Can Anyone Recommend A Good Neutral Mic?

[Thomas-Hawk]

I know the Earthworks TC-30 is a great neutral mic, but I don't have the fundage for something like that.

Are any of the the $100 and under "reference" condenser mics any good? Like the Behringer ECM8000, Dayton Audio EMM-6, DBX Driverack RTA, etc.?

I plan to use it to create "flat" IRs of my guitar speaker cabs, close mic'd. I might also try to create some far field IRs as well, but the primary purpose will be for close mic'ing.


Thanks guys!
Tom

 

[shadoe]

Mic wise you get what you pay for. If you don't have the money for it now, just save and buy later. The only good mic's I have found in that price range that are good are sm57's and 58's.

Just remember; buy right, buy once.

 

[Thomas-Hawk]

Mic wise you get what you pay for. If you don't have the money for it now, just save and buy later. The only good mic's I have found in that price range that are good are sm57's and 58's.

Just remember; buy right, buy once.

Yeah, I've got an SM57, and the IRs I've shot with it sound good, but of course they have the frequency response of the 57 baked into the IR. This is why I'd like to give a neutral, flat mic a try.

 

[Stillbruch]

In my experience, any microphone under $300 is far away from being flat.

 

[PacoCasanovasOld]

In my experience, any microphone under $300 is far away from being flat.

Share your experience, or its not happend - btw. the ECM8000 does the job

 

[Thomas-Hawk]

Share your experience, or its not happend - btw. the ECM8000 does the job

Thanks Paco! Can you elaborate a bit on the ECM8000?

 

[rdnzl]

I know the Earthworks TC-30 is a great neutral mic, but I don't have the fundage for something like that.

I'd say skip the cheapest stuff and go for a Beyerdynamic MM1.
Can be found for less than $200.

 

[PacoCasanovasOld]

Thanks Paco! Can you elaborate a bit on the ECM8000?

Not me - but my friends from the german axefx board (axefx.de) which used the ECM for their FRFR speaker shootout at the german axe-fest: News

 

[Stillbruch]

Share your experience, or its not happend - btw. the ECM8000 does the job

Well, to me that one sounded good. But I somehow imagined "flat" to be different. Maybe I'm just biased.

 

[yek]

Here's some ECM8000 info:

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...-70-open-closed-back-vox-blue.html#post739939

 

[Thomas-Hawk]

Not me - but my friends from the german axefx board (axefx.de) which used the ECM for their FRFR speaker shootout at the german axe-fest: News

Thanks for the link, Paco. Now, if only I could understand spoken German. :lol

 

[guitarmike]

Dayton Audio EMM-6 is also a very flat mic with specs very close to the ECM8000.

http://www.daytonaudio.com/media/resources/390-801-dayton-audio-emm-6-specifications-46337.pdf

 

[xrist04]

Have a look at this low-cost "reference" mic shootout:

RealTraps - Measuring Microphones



You can find the Earthworks M30 (new) for around US$650.

Whatever reference mic you buy "should" come with a calibration file.

 

[barhrecords]

IMO, the Josephson C550H is probably the best bang for the buck in a measurement type of microphone.

TestMic.com - the best in Precision Mics.