John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Aloha,

Just curious, has/does anyone used the MXL line of studio mics, and what are your impressions? Thanks!

Aloha

hey kendale, first i have to say i have enjoyed watching you studio come to full circle, and your cloud is really impresive. i have amxl 992 large-diaphram condeser mic , what i've done with it so far i'm pretty happy.small budget so i make do with what i can. when i grow up maybe i'll be able to spend a thousand or so on one mic lol.

Aloha Dad,

Thanks for the reply. I thought I'd test the waters before asking the MXL distributor here to do a "beta test" on their line. If I remember correctly, he's got a couple of V67i's in stock. We'll see...

Aloha

Kendale,
I have used and actually still own some of the MXL line of mics.

The small diaphram 603s are decent for acoustic guitar and drum overheads, but are too bright for my tastes. In fact, most of the MXL mics seem to be a little on the bright side for my personal taste, but can be really handy at times when recording a dull sounding voice or instrument.

I bought a V67G a while back used for about $80 and liked it so much I bought a second. (got it for about $70) They make good all around vocal mics. On some vocals it works better than my more expensive T-3 (tube mic) or AT4033se. It is always nice to have a variety of paint brushes and colors to paint with. I consider the V67 a keeper, the tube version(V69 I think) also gets good reviews. It is nice when you need several vocal mics at once to have several good multipurpose ones around without investing thousands to keep them in your mic locker most the time.

Hope that helps some.

Tom
www.tmixstudio.com

Hey man!

I have tried out the line a couple differant times. For a low budget mic, they are "OK" at best (in my opinion). I have a buddy of mine who takes them and guts them, spends around 60 to 100 bucks, and turns them into AWESOME mics by replacing the capsual and circut boards.

Personaly, I use the Studio Projects line, and I LOVE them! the C1 is FANTASTIC and I use it for any and everything!

Studio Projects C4 pencil condenser mics are really great as well, anytime I need a pencil, I grab a C4 and proceed with confidence, because these mics are extreamly virsital and do a great job.

that is just my 2 cents. these mics are very reasonably priced for what you get. I would pay 3 times if I had too, but lucky for me, I dont!

Anyone else using the SP's?

Steve

I have three of the MXL mics and I love them. I was skeptical at first because of their price but once I got them I couldn't believe how well they performed.

They are very clear and crisp sounding. I've heard some say they are too bright but I don't think so at all. Microphones are really subjective and a matter of taste anyway. You can alter the sound of your mic simply by moving your head and body 3 inches in any direction so a true controlled study would be needed for reliable results.

Personally, I find them to be a clean mic with a clear, airy sound to them. They're powerful yet gentle at the same time. I have the 2001 I believe but prefer my 990s over that one.

You can't go wrong. Spend a few bucks and add one to your collection. You'll be glad you did.

I found the 603s to be somewhat dark. They fart out pretty quick so you have to be careful if you're planning on putting them right up on something.

I have a V67 too. It's an ok mic. At first I really liked it, but after a bit I found it to be really harsh (cliche, I know) on the top end. Not a bad deal at what they're going for now though. I paid like $200 for mine...sheesh!

There are some interesting and cheap mods out there for MXL mics. Never tried any of them personally.

Aloha,

Stopped by client's shop yesterday just to say hello. He suggested I take home a couple of the MXL large diaphram mics he just got in to see if we can use them on his next project. Very cool.

So tonight I fired up the MXL M3-B Silicon Valve for a test drive. Not bad, especially for the price. I found the overall sound a bit scooped in the mids, but pleasantly so. Oddly, the mic casing was a bit microphonic, although it's probably fine in the mic stand adapter.

Next up was the V67i. On the warm setting, the mic had a nice proximity effect, good for radio broadcast type apps. The bright setting was a bit on the bright side, but still nice. Good potential for adding a little zip to dull sounding instruments and/or voices. The mic casing was nice and damped with no microphonics.

I think the V67i would be a viable and affordable addition to the home studio mic locker.

As a point of comparison, I used the AT 4050 that I've had for awhile now. The AT displayed more mids than either of the MXL's, and I thought was a bit more even sounding and quieter.

Aloha