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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 22, 2018 8:55:31 GMT -6
In another thread, we're discussing how some people use a crappy mic to get a nasal megaphone type sound. I thought it would be fun to see how people use some cheap or garbage mics and what they use them for.
So, I'll begin.. Practicing with my first "band" in my friend's mother's basement when I was a kid, we had no recording gear. We snuck into his older brother's room and "borrowed" his answering machine. It had a cassette inside, and one of those little $5 mics on a thin cord for recording your messages. We put the mic up and I made my first recording. I'd only been playing around 3-4 months. It's crazy distorted by any standard, but still listenable and very cool. And... I still have it!
I use an SM58 for for miking guitar amplifiers sometimes. I like it better than a 57 for that purpose.
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Post by Blackdawg on Aug 22, 2018 8:58:17 GMT -6
Radioshack CB microphone as a vocal mic to get a distorted radio sound! haha Actually use it as a talkback mic at the studio i used to work at. Most visiting engineers laugh and think we are joking at first. Then they realize we aren't..then actually enjoy using it ha
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 22, 2018 9:00:53 GMT -6
Love that!
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Aug 22, 2018 9:17:09 GMT -6
Distorting pairing mic for a Tom Waites inspired project, the funny thing was the guy got really pissy when he found me in the control room doing a much better Tom Waites impersonation than he could.
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Post by EmRR on Aug 22, 2018 9:35:31 GMT -6
I keep a push-to-talk Shure crystal mic with a UTC crystal mic transformer next to the main vocal mic for some projects, it can be grabbed and used as an option for certain parts. One project the guy sings through a 58 with a stomp box efx chain, hi-Z step up transformer inline from mic to first pedal. I tape a 4060 to the 58 for a clean option if he blows it up too much.
You can stick Western Electric 633A's face down on the floor and then they become boundary mics, good drum sounds out of that.
A screamer metal guy made EVERY mic sound distorted, no matter what, so an EV 635A HH won that one.
My 1932 Carrier condenser is the worst and the best, resonance around 4K5 then nothing after that, makes that old time radio sound immediately. Kills as an add-on with other mics, stands up fine on it's own in many cases too.
All my early band practice recordings are a set of headphones used as the microphone. Just switch jacks as needed, playback to record. Then I did a lot with the 80's Radio Shack stereo electrets, still have one of them.
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Post by Ward on Aug 22, 2018 12:23:53 GMT -6
I got good room results with a pair of RadioShack PZM boundary mics, into DI boxes, back in about 1989
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Post by svart on Aug 22, 2018 12:28:27 GMT -6
I used a set of headphones as a stereo mic about 25 years ago. Turned them so the ear pieces were facing outward and placed them on a road cone. Little did I know I had an ORTF arrangement. It didn't sound great, but it worked way better than it had any right to.
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Post by EmRR on Aug 22, 2018 14:34:43 GMT -6
Oh yeah, the Amperite lapel ribbon (really!) is kind of terrible, but fun to make the drummer wear.
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Post by iamasound on Aug 23, 2018 14:30:30 GMT -6
I can still hear the recordings in my aural memory and wished that I still had the tape of my 12 year old self using one of those really bad cassette recorders to record the first guitar part and then while strategically placing the speaker close to the second really bad cassette recorder's built in microphone, re-record, or overdub while playing a second guitar part over it. Then one more time with a vocal over those two guitar recordings. Three tracks is all that the technique could sustain without loosing the earliest tracks to hissy, though surprisingly musical noise. I enjoyed making those recordings so very much.
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Post by Guitar on Aug 23, 2018 16:37:10 GMT -6
I got some Goodwill microphone and pointed it at a good drummer, into a Tascam Porta One and cranked the input and tone knobs all the way up. Got this kind of exploded drum thing. I was just so happy that it was getting some good bass smack.
Guitar amp was a 1x8" 10 watt tube combo from the '60s with an SM58 or something laid in front of it, but it was also picking up the bass amp. The mic was a few feet out on the floor between both.
I thought I was some kind of rock and roll genius or something. LFGS Lo Fi Genius Syndrome. I was jamming out with half of my favorite local band though, so it was really cool for me as a young person.
I still have the recordings, in fact I'll listen to them right now since it's been many years since I heard them.
That Tascam thing always does surprise me when I use it.
