Dynamic mics

[philbrown]

Lately I'm rediscovering dynamic mics where I have traditionally reached for condenser mics. I recently bought a few mics off ebay to expand my options. One was a Sennheiser 441. It took some experimenting with the bass roll-off (a 5 position switch) and the bright switch to get to know it. It's perfect for my wife's voice. I cut several acoustic guitar tracks a couple days ago for our album- the Nashville style strum-all-the-way-through tie-the-song-together type tracks with the 441 into an API 512c. It worked great! Sounded good and full but not as hi-fi as a condenser would be, which I really didn't want or need in this case. Perfect glue for the track as intended.

I also bought one of these AKG D120E's, and liked it so much I promptly bought another one (both in mint condition):


They are definitely not hi-fi but there's something really interesting going on with the mids with these things- a thickness that's really usable in a mix IMO. We were cutting some 3 part harmonies together recently and just for grins I put up both these AKG's on me and the drummer's vocal and my wife on the 441. It worked great in the same room with almost zero bleed between them. Again, not super hi-fi but just sounded good in the context of the song. Low end tends to get bunched up in those situations with condensers and the mid-mojo of the AKG's tied the vocals together nicely. My goto mic setup for my Carr Viceroy gtr amp these days is a ribbon mic (AEA 92) and the AKG D120E combo. It sounds GREAT! Plenty of tone options mixing the two together without immediately reaching for EQ and a little panning between them works great too. I used to mostly use one mic on my amp but am now totally sold on this combo. 3 mics gets a bit fiddly though as far as phase goes IMO.

Another oddball dynamic I use is the Audio Technica ATM29HE. I use it live on our cajon player's cabasa pedal and have used it on snare etc. I took out some of the pop filter screening on the inside since I don't use it as a vocal mic anyway. It's bright in a good way when you need bright on a track when a SDC is too hi-fi sounding or too sensitive (like a snare drum).


Dynamic mics I don't have but would like to have are: Shure SM7, EV RE20 and Sennheiser 421.

Anyway, my main point is it's good to break out of habits of reaching for the same solutions and sometimes the results are surprisingly good! Do you guys have any similar secret weapon dynamic mic info?

[kgdrum]

I am a total Mic novice but all of the threads I keep seeing on Gearslutz about the SM7 has made me real curious about getting one.
I really only need a Mic for Vocals,I use a GR ME1-NV Pre and I keep hearing that the SM7 with this Pre is amazing for Vocals,one of these days............

[philbrown]

I am a total Mic novice but all of the threads I keep seeing on Gearslutz about the SM7 has made me real curious about getting one.
I really only need a Mic for Vocals,I use a GR ME1-NV Pre and I keep hearing that the SM7 with this Pre is amazing for Vocals,one of these days............

That's probably my next buy. Just happened on some photos of Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) singing through one in the studio, and they're obviously well-thought of for voiceover.

I've got the 500 series version of the Great River pre - it's AWESOME!

[stephentayler]

I adore dynamic mics... one of the best ever drum kit sounds I got was in Rio, Brazil at the house of Hermeto Pascoal, and his band (mostly his family). A single SM58 suspended above the kit in the room where they rehearsed - we were filming for a big BBC project. There was a drum solo and it sounded amazing, just incredibly natural and focussed - well balanced. Reminds me, must dig out that recording, I'm sure it's on a DAT somewhere........

I don't always look for a full frequency range for many recordings - I am usually thinking ahead to how a sound will fit into a mix - dynamics often fit the bill.

I tend to prefer the SM58 to the SM57 - not sure why! Not a fan of the ubiquitous Sennheiser 421. I must check out the Sontronix Halo, it's built for guitar amps, but I would like to see what else it can do.

Cheers!!

SWT

[philbrown]

I don't always look for a full frequency range for many recordings - I am usually thinking ahead to how a sound will fit into a mix - dynamics often fit the bill.

Man how true!! The novice mistake is always going for huge sounds on everything- well, at least that was my novice mistake. Of course back in the 80's hugeness was all the rage!

