Build a Microphone Cabinet on any Budget

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

           
 

No Compromises Deluxe (no price limit)

By Brian Knave

(1) Electro-Voice N/D 868 ($338)
(1) beyerdynamic TG-X 50 ($249)
(1) Electro-Voice N/D 468 ($278)
(3) Sennheiser MD 421 II ($485 each)
(1) Electro-Voice RE20 ($748)
(1) Sennheiser MD 441 II ($895)
(1) AEA R44CX ($2,795)
(1) DPA 4011 ($2,190)
(2) DPA 4007 ($1,400 each)
(2) Schoeps CMC 5 ($645) with MK 21 ($680) and MK 6 ($1,475) capsules
(1) Neumann U 87 AI/SET Z ($3,200)
(1) BLUE Bottle Mic ($4,500) with B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, and B7 capsules ($750 each, except for B4 at $1,500)

Talk about a dream cabinet! Interestingly, it was mostly in the deluxe realms such as this one that Myles Boisen and I selected many of the same mics. We both adore the BLUE Bottle Mic - it's quite simply the most beautiful-sounding microphone I've ever recorded with - as well as the stunning R44CX ribbon mic. Also, we both picked the DPA 4011 cardioid for hi-hat. Actually, a pair of 4011s would be nice, but I chose the 4007 omnis for my first pair of small-diaphragm condensers, both for variety's sake and because I love single-point omnis on acoustic guitars, drum overheads, and the like.

For the other pair of small-diaphragm condensers, I'm going for the stellar Schoeps modular system - in this case the CMC 5 mic body (amp) and just two capsules: the warm-sounding MK 21 subcardioid and the MK 6, which offers switchable polar patterns (omni, cardioid, and figure-8).

Ordinarily I would stop there, but like Boisen, I will take the liberty of indulging some of my fancies, too. Among the other microphones I would want for my dream studio are a matched pair of Earthworks QTC1 omnidirectional mics ($2,000) and SR77 cardioid mics ($1,300); a Lawson L47MP ($1,995); a MicroTech Gefell UM 900 tube mic ($3,500); a Neumann M 149 tube mic ($4,850); a vintage Neumann U 47 (about $8,000); a Neumann RSM 191 A-S mid-side stereo mic ($4,550); an AKG C 12 (about $5,000 used); an AKG C 426B stereo mic ($3,395); a pair of Schoeps BLM 3 boundary-mic capsules ($960 each) with CMC 5 amp bodies ($645 each); a Schoeps KFM 6 Stereo Sphere ($6,735); a pair of Royer R-121 ribbon mics ($995 each); a Coles 4038 ribbon mic ($1,195); a vintage Shure 707A crystal mic ($175 to $200); a whole bag of Shure SM 57s . . . but I'd better stop now before I get carried away!