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Post by b1 on Aug 24, 2018 11:36:59 GMT -6
As crazy as it sounds, I've been using a COBY mic lately for writing and guide tracks. I wouldn't want to shoot it out with anything other than low end Shures/Radio Shack, but for my voice it fits right in the mix. Up on the Mic a little, it's bassy. Somewhat decent SPL performance. Pull back from it a little and I can't complain about it. It's from a Karaoke DVD player kit I won from a radio call-in contest. It laid around unused for years 'cause I figured it was worthless. I have doubts that it would work too good on anything other than my voice... Still scratching my head on why it works!
To get an AM Radio sound, I've got a Harbor Freight Security cam. The vid is broke, but the mic works...
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Aug 24, 2018 12:23:30 GMT -6
Somebody reminded me we used a earpiece / Mic from one of those 101 electronics kits with the transformer from the kit into a Demeter pre for a low fi thing everybody loved and used a $19 radio shack condenser on a acoustic l.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 24, 2018 15:38:35 GMT -6
Gotta love that Eric.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2018 16:42:13 GMT -6
SM7B  .. |
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Post by Ward on Aug 24, 2018 17:22:24 GMT -6
SM7B .. This may entirely represent the magnitude of my actual laughter... BAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HOHGOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO AGH AGH AGH AGH AGH (cough cough) HAHAHAHAHHAJHAHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARH BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH HEHEHEHEHEH OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO HEHEHEHEHEH HEH HEH HEH HGEH HEH HEH HEH HWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH HAH H HAH H HAH H AH HHAHAH AH HAH AH HA |
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Post by popmann on Aug 24, 2018 20:24:55 GMT -6
I just did a track where I sang though one of those "shaker" harmonica mics. Funny thing is--I did it to be lazy, I needed a quick "lo fi" and felt like that would do it quicker that setting up some kind of vinyl plug in and filter, etc...not only DID it...wow. I might end up keeping it for final mix. I mean it sounds terrible. But...you know--in a glorious way.
#newTagLine4RGO
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Aug 24, 2018 20:46:45 GMT -6
We were young and stupid and probably at the very least drunk😎 |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 24, 2018 21:31:54 GMT -6
Remember the tape I mentioned earlier, the one where we "borrowed" an answering machine for the cassette recorder and used the pencil mic that came with it? In that same session, we had three guitars plugged into an Ampeg Gemini amp. It caught fire, and being who we were then, we watched it burn and kept playing until it died. It's on the tape. Unfortunately, not video tape ;-)
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Post by Guitar on Aug 25, 2018 7:20:18 GMT -6
That's hilarious!
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 25, 2018 8:44:36 GMT -6
This was long before smoke detectors were common. Too bad though. The Ampeg Gemini II was a better amp than the silly and expensive Plush amp I bought next. I bought it because it was huge, like a Marshall, I almost bought a used 1966 Super Reverb, but didn't know any better then. Plush looked like a copycat of Kustom amps with the faux leather padding, but from the little bit I know, I believe it was based on a Fender Showman. It was just too loud and clean for the basement I rehearsed in. Back then there was no thought of using a little amp. When you're 14, bigger is better ;-) Attachments:
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Post by matt on Aug 25, 2018 10:30:43 GMT -6
Cool amp!. I spy a Sunn 412LH there too. The Sound of Rock.
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Post by chessparov on Aug 25, 2018 12:50:38 GMT -6
Ampeg Gemini 2 MJB? As you may know, Tommy James tremolo vocal effect on "Crimson & Clover" was done via 251>Ampeg Gemini 2!
BTW Shadow beat me to the SM7 joke. Now I have to settle for TLM 103. Chris
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 25, 2018 13:00:15 GMT -6
Yep, Gemini 2.
The 103 is actually used more than people admit, but the TLM 102 is a real dog.
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Post by chessparov on Aug 25, 2018 14:10:34 GMT -6
How is the 102 a dog? In thought it sounded good on me, when I tried it.
But I'm open minded to your comment, as I don't have your level of expertise.
Thanks, Chris
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Post by Ward on Aug 25, 2018 15:35:01 GMT -6
Yep, Gemini 2. The 103 is actually used more than people admit, but the TLM 102 is a real dog. Au contraire, mon frère! The 103 is a sibilant piece of skut that makes even the worst singer sound even worser... if bad English is accepted. The 102 is a phenomenal little low-weight microphone that is DANDY on ride cymbal, hi-hats, hand percussion, acoustic instrument filler tracks and backing vocals. It is not a lead-vocal microphone but a great compact version of a TLM193. Very much owes it's lineage to the U89 and TLM170 |
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