[Ben Berman]

I'm trying to upgrade my front end, and have purchased a True Systems
P-Solo mic pre. I'm now looking at a ribbon mic, likely the AEA R84
primarily for pop & rock male vocals (mine - an untrained baritone), but
also for ac. gtr, gtr cabs and hand percussion.

Here's my question - I'm a bit concerned about the issue of "impedance
loading" with a ribbon mic on a standard mic pre. I note that AEA makes
a mic pre specifically for their ribbons (the TRP?) which it says has 18
kohms input impedance, while my True shows 5.5 k. I'm ignorant about
what this means. Should I be concerned?

I've never owned a ribbon before. I know about not applying phantom
power, but I'm not even clear on what input impedance really is.

Help! 8-)

Thanks for any guidance.

bzb

--
THE SONG FACTORY
Words and Music, made to order(TM)

WWW: http://www.thesongfactory.com

[Scott Dorsey]

In article , Ben Berman wrote:
I'm trying to upgrade my front end, and have purchased a True Systems
P-Solo mic pre. I'm now looking at a ribbon mic, likely the AEA R84
primarily for pop & rock male vocals (mine - an untrained baritone), but
also for ac. gtr, gtr cabs and hand percussion.

Here's my question - I'm a bit concerned about the issue of "impedance
loading" with a ribbon mic on a standard mic pre. I note that AEA makes
a mic pre specifically for their ribbons (the TRP?) which it says has 18
kohms input impedance, while my True shows 5.5 k. I'm ignorant about
what this means. Should I be concerned?

It will sound different, if you change the loading.

Go tap on a speaker and feel how the cone moves. Then short out the voice
coil with a paper clip and feel how much stiffer the cone is. This is how
loading changes the physical dynamics of a microphone. You are comparing
zero ohms and infinite loading when you do this.

I've never owned a ribbon before. I know about not applying phantom
power, but I'm not even clear on what input impedance really is.

It's proportional to the amount of current that the preamp draws from
the microphone.

You'll find any dynamic mikes change response a lot with loading. The
SM-57 wants to see about 600 ohms. Ribbons traditionally have been
operated into low impedance inputs (1K or so) but if you can run them into
higher impedance inputs, there will be more top end detail.

Thanks for any guidance.

Call AEA, ask them to loan you an R84 for a week. Try it on your preamp.
If you like the way it sounds, buy it. If you don't, send it back.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

On Oct 11, 10:17 am, Ben Berman wrote:
I'm trying to upgrade my front end, and have purchased a True Systems
P-Solo mic pre. I'm now looking at a ribbon mic, likely the AEA R84

I'm a bit concerned about the issue of "impedance
loading" with a ribbon mic on a standard mic pre. I note that AEA makes
a mic pre specifically for their ribbons (the TRP?) which it says has 18
kohms input impedance, while my True shows 5.5 k. I'm ignorant about
what this means. Should I be concerned?

Sure, you should be concerned, but not necessarily about the math. The
electrical load calculations are easy, but this isn't why mics sound
different when connected to different preamps, and particularly
preamps with different input impedances. The calculations that predict
how a load will damp what's essentially a motor mechanism in the
microphone are quite complex and probably don't really do a very good
job of predicting reality anyway. Nobody really calculates that, not
even microphone designers.

The thing about ribbon mics, (well, all mics, actually) is that how
the element responds mechanically to sound pressure is a function of
the electrical load. Some mics work better when connected to a low
impedance that damps the motion of the ribbon or diaphragm, as well as
controls the ringing of the transformer, others have the necessary
damping as part of the mechanical and magnetic design and prefer that
this parameter not to be affected electrically.

In the case of the AEA-84, which is designed along the lines of the
RCA 77DX, it sounds best for most applications (or at least it sounds
most like the designer intended) when not heavily electrically damped
- that is, when connected to a fairly high impedance input. This is
the way that the early RCA mics were designed, because they were
connected to early (tube, naturally) preamps through a transformer
without a large stepdown ratio, which presented the mic with a fairly
high impedance load, higher than contemporary solid state preamps.

