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Post by terryrocks on Feb 2, 2017 12:05:36 GMT -6
I scored an avantone ck40 stereo mic in a trade for a couple of gtr pedals a few months back. Also recently bought a biv2 from the builder in russia.
i really like the ease of use with a stereo mic, but these are both cheap and have me wondering about higher end mics.
do any of you have a favorite?
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Post by Guitar on Feb 2, 2017 16:36:32 GMT -6
I don't own any, but I love stereo miking with SDC in XY and ribbons in Blumlein or MS.
One high-end stereo mic I have always lusted after is the Royer SF-12. They also have an active version. I would look at those, for sure. And the AKG C24, if you can find one.
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Post by winetree on Feb 2, 2017 16:58:27 GMT -6
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Post by drsax on Feb 2, 2017 22:13:16 GMT -6
Here's my one and only stereo mic... a great find last year from a guy who bought it brand new and he only used it a couple times. It's been sitting untouched for 30 years. A vintage stereo (actually quadraphonic) AKG C424. It's a quadraphonic cardiod 414. (Note: It's not a C24... I wish! It doesn't have tubes.) It has two capsules, wired front and back for four separate channels. Spec'ed to match near perfect on all four channels. You can use any combination of channels, or all 4 channels. The bottom capsule is fixed and the top capsule rotates up to 180 degrees. It's got the 414 teflon/nylon capsules... but I gotta say, this mic sounds absolutely spectacular.  |
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Post by timcampbell on Feb 3, 2017 6:57:44 GMT -6
I agree with drsax. I own both an AKG C426 and C422. They are wonderful stereo mics.
Of course the Neumann SM2 (stereo KM56) may very well be the best stereo mic I've heard.
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Post by rowmat on Feb 3, 2017 7:53:14 GMT -6
We also have a Cascade X-15 stereo ribbon fitted with Lundahl transformers. It is our go-to mic for micing our 100 year old pump organ usually in M/S mode. It's pictured here feeding a stereo Cloudlifter. I did pull the mic back further and add a pop filter after this photo was taken as there is a fair bit of air turbulence coming out the back of the organ which of course you want to avoid hitting any ribbon mic.  |
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Post by EmRR on Feb 3, 2017 8:22:10 GMT -6
Dedicated stereo here is a Samar modified Stellar RM-3 ribbon pair converted to a fixed single Blumlein body with a 45 degree mounting hole in between the ribbons for a DPA 4060 omni (several things you can do with that), and a Crown SASS-P PZM.
Most frequently I use Samar MF65's in their Blumlein stereo mount, and Beyerdynamic M130/M160 in mid-side.
Also Oktava MK-012 mid-side capsule that gets used either with KM140's or MK-012's. I'd rather have an MKH30; no deals on those yet. The Oktava capsule spacing is overly wide, so not useful in all situations. After that, various SDC and LDC pairs or M/S combos.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,940 
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Post by ericn on Feb 3, 2017 8:28:14 GMT -6
Here's my one and only stereo mic... a great find last year from a guy who bought it brand new and he only used it a couple times. It's been sitting untouched for 30 years. A vintage stereo (actually quadraphonic) AKG C424. It's a quadraphonic cardiod 414. (Note: It's not a C24... I wish! It doesn't have tubes.) It has two capsules, wired front and back for four separate channels. Spec'ed to match near perfect on all four channels. You can use any combination of channels, or all 4 channels. The bottom capsule is fixed and the top capsule rotates up to 180 degrees. It's got the 414 teflon/nylon capsules... but I gotta say, this mic sounds absolutely spectacular. OK that is a thing is sexy! Favorites that I have gotten to play with ? Let's get esoteric Fostex M22RP, the MS printed ribbon the Sanken CUW180, the microphone equivalent to the penis Bryan Cranston's character designs on How I met your mother, but it sounds good! |
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Post by EmRR on Feb 3, 2017 8:42:28 GMT -6
That Sanken has been intriguing to me.
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Post by drsax on Feb 3, 2017 10:14:40 GMT -6
I agree with drsax. I own both an AKG C426 and C422. They are wonderful stereo mics. Of course the Neumann SM2 (stereo KM56) may very well be the best stereo mic I've heard. - do your 422 & 426 mics have the brass or teflon capsules? Or have you replaced them with your own brass capsule? I've heard so many dis the teflon capsules and I'm not so sure why. I have this mic and a couple innertube mag mics with the teflon capsules and each of those mics sound incredible. |
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Feb 3, 2017 11:19:48 GMT -6
That Sanken has been intriguing to me. Very fast , highend for miles , pinpoint images, but not very 3D. Very much in the Schoeps /MBHO SDC family, but more of an etched rather than brushed sound. It Sanken can at times be very strident if you chose the wrong pre. I loved it on a small ensemble with a Demeter tube pre, but found it edgy with a 9098 or HV3. For somebody who has the money and wants it simple, a pretty good Choice. A Favorite of Japenes who like BiG TAD speakers with little SET tube amps. An old client once said this mic showed more than any other why he hated Taylor Guitars and loved old Martins and Gibson! |
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Post by stormymondays on Feb 3, 2017 18:35:33 GMT -6
I love my Avantone CK-40. Don't let the price fool you...