[stephentayler]

And Freddy Mercury's awesome vocal recordings - from what I understand were usually recorded with hand-held 58 in control room with monitors on....... say no more!!

SWT

[wylie1]

You can't go wrong with a SM57 especially when you can pick them up new for $99.
I've got a box of them some over 30yrs old.
Never recorded vocal tracks with them until recently doing some really harsh pop rock tracks and it works perfectly.

[Kubi]

I adore dynamic mics... one of the best ever drum kit sounds I got was in Rio, Brazil at the house of Hermeto Pascoal, and his band (mostly his family).

SWT

DUDE!!!

You recorded Hermeto??? In his HOUSE????

DAMN!!!!

I'd LOVE to hear that recording. I'm a HUGE fan of Hermeto.

[stephentayler]

They get a look in at about 4:50 on this clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLY79P8xvw0

- unfortunately sound quality is mono and poor, but you get the idea of what this program was all about.... 1990 and one of the most gruelling and satisfying projects I have ever been involved with. It took me around the world to record in dozens of impromptu situations. Nearly killed all of us on the team to do this original music and film project from scratch in 10 weeks to meet a worldwide TV deadline - I think a third of a billion people saw this on the same night....

anyway, lots of dynamic mics were used (as well as other bits and bobs)!

Cheers

SWT

[mikehalloran]

I like the SM-57 on my voice and will use it when I want a little bit of that grit that only an overdriven mic can give. One of my friends only records well with a Beta 58a.

The AKG D870 is a mic that is quite versatile. I like it so much I bought 8 when MF was closing them out. Of course, the D112 for kick and sometimes upright bass.

I have a few others that I will pull out when the mood strikes.

[mhschmieder]

Couldn't survive without my MD421 mk II. I use it on guitar and bass cabinet and haven't found anything else that comes close to getting such a balanced and detailed sound (though I now blend that mic with the unique CAD Equitek e100 FET mic and a ribbon room mic). I don't like it so much on drums though, preferring more modern (but dynamic) mics for better transients.

My Sennheiser MD441-U arrived recently and so far I've only used it on vocals, absolutely detesting it. But that's on MY voice; I haven't yet used it on what I primarily bought it for (flute and soprano saxophone) or on female vocals or another male vocalist.

I bought the MD-431 mk II during a going-out-of-business sale and compared all three mics. For voice-over work, any would do but I'll take an E/V RE20 for my voice first as it gives it more body -- maybe not so good with a female vocalist or a boomy male vocalist though.

I just sold my RE27N/D after deciding I prefer the earlier RE20 (not yet ordered my own copy). Something a bit harsh about the new version (neodynium). Mostly plan to use the RE20 for voice-over work and maybe singing-oriented vocals as well. I use the related ND868 kick drum mic and nothing comes close in detail and balance; I'd rather not sacrifice an RE20 to close-miking drum duties. They sound VERY similar anyway (on kick at least).

Wasn't a fan of the Shure SM7b or almost any Shure mic for that matter -- too much colour. SImilarly with most AKG mics. I've yet to find an application where the E/V or Sennheiser didn't beat out the Shure in detail and balance. But vocals are always a different thing, and one needs to experiment with every mic in their collection to find the best one for each singer.

In the past year or two I have gravitated towards ribbon mics (which are of course dynamic mics). It is rare that I encounter a situation where I don't prefer them to all else, but they vary quite a bit and I haven't yet invested in the higher-end AEA, Coles, or Royer ribbons. I have the unique hyper-cardioid Beyerdynamic pair along with their figure-8 ribbon mic, and a nice ShinyBox 46 w/ upgraded transformers (room mic for drums, and room mic for guitar and bass cabinet -- maybe also slated for duties on saxophones).

I really don't like most condenser mics anymore (though ironically one of my favourites is still my last remaining Shure mic, the KSM32). Most of them seem harsh to me and hyped in the mid-highs. My theory is that they were compensation for tape, but now that most of us are mostly-digital, their negatives often outweigh their pros.