An AEA-84 sounds better when connected to a moderately high input
impedance than when loaded with the 1200-2000 ohms typical of most of
today's preamps. On the other hand, Royer ribbon mics were designed
with the idea in mind that they'd most likely be connected to
contemporary preamps, so their design was optimized for loads in that
range. I tested a CAD ribbon mic that was the only ribbon mic that I
found actually sounded better when loaded with around 500 ohms. It cut
the high end response a bit but noticeably tightend up the bass, which
overall, made the mic sound better.

So if you want the optimum combination, you just have to either try
every possible combination of mic and preamp (nice work if you can get
it) or make a decision about one, either the mic or preamp, and then
try to optimize for your work with the choice of the other, Since you
already have a perfectly decent preamp in the P-Solo (by the way, they
now have a model with higher input impedance, intended for ribbons - I
don't know if this is the one you have) get your hands on a mic you
think you'll like and see what it does for you. Most any respectable
dealer (local chain guitar stores usually excepted) will let you try a
professional grade mic for a week or so and return it for refund or
exchange if it doesn't do what you hoped. AEA has a loaner program.

[Roy W. Rising[_2_]]

Ben Berman wrote:
I'm trying to upgrade my front end, and have purchased a True Systems
P-Solo mic pre. I'm now looking at a ribbon mic, likely the AEA R84
primarily for pop & rock male vocals (mine - an untrained baritone), but
also for ac. gtr, gtr cabs and hand percussion.

Here's my question - I'm a bit concerned about the issue of "impedance
loading" with a ribbon mic on a standard mic pre. I note that AEA makes
a mic pre specifically for their ribbons (the TRP?) which it says has 18
kohms input impedance, while my True shows 5.5 k. I'm ignorant about
what this means. Should I be concerned?

I've never owned a ribbon before. I know about not applying phantom
power, but I'm not even clear on what input impedance really is.

Help! 8-)

Thanks for any guidance.

bzb

For 50 or more years, conventional wisdom and practice has dictated that
the *actual* input impedance of a microphone preamplifier should be 2000
ohms or greater, to avoid loading the mic ... especially ribbon mics.
("Nominal" means "named" ... many mic inputs are "named" 150 ohms.) While
the mediocre respose of a Shure SM-57 can be improved by loading it with
600 ohms or so, the influence of a "conventional" mic input is minimal.
Lou Burroughs of EV said the RE15 and its mates were essentially
insensitive to loading and that a 150 load would not significantly change
its response.

So ... any good input with an *actual* impedance of 2K ohms or greater
should be OK for your interesting choice of mics. Do you really want
frequency response that slides down almost 5dB from 200- to 7000 Hz?

See: http://www.wesdooley.com/images/R84curve.jpg

--
~
~ Roy
"If you notice the sound, it's wrong!"

[Mike Rivers]

On Oct 11, 12:35 pm, Roy W. Rising
wrote:

Do you really want
frequency response that slides down almost 5dB from 200- to 7000 Hz?

Who cares what the curves look like if it sounds good in use?

[Roy W. Rising[_2_]]

Mike Rivers wrote:
On Oct 11, 12:35 pm, Roy W. Rising
wrote:

Do you really want
frequency response that slides down almost 5dB from 200- to 7000 Hz?

Who cares what the curves look like if it sounds good in use?

I do. I prefer to know my starting point is optimal accuracy. I can use
all kinds of methods to corrupt that, but at least it started out good.

With microphones, I like the "One Size Fits All" approach. Give me a very
accurate mic and I'll use it on anything. The era of "mic selection" was
born out of necessity. I got over it a long time ago.

--
~
~ Roy
"If you notice the sound, it's wrong!"

[Boris Lau]

Roy W. Rising wrote:
With microphones, I like the "One Size Fits All" approach. Give me a very
accurate mic and I'll use it on anything. The era of "mic selection" was
born out of necessity. I got over it a long time ago.

Hey Roy,
So what are the microphones that you are using? I guess there's still at
least a distinction between LDC and SDC...

Boris

--
http://www.borislau.de - computer science, music, photos

[Roy W. Rising[_2_]]

Boris Lau wrote:
Roy W. Rising wrote:
With microphones, I like the "One Size Fits All" approach. Give me a
very accurate mic and I'll use it on anything. The era of "mic
selection" was born out of necessity. I got over it a long time ago.

Hey Roy,
So what are the microphones that you are using? I guess there's still at
least a distinction between LDC and SDC...

