justin, as mentioned to you in private, I like the Lauten with,your voice and as compared with the others in your test.

Good luck on YOUR choice.

Toodles

F2
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[jrkaiser]

So, how exactly do you get over gear-itis Frank?

Actually the more I listen to the samples I'm recording with the multiple mics, I'm noticing the nuances of each one. I like each for a different reason..

The cascade has great bottom end but no top and is noisy. The Sennheiser cuts through. The Mojave has a silkiness to it but on proximity gets muddy... The Lauten just sounds good no matter how I work it.

Each one has a different use... I'm sending the Cascade back, the Mojave is an impressive sounding mic, but I'll probably move that to the locker and work the Lauten as my main mic.

Every time I do this I hear different things... likes and dislikes. It's amazing what happens when you start training your ears.

I'm really curious as to what the Lauten Oceanus sounds like now.

[Frank F]

Speak with Greg Phelps (G or listen to Greg on the Lauten web site using the Oceanus.

The Oceanus is a great microphone, solid sound, unique to a higher end class of microphones, good presence, nice lows-mids-highs, smooth, very clean.

Lauten has created their own sound for microphones without trying to copy Neumann, Sennheiser, Blue, Sony, Schoeps, AKG, Shure, Groove Tube, CAD, MXL/Marshall, Audio-Technica, Mojave, Honer, Heil, Royal, Telefunken, Sterling, etc.

I give them high praise for taking a chance at developing their own "sound" and style. I believe they have set the tone for what is yet to come in the recording industry.

How to get over "Gear-itis"? There are two ways:

1- Spouse says it's time to stop spending on your toys and save money for the house, children, car, spouse, etc. And one finds out that all the money earned is being spent on new toys.

2. One finds they have all the latest gear and it has not increased their earning power - in fact it has decreased their pocketbook dramatically.

Truly, when one has a "sound" which is earning a good income and one has decided there is no need to upgrade any "toys" is when the VO Talent will determine for themselves it is time to stop coveting the latest gadget.

Be happy with what you have and make the equipment work for you, not the other way around. The equipment will not enhance a poor performance or create a better talent.

Sometimes bigger, newer, more expensive is not the right thing to do.

Toodles

F2
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