Build a Microphone Cabinet on any Budget

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

           
 

Breakin' it Down

By budget, we mean "as inexpensive as it gets." For the deluxe level, we are working under the assumption that money isn't an issue. The midline prices, which fall between those extremes, are probably the most applicable to the discriminating personal-studio recordist who is serious enough to budget a fair amount of money for high-quality gear but not at liberty to drain the family savings and go into hock to feed a nasty gear habit.

Obviously, the mic cabinet that is best for you is the one that gives you the results you want and covers all the applications you need covered. Everyone's needs are different. If, for example, you're a songwriter using a 4-track cassette recorder to produce demos for pitching to publishers, you can likely get by with fewer - and less costly - mics than could, say, an engineer producing CDs for indie labels. Likewise, the microphone needs of a sound designer may differ from those of a jingle producer.

Fortunately, the microphones in the cabinets suggested here are not fitted together like tumblers in a lock - any one of which, if changed, renders the lock useless. Rather, they can be mixed and matched to suit your fancy. Moreover, all of these mics (even the least expensive ones) can give good results with a variety of sources, and most will continue to be useful even if you someday reach the No Compromises deluxe level. Mic cabinets, like studios, are works in progress.