Boris

I don't care for the HF peakiness of LDCs. SDCs are better, but there's
still the "dead on axis" reflection problem of summations and
cancellations of arriving wavefronts. If a condenser is indicated, the
MDCs (Micro-Diaphragm Condensers)are best.

I prefer high accuracy dynamics for their ruggedness and resistance (no
pun) to loading effects. The Sennheiser MD-441U, EV RE20, RE15, RE55 and
DO54/PL9 are good choices. Sadly, the latter three no longer are in
production but they do appear on eBay at reasonable prices.

If a ribbon is desired, Beyer M160, M130 and The Royer family of mics are
suggested. This kind of ribbon quality comes at a price, both in cost and
vulnerability to damage.

--
~
~ Roy
"If you notice the sound, it's wrong!"

[Ben Berman]

Roy W. Rising wrote:
Do you really want
frequency response that slides down almost 5dB from 200- to 7000 Hz?




Thanks to all for responding. Roy, Scott and Mike: I don't pretend to
understand even part of what you're explaining here, but my take-away is
that the issue is that the mic will SOUND different depending on the
impedance presented: Is that right?

My concern is that I could cause damage to a fragile mic with such an
impedance mismatch. I'm gathering from what you're saying that that is
not the case; rather, I just might not like the outcome of pairing my
P-Solo with this or that ribbon mic. Am I correct?

As to Roy's comment above: I dunno - As long as I'm not going to set
something on fire, I'll give it a whirl and see. The reviews suggest
it's a nice sound, whatever the charts may say. My other choice was a
Microtech Gefell UMT71 LDC, which you criticize a bit further down this
thread. sigh What's a guy to do? 8-)

Thanks again to all.

bzb
--
THE SONG FACTORY
Words and Music, made to order(TM)

WWW: http://www.thesongfactory.com

[Roy W. Rising[_2_]]

Ben Berman wrote:
Roy W. Rising wrote:
Do you really want
frequency response that slides down almost 5dB from 200- to 7000 Hz?

Thanks to all for responding. Roy, Scott and Mike: I don't pretend to
understand even part of what you're explaining here, but my take-away is
that the issue is that the mic will SOUND different depending on the
impedance presented: Is that right?

Yes, up to a point. When the preamp input impedance exceeds about 2000
ohms, the differences become almost insignificant. Maybe to a dog ... ?

My concern is that I could cause damage to a fragile mic with such an
impedance mismatch. I'm gathering from what you're saying that that is
not the case; rather, I just might not like the outcome of pairing my
P-Solo with this or that ribbon mic. Am I correct?

Loading doesn't damage the mic, only its performance. If the P-Solo has a
suitably high impedance, it won't matter.

As to Roy's comment above: I dunno - As long as I'm not going to set
something on fire, I'll give it a whirl and see. The reviews suggest
it's a nice sound, whatever the charts may say. My other choice was a
Microtech Gefell UMT71 LDC, which you criticize a bit further down this
thread. sigh What's a guy to do? 8-)

"What's a guy to do?" Try an EV RE20! It delivers a sufficiently "nice
sound" that many hundreds of radio voices are heard on it. It's been
used for musical vocals as well. There, unlike radio, more is going on
than just the voice, if you get my drift ;-).

--
~
~ Roy
"If you notice the sound, it's wrong!"

[[email protected]]

On Oct 11, 11:38 am, Ben Berman wrote:

My concern is that I could cause damage to a fragile mic with such an
impedance mismatch. I'm gathering from what you're saying that that is
not the case; rather, I just might not like the outcome of pairing my
P-Solo with this or that ribbon mic. Am I correct?

Ben, got an R92 and a P-Solo here. Works fine. Just don't plug in the
mic with phantom (P48) turned on. Not that it will damage anything but
why take chances. Read Wes Dooley's treatise on the care and feeding
of ribbon mics and you will be fine.

bobs

Bob Smith
BS Studios
we organize chaos
http://www.bsstudios.com

[Ben Berman]

Roy W. Rising wrote:

Yes, up to a point. When the preamp input impedance exceeds
about 2000 ohms, the differences become almost insignificant.
Maybe to a dog ... ?

snip

Loading doesn't damage the mic, only its performance. If the
P-Solo has a suitably high impedance, it won't matter.

snip

"What's a guy to do?" Try an EV RE20!

