Microphone

Audix D4

The Audix D4 is a dynamic microphone designed with "sub-impulse" technology, which samples sound at a higher rate than other microphones in order to capture a truer image of sound below 100 Hz. It is also fitted with a capsule designed to capture high SPL levels, up to 144 dB. It has a flat frequency response from 60 Hz to 1 kHz, and captures from 38 Hz to 19 kHz. This microphone is perfect for use on bass drums, floor toms, timpani, piano, and any other instrument requiring precise reproduction of loud and/or low frequency sounds.

This microphone just may be my favorite. I've used it countless times in both live and recording settings. It sounds great on drums. It has a low profile, which makes it easy to squeeze into the complications of any drummer's set up. It says it is specifically designed for floor toms and bass drums, but I like using it for all the toms. I've used it on the bass drum for a few recording sessions and found it very nice. It had a lot of attack and a very controlled sound. I commonly use an AKG D112 on the bass drum, and have found that the D112 provides a stronger low-end wallop, but the D4 wins out in capturing a more realistic and controlled sound from the bass drum. The drum mounts that can be purchased with the Audix microphones are nice and easy to use, but when I'm recording, I prefer to have my mics their own on stands.

I love great sounding toms with little work needed and little fear of my equipment breaking. The Audix D4 has always come through. It holds up to beatings, and comes in handy for situations when a dynamic microphone with a tight sound and broader frequency range is needed.

Although the Audix D4 is specifically designed for use on high SPL instruments with low frequency ranges, it is good for other uses as well. In one recording session, I was tracking guitar. The guitarist and I were having a difficult time creating the sound he wanted. He was playing out of a Marshall TLS with a 4 x 12 cabinet, and I had an SM57 a few inches from one of the speaker cones. (A typical, right from the book recording set up) He wanted a more tight and crisp sound - But as I told him he was playing out of a Marshall. Finally I thought, the D4 for has a higher frequency range than an SM57, maybe it will do the trick. And Walla! It did.

I've also used the Audix D4 with great success when recording acoustic guitar, didgeridoo, and hand percussion.

Compared to other tom mics. The D4 is my favorite. Skip buying the Audix D2s for the rack toms, smaller drums, and other hand percussion. The D4 out performs it. - Adam

Electrovoice re200

The re200 is a nice cardioid true condenser microphone. It is simple durable, and small.

According to the EV website, it has a continuous presence rise, which enhances sound quality by gently raising the frequency range above 1 kHz. The re200 is a true condenser instrument microphone with a transformerless design. It is recommended for micing hi-hat cymbals, strings, acoustic guitar and choirs. It includes stand clamp, windscreen and zippered vinyl pouch.

I've used the re200 on mostly drums and percussion, but a little with stereo recording and on acoustic guitars. On the drum set it works great in a pair for overheads or on an extra element like the hi-hat or ride. The stereo recording I've done with the re200 came out nice, clean, clear, and natural. The acoustic guitar tracks were crisp and pleasing.

If a small diaphragm condenser is needed for a live sound venue, this is a good choice. It will stand up to the day after day beatings. For recording it is not my first choice in its price range, but if you already have a pair of small condensers, it would be a nice addition to a microphone collection. - Adam

Audio Technica AT4040

What Is It?
The AT4040 is a true large diaphragm side-address condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. It has a frequency response from 20-20,000 hz, high SPL capability (with -10 db pad in, it can handle up to 155 db SPL), and an 80 hz bypass filter. It uses Phantom power and comes with a custom shock mount, dust cover, and protective carrying case.

In My Opinion
This mic is Great! It is my go-to microphone. Other than the SM57, of course. I own two AT4040's. I record everything with these - anything from an acoustic guitar to an all out rock ensemble - mono or stereo - it doesn't matter. The AT4040 can handle it all. And although I've never dropped them, they always stand up to whatever beating I've given them.

Use on vocals. I constantly pick the AT4040 over my 414. When I am under a time constraint and am unable to test how different mics will sound for the situation, I'll usually pick the AT4040, because I know its going to sound good without a lot of hassle. It doesn't posses that awesome tube powered warmth you might get from a nice SounDelux or Neuman, but those microphones are also thousands of dollars more. This mic sounds great.

Use on Drums - Awesome! Who needs tom mics when you have two great sounding large diaphragm microphones over the drum kit? I've done plenty of great recordings with just two AT4040's on the drum kit. I've never tried micing the toms close up with an AT4040 (for fear the drummer would whack the mics), but I am sure they'd sound great and handle the sound pressure levels just fine. On the bass drum - I've only gone as far as off-axis and outside and the drum by a few inches. I'd love to try the AT4040, and think they'd do just fine. (If anyone would like to purchase me another AT4040 to test out on the toms and bass drum, I gladly accept. I'd use it day and night, and share my findings.

Use on other instruments - I have had great luck recording acoustic guitars, bass cabinets, djembe, didgeridoo, cello, and all types of hand percussion.

The only thing I dislike about the AT4040, is the shock mount. The microphone is held in by a rubber band, which makes it awkward to slip in the mic. It took me a little while before a figured a quick way to get the microphone in. My friend has an AT4040 as well, and I know he broke the rubber band. The new 414's shock mount definitely wins on ease of use and practicality - but then again, that shock mount is not cheap. Even so, I've been considering purchasing two 414 mic clips for my AT4040's.