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Post by jeremygillespie on Feb 3, 2017 19:43:07 GMT -6
We've got a C24, SM69 tube, and a SM2 at the studio.
Out of the 3 I get the most use out of the 69.
At home I have a stereo set of the Cascade Fathead ribbons that I set up and use in Blum all the time. Great in front of drums, and pretty cool on acoustic instruments as well.
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Feb 3, 2017 19:45:37 GMT -6
We've got a C24, SM69 tube, and a SM2 at the studio. Out of the 3 I get the most use out of the 69. At home I have a stereo set of the Cascade Fathead ribbons that I set up and use in Blum all the time. Great in front of drums, and pretty cool on acoustic instruments as well. That's an impressive choice of stereo mics Jeremy! |
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Post by jeremygillespie on Feb 3, 2017 19:50:17 GMT -6
We've got a C24, SM69 tube, and a SM2 at the studio. Out of the 3 I get the most use out of the 69. At home I have a stereo set of the Cascade Fathead ribbons that I set up and use in Blum all the time. Great in front of drums, and pretty cool on acoustic instruments as well. That's an impressive choice of stereo mics Jeremy! For sure! I got there about a year after they opened, so I'm not sure who picked the mic selection but they did a stand up job. I think out of the classics the one they are missing is a 251. I've never actually heard one in person. |
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Post by donr on Feb 3, 2017 23:00:17 GMT -6
Jeremy, I've got a Cascade Fathead I like but it's dark. Do you EQ them? Do they have the Lundahl transformers? Mine doesn't.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Feb 3, 2017 23:27:21 GMT -6
I have the Fathead II with the Lundahl.
I generally wind up boosting a bit with a hi shelf.
There are certain things they just don't work on though. If its not close to working with some gentle EQ, I'll move on and put something else up.
Think they are best in front of a kit and smashed up pretty good with some really fast attacking compressor.
I got a B-Stock deal on them and was quite pleased when they showed up.
I think Cascade has a B-Stock ebay page. Worth checking out for anybody that doesn't care about a dented case or some faded lettering on the mic body.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Feb 3, 2017 23:35:49 GMT -6
If it helps at all, the strings in this tune were tracked with the Fatheads
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Post by Ward on Feb 4, 2017 9:01:37 GMT -6
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 4, 2017 10:16:06 GMT -6
I own 2 x Royer SF-12's stereo ribbons, and a Neumann SM69 tube.
The Royers are used ALL THE TIME, every damn session on something.
I personally love them on Acoustic guitar, Overheads on drums, and of course Room mics.
The Nuemann is also wonderful, but not used here as much.
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Post by EmRR on Feb 4, 2017 10:26:04 GMT -6
I have a Fathead II set with Lundahls. Haven't heard a stock set. Both mine had a HUGE resonance somewhere around 17 Hz which could easily cause feedback with headphone bleed or the control room door being opened. After a few years I had Samar re-ribbon them, and they are much more even sounding, no bottom resonance problems, and better treble response. Worth inquiring about if you feel there's something more you'd like out of them. I imagine any of the other re-ribbon guys could likewise improve them.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Feb 4, 2017 11:05:51 GMT -6
Not much haha. I have a good friend I came up with who engineered that record. Whenever he has cool projects come through and I'm not busy tracking I lend him my roadcase of preamps and my mics. Two songs on that record are like that - the first and last. The rest is very prog rock. Very tallented dudes, not really music I'm into though. The horns on that record were all tracked with the Fatheads as well. |
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Post by Guitar on Feb 4, 2017 14:21:39 GMT -6
I have a Fathead II set with Lundahls. Haven't heard a stock set. Both mine had a HUGE resonance somewhere around 17 Hz which could easily cause feedback with headphone bleed or the control room door being opened. After a few years I had Samar re-ribbon them, and they are much more even sounding, no bottom resonance problems, and better treble response. Worth inquiring about if you feel there's something more you'd like out of them. I imagine any of the other re-ribbon guys could likewise improve them. I just re-ribboned some Apex 205 and the difference was dramatic. Much more so than a transformer swap, which is a more commonly mentioned mod. Very finnicky work though, not for the faint of heart. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Feb 4, 2017 14:52:21 GMT -6
I've been itching to pick up an AEA R88.
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Post by rowmat on Feb 4, 2017 15:25:28 GMT -6
Not a stereo mic but I used a pair of Rode NTR ribbons in a Blumlein configuration into a couple of Twin Servo clones to record some layered violas which worked nicely.
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