BINGO! I ordered one of these recently, when I read that Bonnie Raitt
had once upon a time used it for vocals. Plus, it seems to be the
consensus around here and elsewhere that it always renders up usable
tracks. I'll be testing it out in the next few weeks.

Thanks also for your clarifications above. I believe (I"ll hafta check)
the P-Solo shows 5.5k ohms input impedance, so I should be fine.

Thanks!

bzb
--
THE SONG FACTORY
Words and Music, made to order(TM)

WWW: http://www.thesongfactory.com

[Ben Berman]

wrote:


Ben, got an R92 and a P-Solo here. Works fine. Just don't plug in the
mic with phantom (P48) turned on. Not that it will damage anything but
why take chances. Read Wes Dooley's treatise on the care and feeding
of ribbon mics and you will be fine.


Thanks, bobs. I thought perhaps I was the only person on the internet
with a P-Solo 8-)

Did you consider the R84, and if so, what made you decide on the R92
instead? And, do you like it? Does the pre provide enough gain? It seems
to me the P-Solo provides plenty, at least so far. I haven't really had
to push it much, but haven't used it yet with a ribbon.

bzb
--
THE SONG FACTORY
Words and Music, made to order(TM)

WWW: http://www.thesongfactory.com

[Mike Rivers]

On Oct 11, 3:38 pm, Ben Berman wrote:

the issue is that the mic will SOUND different depending on the
impedance presented: Is that right?

Yes. At least it might.

My concern is that I could cause damage to a fragile mic with such an
impedance mismatch.

Not a chance.

As to Roy's comment above: I dunno - As long as I'm not going to set
something on fire, I'll give it a whirl and see. The reviews suggest
it's a nice sound, whatever the charts may say. My other choice was a
Microtech Gefell UMT71 LDC, which you criticize a bit further down this
thread. sigh What's a guy to do? 8-)

Go listen to some mics. Roy's (at least initial) approach to miking is
rather scientific and purist - start with perfection and then carve
away what you hear that you don't like. That's a valid approach
sometimes. But you may get a better match easier if you just have a
mic that sounds good on what you're recording.

[Scott Dorsey]

In article , Ben Berman wrote:
Thanks to all for responding. Roy, Scott and Mike: I don't pretend to
understand even part of what you're explaining here, but my take-away is
that the issue is that the mic will SOUND different depending on the
impedance presented: Is that right?

Right, but do the trick with the speaker and you'll understand why. The
microphone diaphragm on a moving coil dynamic is like a drum head, or the
ribbon is like a hammock. If you change the load on the mike, you are
making it harder or easier to move so the tuning changes.

My concern is that I could cause damage to a fragile mic with such an
impedance mismatch. I'm gathering from what you're saying that that is
not the case; rather, I just might not like the outcome of pairing my
P-Solo with this or that ribbon mic. Am I correct?

Right, but isn't bad sound enough to worry about? You won't damage anything
but your music.

As to Roy's comment above: I dunno - As long as I'm not going to set
something on fire, I'll give it a whirl and see. The reviews suggest
it's a nice sound, whatever the charts may say. My other choice was a
Microtech Gefell UMT71 LDC, which you criticize a bit further down this
thread. sigh What's a guy to do? 8-)

It's also an interesting mike, but it's totally different in exactly the
opposite direction.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

Roy W. Rising wrote:
Ben Berman wrote:

Yes, up to a point. When the preamp input impedance exceeds about 2000
ohms, the differences become almost insignificant. Maybe to a dog ... ?

I thought as much until I tried the ribbon mike preamp from AEA, and then
I was surprised how much more top end I got from a very-high-Z loading.

"What's a guy to do?" Try an EV RE20! It delivers a sufficiently "nice
sound" that many hundreds of radio voices are heard on it. It's been
used for musical vocals as well. There, unlike radio, more is going on
than just the voice, if you get my drift ;-).

I agree that everybody should have an RE-20 in the studio and it's one
of the most versatile microphones made. It's not a substitute for the
Gefell or the ribbons, but if the original poster doesn't have one, I
would certainly get one before anything else.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[bzb]

(Scott Dorsey) wrote


It's also an interesting mike, but it's totally different in
exactly the opposite direction.