Of course I'm talking condensers in the under $1000 range when I say that, as my most treasured not-yet-purchased mic is the Neumann TLM49, which in my view is unsurpassed as an acoustic guitar mic (and for almost any acoustic fretted stringed instrument). Such warmth and detail, perfect transients, and not the usual spike in the highs.

I've written about my other dynamic mics here before, in separate topics. Mostly for drums, but a few for vocals (the Beyerdynamic M88TG is a "secret weapon" -- especially for heavy metal vocals). I specifically use the discontinued ATM25 for floor tom and the newer but quite different ATM250 for rack toms. ATM450 forms a nice pencil condenser pair for ORTF behind the drummer. I have a recent ATM650 purchase that hasn't been put through shootouts yet, I use the Sennheiser e906 guitar amp mic for the underside of the snare, an egg-shapoed swivel-mount E/V ND468 for the top of the snare, and back to condensers again for a spaced pair behind the drummer (two highly affordable Avenson STO-1's, equivalent to DPA's or Earthworks omnis).

[philbrown]

My Sennheiser MD441-U arrived recently and so far I've only used it on vocals, absolutely detesting it. But that's on MY voice; I haven't yet used it on what I primarily bought it for (flute and soprano saxophone) or on female vocals or another male vocalist.

Well I wouldn't give up on it until you've tried it on a number of things. When it works on a source it works really well IMO.

Of course I'm talking condensers in the under $1000 range when I say that, as my most treasured not-yet-purchased mic is the Neumann TLM49, which in my view is unsurpassed as an acoustic guitar mic (and for almost any acoustic fretted stringed instrument). Such warmth and detail, perfect transients, and not the usual spike in the highs.

Funny I just sold my TLM49 and had pretty much the opposite opinion of it. Sounded hyped to me and never liked it on anything I tried it on. Opinion tends to be divided on that one I've noticed.

[Prime Mover]

You can't go wrong with a SM57 especially when you can pick them up new for $99.

While you can't go wrong with them, I'm of the impression that there are now more superior options out there for the same price. I'm switching my arsenal over to Audix i5s, which also go for about $99. I took a short live sound class last summer, and our A/B of the i5 against the SM57 made me turn away from the 57 forever, the i5 was just so much richer. It's also better constructed. 57s always have the "loose cap" problem that Shure has never bothered dealing with, and the i5 doesn't have that design flaw.

As for the SM7? Well, I put in a request to get one at work Then I can borrow it on the weekend! Supposedly very versatile and adored for spoken word.

As for dynamics verses Condensers, I'm too weary to try and experiment too much with dynamics on vocals. I can trust myself to an extent, but dynamics have such an extreme distance-to-tone rolloff, that any motion by the singer is immediately obvious. With a condenser, I can be more confident that the level and tone will be consistent. For spoken word, we've always used dynamics at work (crappy ones, though). Recently, we've been using this Samson USB condenser, which I'm starting to really like... just when we're getting the equipment to switch back to dynamics. Hopefully they'll pass off on our SM7 order.

I would never trust a dynamic to acoustic guitar or string instrument recording either, condensers just feel like they're getting more of the full body. I have no experience with Ribbons though.

Funny, I love my voice, but I have yet to find the right mic for it. All the mics I have the ability of sounding great on other voices I work with... but I'm really not happy with their performance on mine. I'm very dynamic though, lots of early Peter Gabriel-style voice acting. Well, voice acting (TV commercials) is one of my big tasks during my day job, so it's not surprising I bring it home. I'm itching to try out the SM7.

[wylie1]

Thanx for the feed back the Audix D6 that I have I really like I'll have to try an i5

[mhschmieder]

Phil, I guess my need to write quickly caused a misinterpretation -- I was simply apologizing for not having had a chance to utilize the MD441-U on the sources for which it is best known, and wanted people to understand that it not working well as a Voice-Over mic on my specific voice was not meant to be an indictment.

Similarly, I do not have time for nuance right now (I am one day away from a 100% off-the-grid jungle vacation), but my understanding of the TLM49 is that people tend to like it on Taylors but not on Martins (to give the two extremes of bright-vs.-dark acoustic guitar voicings).