I have, and have used, better (more expensive) large diaphragm condenser microphones, than the AT4040, but I always find myself coming back to them. They never let me down. A solid sound in any application. - Adam

Countryman DI

Spectacular. This direct box is the one to use. Super durable is its middle name. Made strong - you can run it over with a pick up truck, throw it at your ex-girlfriend's civic, and feel confident to rock out at the local bar that same night. Not only does it handle anything you put it through, it sounds better then any other DI in its price range.

The Countryman DI is an active direct box, with a super clean and really hot signal. It uses phantom power or a 9V battery. There is a ground drop switch to take care of those pesky electrical problems that always seem to come up in the most inconvenient of times. There is the standard ¼ inch "line-in" jack and two connections out - an instrument level ¼ inch out and a line level XLR out. A typical use for the Countryman would be on the bass guitar, where the bassist would plug into the DI, send a ¼ inch cable out of the DI into his amp, and send an XLR cable out of the DI into a front of house mixer or recording device.

I've used the Countryman DI plenty of times on the bass guitar, and it always sounds great. It provides a tight and full of oomph sound- as long as the bass and bass player sound good. But that goes for anything. If the player sounds like crap, then they're going to sound like crap on the recording.

Live sound? The Countryman DI is a staple. Perfect for keyboards and bass guitars.

Another good use for this DI would be to record a clean electric guitar track into a digital recording interface, and add effects after the fact. Things like distortion and flanger can be added afterwards by means of plug-ins and the like.

Some problems with this DI - Lots of recording engineers swear by passive DI's, rather than active DI's, because there is one less thing to go wrong in the long list of things to go wrong. Passive DI's need no power, where as, active DI's do. But of course, these same engineers all seem to love their condenser microphones, which all need power. So, I cross this off and say that active vs. passive is negligible.

Many people like to cut guitar tracks through a DI, then re-amp the sound later on. Having a passive DI can save you the hassle of buying a re-amping box, and can be done by reversing the signal through a passive DI with a couple of adapters, then send it into an amplifier and speaker, where you would then have a microphone set up to record the new sound.

Personally, the reasons for choosing against the Countryman are no good. How often do I re-amp a guitar, and do I want a worse sound for fear that my phantom power wont work? This is a superb DI, for a reasonable price, that can easily compete sonically with thousand-dollar fancy with lots of cool knobs to turn, DI's.

The only real problem I've had with this DI, and it wasn't the DI's fault, was when I recorded a bassist who plays slap bass. In most cases, I'd simply turn down the gain until the bass fit, and if the bassist slaps for parts of the song and plays normal for others, I will just ask them to play the song in two passes. One pass, the slapping parts. The other pass, in the normal style. In one instance, this still didn't work. The bassist had such a loud signal coming out of his bass when he slapped that I couldn't get his signal low enough with out sounding lame. So, I did what should have been done for this bassist anyways. I pointed a microphone at his speaker cabinet and I captured his amplified sound. - Adam

C 1000 S

This is a nice microphone to you use in pairs. In my experience I've found its sound to be a little brittle, or on the harsh side. I'd prefer a different set of small condensers for the same price if recording, but when it comes to live sound, these can't be beat in terms of durability. I have used these in some different recording situations, and am happy with the end result.

My favorite recording I've done with the C 1000 S was of a string ensemble. I had a pair of C 1000 Ss in an XY formation angled a little wider than normal and a 414 set to omni. I miced the string ensemble in a traditional way, as most would - XY, at a comfortable distance from the players relative to how wide spread they were. And back far enough to capture a small amount of the room. I then placed the 414 dead center of the ensemble - right in front of the conductor, of which made him a bit skeptical.

I was very pleased with the finished recording, and surprised the conductor with how much the 414 helped the overall sound. (Classical musicians never like more microphones then there has to be. If they had it their way, we would only get to use a stereo pair, set in XY. That being said, the same goes with Jazz musicians) I AB'd for the conductor, the difference between the mix with and without the 414, and I had him won over. The 414 helped to control the wide stereo spectrum and add a little more oomph. In mixing, I kept the 414 low in the mix, allowing the C 1000s to control the core of the sound, and pulled a small amount of hi-mids out of the C 1000s just around where that harshness they posses seems to come in.

The C 1000s work very well for drum overheads, acoustic guitars, choruses (ensembles of any sort), and hand percussion. One nice feature the mic possesses is that if there is no phantom power available, you can use a 9V battery - making it easily adaptable to any situation. They seem like they can handle any situation one might put them in.

I've noticed, over the last couple of years, the C 1000s have dropped some in price. I think the new price better suits them for their worth, and, if I were in the market for small condensers, these would be a good pick - especially if I needed the microphones to be durable. Although I find the harshness in the high-mid range to be irritating, that sound can also be very useful. It's nice to have choice, and its nice to use equipment with unique characteristics. Who wants to live in a bland and flat world anyways? - Adam

AKG C 414 B-XLS Condenser Microphone

Audio-Technica AT4040 Large-Diaphragm Studio Condenser Mic

AKG C 1000 S Condenser Microphone

Countryman Type 85