Build a Microphone Cabinet on any Budget

Sep 1, 2000 12:00 PM, BRIAN KNAVE AND MYLES BOISEN

           
 

Two Connoisseurs Help You Plan Your Mic Collection

Given the plenitude and diversity of mics - more than 500 models are available, with new ones appearing every year - choosing which ones to buy is no easy matter. Not surprisingly, we frequently get asked by readers which microphones are "best" for particular applications, as well as which are the best values. Of course, such decisions are rarely simple and clear-cut because they depend on such factors as what kind of recording you want to do, what preamps you will use, how much money you plan to spend now and later, and your personal taste.

Building a microphone collection (often referred to as a cabinet, closet, or locker) is a cumulative process. Typically, the owner starts with a handful of mics and adds to the collection from there. In that sense, the title of this article need not be taken literally: we aren't suggesting that you discard or trade in whatever mics you currently own and opt instead for one of the cabinets described here. Then again, if you're new to recording and you don't yet own any good-quality mics, you could very well take our suggestions literally.

Whether you're starting from scratch or building on your existing collection, we think you'll enjoy checking out our suggested mic cabinets. We've put together several possible cabinets at various prices, and we include details about the mics and some discussion of why we recommend them. Note that recommend is a key word here, as this article is very much an opinion piece. Both of us have years of "ears-on" experience with microphones in the studio and on stage, and we've been reviewing mics for EM for several years. We also have worked together on many critical microphone-comparison tests, often involving a half-dozen or more models - an experience that gives us a good vantage point.

Still, with so many mics on the market, we can't possibly be familiar with all of them. There are undoubtedly some great mics out there that we haven't worked with, and we certainly aren't going to recommend something if we haven't heard it. For the most part, then, the mics we've picked here are ones we either have encountered in reviews for EM or have used over the years in our studios.

Of course, people have divergent tastes when it comes to microphones, and the two of us don't always agree about what "flavors" of mic we prefer in various applications. Furthermore, we work in different types of studios and with different media. Myles Boisen works full-time as an engineer at his own commercial studio, Guerrilla Recording, where he records primarily to 1-inch analog tape. Brian Knave, on the other hand, works part-time (mostly evenings and weekends) in a much smaller personal studio and records primarily to Alesis ADAT. The sonic differences between digital and analog recording are sufficient to alter the perceived response of a given microphone - hence one factor in our individual preferences.

To take advantage of this diversity of opinion and give you a broader perspective, we made our mic selections independently of one another. And because your tastes and needs may differ from ours, we urge you to take our recommendations not as gospel but simply as well-considered opinions from two knowledgeable "insiders."