In The Studio: Guitar Mic Shootout

So recently we booked some studio time at Foothill College, for an intimate 1-on-1 with Pro Tools HD (and a Control 24) and a decent mic cabinet... which includes a NeumannU87, an AKG414, and a RoyerR121 (a ribbon mic!).

First on the agenda was a mic shootout for the guitar. We went a little overboard with this one:


Seven mics at once, the two pencils are a Neumann KM184 (black) and Will's CAD something (I forgot the model number, but it's the silver pencil mic). From back row left to right, starting with the boxy looking mic is the AKG414, NeumannU87, CADGXL300, Rode NT-1A... then kind of in front (the black boxy looking mic below the Neumann) is the Audio-Technica AT4050.

Call us overzealous, call us ambitious... but a more accurate description to call us would be "really fucking excited". Here are some highlights, with comments to a minimum so you can hear for yourself:

(Note, I know MP3 is definitely not the ideal format for critical listening, I will figure out how to embed a .wav file soon!)
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Neumann U87
A classic mic! Sounded very vintage on the guitar, with a great transient response.

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CAD GXL3000
Very clear and bright. Hardly any artifacts.

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AKG 414
Warm. Awesome. Not that I had a favorite or anything...

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A.R. in action:


When it's vintage, you totally have to show off:



*** Coming soon: In The Studio: Vocal Mic Shootout... also known as 'How Blythe Fell In Love With Ribbon Microphones' ***