I am looking for an opinion as to a great studio microphone for recording steel. I have used everything under the sun over the years but can never remember what worked best as the engineer usually sets all that up. I play a Franklin through several different amps so hopefully that is enough info for ya’ll to go by.

I have used some U-47 and such but can not afford that for the home rig. I am looking at a Blue right now which is a large diaphragm condenser. They are great on acoustic...

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http://home.comcast.net/~steves_garage

If you want to check out a couple of ribbon mics, that are somewhat affordable.
The new AEA-R92 is, about the same price range as the Blue Dragonfly, just under $800.
The next would be the new Groove Tube VELO-8 Ribbon mic. I've seen this one, but have not tried it yet. The street price is around $640.

Brad

Your question about achieving the kind of levels in recording that sound like normal or standard playback levels, well that's the way it is. When you record, it's a good idea to keep your peaks about 6dB below max (or full scale). Your music will sound MUCH quieter than normal playback levels. Once your music is recorded, you'll then need to apply things like proper EQ, some compression, and probably some peak limiting. These processes are what it takes to bring up the average loudness of program material to what we consider "normal" levels. You will never be able to record a performance and expect those recorded levels to immediately match typical listening levels. Recording is the first step. Then there's mixing and/or mastering.

I bought one of those Shinybox 46 *best model)... It did not sound that great at first but when I out it up on my Summit Audio Stereo Tube Mic Pre it turned into something great... Having a great Mic Pre makes all the difference in the world. It sound very clear and transparent. That mic pre reminds me of an old Fender amp in a way. Stuff just starts to get sweet. I still need to try out my acoustic with that mic as I have been using a Blue on that guy with great results. Have fun bro.... hope to see you soon. You still playing with Buddy Jewel?

Thanks for the recommendation guys (John Macy, Randy Beavers, etc.).

Scaggs

I recently built one of the JFET kits, and I couldn't be more pleased. It's a stellar piece of gear. Transformer balanced in and out, very high quality components, and pretty easy and fun to build. He makes a tube pre and a JFET model with a similar circuit topology. Excellent with the ribbon mics and condensers, and turns a Shure SM57 into something quite special. In addition to being a top-notch mic pre, it's also the best sounding DI I have ever used.

*I may have the number wrong. I really like this mic all around.
Good mics need great pre's.
IMHO. Avalon 737sp will do nicely.
hope this helps.

Ron

[This message was edited by Ron Randall on 21 February 2006 at 10:47 PM.]

A GREAT mike preamp and, no, you don't have to pay the bucks. Studio Projects also produces Chinese-made mikes that are wonderful for the price.

As far as preamp gain, this mic has more output than most ribbon mics, almost as much as many dynamic mics. I think that most any preamp that is clean and quiet, and can provide about 50 db or more of gain should do the job. As others have pointed out, however, this is one mic that will definitely reward the use of a better preamp than those found in cheaper mixers or computer interfaces.