DRUMMER CAFE

Doing a recording session with the band next week and I want to upgrade my tinny AKG c1000 overheads with Oktava mk012s (or mc012s, depending on whom you ask). They're on sale (always seem to be) at Guitar Center for $149 each (so $298 pair).

I've heard other great feedback on these mics elsewhere, with drawbacks being inconsistency from mic to mic and some issues of fragility. Last thing I want to do is go into GC and ask to give each one a critical listening test. What a drag.

I also saw that you can buy a better version of the mic where you can replace the capsules (2 additionals included). Is this worth the extra cash to get the additional capsules? Is it necessary? If so, what for?

And if anyone knows better pricing than GC on these (I heard someone else mention $99 a pop for them, but I don't remember where)?

Oh, and Bart, how about a "Gear" section on this site, where we can talk about drum kits, sticks, heads, mics, studio gear, etc? I didn't know where to post this.

(Felix, no Radioshack comments please )

Side,

I've not tried the Oktavas, but I'm going to plow right ahead and comment anyway!!  

My comments are based on what I've read on the rec.audio.pro and alt.music.4-track newsgroups, so take them with however many grains of salt you wish, but...

My understanding is that the lack of quality control of the Oktavas GC keeps in stock is completely off the map - enough that it's really Russian Roulette (no pun intended) to simply buy a pair and hope for the best.  There's an online store (IIRC) called The Sound Room (don't know the URL offhand) which will go through scads of the Oktavas, matching pairs and discarding those mic's which aren't assembled well - basically, doing the quality control checks that are nonexistent at the Oktava factory.  Of course, they charge $X more for the mic's, to compensate for their time and expertise.

If you don't want to deal with testing mic's, I'd suggest tracking down a pair of the Marshall MXL603s microphones - Sam Ash usually has them (for around $99 each, I've heard - check Mars Music as well), and they're considered a very good "bang for the buck" microphone (even in the hallowed halls of the rec.audio.pro Usenet group, whose participants are famous for verbally lambasting "semi-pro" gear) - I've got a pair of the Marshalls, and while I haven't tried them as drum overheads (yet), I've used them to record vibes and marimba, and they're very good IMHO, especially considering the price.

If you're only going to need the mic's for this session, another option (forgive me for stating the obvious) is renting better-quality mic's just for the session.

As always, IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, etc....

The Marshall 603s mic's are recommended as drum overheads as well.

Here's the page on the Marshall mic' site:

http://www.mxlmics.com/mxl603s.html

...and I did a quick Google "groups" search on the rec.audio.pro Usenet group archives- there's more there than you'll ever want to read about the 603s's.

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=marshall%20mxl%20603&as_ugroup=rec.audio.pro&num=30&hl=en


I've never tested a mic' at GC, but the challenge will be getting into a space where you're not going to be dealing with kids trying out guitars and drums as you listen for the subtle differences between mic's.  I'd call your local store and see if they have a space suitable for testing mic's - even if it's just a quiet room off to the side, with a Mackie board and good headphones.

(Personally, I'd go with the Marshalls...but a good pair of the Oktavas should do fine - IF you can get a good pair...)

The Oktavas make cymbals sound fake almost...really brittle.  My friend just sent me his cd that they did with Oktavas as the overheads.  Download some samples at:

http://www.pattonrocks.com

I would stay away from the Marshall's and go with Cad Equitek 100's  $200 beans and awesome

Do you want to by 3 sets fo overheads.  Cause that is what you are going to do...you already bought 1 pair that stink and you are about to buy another...you will get sick of those and then buy some more.

But knowing you, you will get the octavas and be unhappy

Hope they work out for you, Side' - the good news is, even if they turn out not to be your "cup of tea" and you decide not to keep them, you should be able to get most, if not all, of your investment back by selling them on the alt.music.4-track newsgroup, or on eBay.

And a heartfelt thanks to all you Marshall buyers from the depressed Conneaut, Ohio- looks like leftovers for dinner again.

I know...it's a bad scene...gotta love big politics wanting to even everything out and get that New World Order implemented as soon as possible.

They worked pretty well. A marginal, but nevertheless positive, step up from the C1000s. We ran them through a high-end Millennia preamp into Pro Tools. I think I was expecting to be knocked out in a C414, KSM44 kind of way... which is unfair. But I'm glad I got them, and at the price, they're a steal.

Keep in mind I was using a much better preamp than last time, so I'm not sure how much is the mics and how much is the Millennia (not that the last pre I used was dog meat, though).

They definitely captured the cymbals much better. Nice definition, good tone, and good presence. I did some crash rolls with felt mallets a couple times and they sounded gorgeous! I was somewhat disapointed with how they captured the rest of the kit. Seemed a bit hollow. I was hoping for more warmth and roundness. I noticed the Marshalls have quite a rolloff in the lower frequencies, so this is probably why. Some EQ should help.

I'm mixing/editing/arranging the sessions right now, and the sound is bound to get better through tweaking. Maybe I'll try and post some examples on my website-in-progress soon. If so, I'll post here.

Thanks again James!

[please don't take this post as gospel on the Marshall mics. the room we used was less than stellar, and that can be a huge factor.]

I've never tried the C3000. It's interesting because I've heard everything from raves to yawns about that mic. I'd imagine for overheads, they would be a nice improvement over both the C1000s and the Marshalls. I think the yawns over the C3000 was as a vocal mic.

If I were to step up, and still stay somewhat within a decent budget, I'd go Rode NT3 or even AT 4033, which seem to be on sale every so often. But I'd also look into the C3000... the price is attractive, that's for sure.

Incidentally, although marginal, the step up from the C1000s to the Marshalls was worth it to me. Given that the Marshall costs quite a bit less, I'd highly recommend this mic for tight budgets.

My $0.02:

Save up for some better small-diaphragm condensors, like the SM81 mic's.  Or as another option, I understand that some of the Audio-Technica condensors are actually pretty good (sorry, I don't recall the numbers offhand - I'll have to do a google/deja search on the rec.audio.pro newsgroup, or ask one of the engineers I know).

I've got a pair of the Marshalls, and they're fine for a "my budget is this much, and not a penny more" situation - but they're not little miracles, by any stretch of the imagination. If you can wait to save up the extra couple of hundred bucks to get better quality, do it.  I plan on upgrading from them at some point, when my budget allows.

(IMHO, YMMV, FWIW, and all other hideous Internet disclaimers apply...)