New Microphones!

Update for all my microphone geeks out there. I made the decision to upgrade to full sized condenser mics in mid '06. I decided to go with the Studio Project C4s. The first show I recorded with the C4s was Murder by Death, Langhorne Slim and Metal Hearts at the Triple Rock in May 2006. Many people agree that the C4s are some of the best mics to be had at the $300 price point. They always treated me right and I don't see any reason to get rid of them.

My Longfellow homeboy Dean has also been kind enough to loan me his MBHO (GmbH Mikrofonbau Haun) condensers on multiple occasions. The MBHO 603 As are some of the sexiest German mics out there and Dean certainly has a couple tons of good karma due. Recently I got the bug to upgrade mics. I started looking into Milab, a Swedish company. It happened that another great friend and local archivist David had a pair of the Milab VM-44 Link model. David gave me an unsolicited offer to run the VM-44s for a couple of weeks to see if I liked the sound.

I do indeed like the Milab sound! However, I got word of a pair of AKG 414B-xls's for sale out of IL. Around this same time my friends Where Astronauts Go To Hide invited me Chicago with them to record their show at The Bottom Lounge. I was able to meet the seller at the show and run the 414s for the first time. Either tonight or tomorrow you'll get to hear this recording.

Five switchable polar patterns (omnidirectional, wide cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid, figure 8). MmMmm...