How do you mean that, Scott?
Do you mean that you get the greater detail with lesser impedance in
this case? Sorry if I seem dense . . .

bzb
--
THE SONG FACTORY
Words and Music, made to order(TM)

WWW: http://www.thesongfactory.com

[Paul Stamler]

"Ben Berman" wrote in message
...

Thanks to all for responding. Roy, Scott and Mike: I don't pretend to
understand even part of what you're explaining here, but my take-away is
that the issue is that the mic will SOUND different depending on the
impedance presented: Is that right?

Right. The lower the impedance, the more the mic's upper register will be
damped and the less open and airy it will sound. You said the TRUE preamp
has an input impedance of about 6k ohms; that's a good number for a ribbon
microphone of this type.

My concern is that I could cause damage to a fragile mic with such an
impedance mismatch. I'm gathering from what you're saying that that is
not the case; rather, I just might not like the outcome of pairing my
P-Solo with this or that ribbon mic. Am I correct?

Correct. Impedance matching or lack of same will not damage microphones.

As to Roy's comment above: I dunno - As long as I'm not going to set
something on fire, I'll give it a whirl and see. The reviews suggest
it's a nice sound, whatever the charts may say. My other choice was a
Microtech Gefell UMT71 LDC, which you criticize a bit further down this
thread. sigh What's a guy to do? 8-)

You should know that not everyone shares Roy's low opinion of large-diapharm
condensers. Used in the right way on the right thing, they can be magical,
and the UMT71 is a good one. Ribbons can be magical, too. Which one you
choose will really depend on what you record and what you like; they're both
excellent microphones.

Peace,
Paul

[[email protected]]

On Oct 11, 1:06 pm, Ben Berman wrote:
wrote:
Ben, got an R92 and a P-Solo here. Works fine. Just don't plug in the
mic with phantom (P48) turned on. Not that it will damage anything but
why take chances. Read Wes Dooley's treatise on the care and feeding
of ribbon mics and you will be fine.

Thanks, bobs. I thought perhaps I was the only person on the internet
with a P-Solo 8-)

Did you consider the R84, and if so, what made you decide on the R92
instead? And, do you like it? Does the pre provide enough gain? It seems
to me the P-Solo provides plenty, at least so far. I haven't really had
to push it much, but haven't used it yet with a ribbon.

bzb
--
THE SONG FACTORY
Words and Music, made to order(TM)

WWW:http://www.thesongfactory.com

I had heard the R84 on Terrel Stafford (he has his own) as connected
to a Mackie 1202VLZ in a very live pub in Pt. Townsend; Public House.
So I called Wes and talked with him a bit about my potential uses and
he convinced me to try the R92. For what I do it has served me well.
Call Wes and talk with him a bit. He can help you determine which
model, if any, will meet your needs.

As for preamps, I have a bunch here, my favorite for the R92 being a
tossup between a Great River MP2 and a Martech MSS10.

bobs

Bob Smith
BS Studios
we organize chaos
http://www.bsstudios.com

[Scott Dorsey]

In article , bzb wrote:
(Scott Dorsey) wrote

It's also an interesting mike, but it's totally different in
exactly the opposite direction.

How do you mean that, Scott?
Do you mean that you get the greater detail with lesser impedance in
this case? Sorry if I seem dense . . .

No, it's just tonally completely different. You got the AEA ribbon mike on
one end, with a very smooth top end to the point of being rolled off,
and a big midrange. Then you have the large diaphragm MG mike, with a
huge and peaky top end that sounds "open and airy" because the top octave
is so exaggerated.

Both are useful tools, but for different things.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[bzb]

wrote in
ups.com:

As for preamps, I have a bunch here, my favorite for the R92
being a tossup between a Great River MP2 and a Martech MSS10.


Thanks again, to all, for clarifying this for me a bit. bobs, wow!
choosing between a Great River and a Martech - what a choice!
Someday, maybe . . . 8-)

bzb

--
THE SONG FACTORY
Words and Music, made to order(TM)

WWW: http://www.thesongfactory.com

[[email protected]]

On Oct 12, 10:44 am, bzb wrote:
wrote roups.com:

As for preamps, I have a bunch here, my favorite for the R92
being a tossup between a Great River MP2 and a Martech MSS10.

Thanks again, to all, for clarifying this for me a bit. bobs, wow!
choosing between a Great River and a Martech - what a choice!
Someday, maybe . . . 8-)

bzb

Well, something to keep in mind is I've been building and adding to
the studio for over 25 years. You've got a nice preamp there. If you
ever get a chance, listen to a Sennheiser MD441 through it. Especially
on tenor sax.

bobs

Bob Smith
BS Studios
we organize chaos
http://www.bsstudios.com

[Roy W. Rising[_2_]]

Roy W. Rising wrote: "With microphones, I like the 'One Size Fits All'
approach. Give me a very accurate mic and I'll use it on anything. The
era of 'mic selection' was born out of necessity. I got over it a long
time ago."

EMPHASIS added:

Mike Rivers wrote: "... you may get a better match easier if you JUST
HAVE A MIC THAT SOUNDS GOOD ON WHAT YOU'RE RECORDING."

Paul Stamler wrote: "... not everyone shares Roy's low opinion of
large-diapharm condensers. USED IN THE RIGHT WAY ON THE RIGHT THING, they
can be magical ... Ribbons can be magical, too. WHICH ONE YOU CHOOSE WILL
REALLY DEPEND ON WHAT YOU RECORD, and what you like ... ."

Scott Dorsey wrote: "You got the AEA ribbon mike on one end, with a very
SMOOTH TOP END TO THE POINT OF BEING ROLLED OFF, and a big midrange.
Then you have the large diaphragm MG mike, with a huge and peaky top end
that sounds "open and airy" because THE TOP OCTAVE IS SO EXAGERATED.
BOTH ARE USEFUL TOOLS, BUT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS."

Bob Smith wrote: "... If you ever get a chance, listen to a Sennheiser
MD441 ... Especially on tenor sax."

All this comes down to a discussion of mic selection. I prefer not to have
a closet full of mics that sound good on one source but not on another.
Bob's mention of the Sennheiser MD-441U identifies a mic that will sound
good on everything, not just tenor sax.

--
~
~ Roy
"If you notice the sound, it's wrong!"

[[email protected]]

On Oct 12, 12:46 pm, Roy W. Rising
wrote:
Roy W. Rising wrote: "With microphones, I like the 'One Size Fits All'
approach. Give me a very accurate mic and I'll use it on anything. The
era of 'mic selection' was born out of necessity. I got over it a long
time ago."

EMPHASIS added:

Mike Rivers wrote: "... you may get a better match easier if you JUST
HAVE A MIC THAT SOUNDS GOOD ON WHAT YOU'RE RECORDING."

Paul Stamler wrote: "... not everyone shares Roy's low opinion of
large-diapharm condensers. USED IN THE RIGHT WAY ON THE RIGHT THING, they
can be magical ... Ribbons can be magical, too. WHICH ONE YOU CHOOSE WILL
REALLY DEPEND ON WHAT YOU RECORD, and what you like ... ."

Scott Dorsey wrote: "You got the AEA ribbon mike on one end, with a very
SMOOTH TOP END TO THE POINT OF BEING ROLLED OFF, and a big midrange.
Then you have the large diaphragm MG mike, with a huge and peaky top end
that sounds "open and airy" because THE TOP OCTAVE IS SO EXAGERATED.
BOTH ARE USEFUL TOOLS, BUT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS."

Bob Smith wrote: "... If you ever get a chance, listen to a Sennheiser
MD441 ... Especially on tenor sax."

All this comes down to a discussion of mic selection. I prefer not to have
a closet full of mics that sound good on one source but not on another.
Bob's mention of the Sennheiser MD-441U identifies a mic that will sound
good on everything, not just tenor sax.

--
~
~ Roy
"If you notice the sound, it's wrong!"- Hide quoted text -

Oh, I agree that the MD441 sounds really good on many many sources.
Just that it is so gorgeous on tenor sax. I wish I would have saved
the money I spent early in the studio's life on "good for the price"
condensor mics and waited until I had enough dough to buy a number of
these. Give me a bunch of MD441s, older MD421s, SM57s, several RE20s
or SM7s, two each of CMC62, CMC641, M130 and at least one really nice
LDC such as an AT4060 or an ELUX251 and I think I'd call the mic
locker pretty well taken care of.

bobs

Bob Smith
BS Studios
we organize chaos
http://www.bsstudios.com