I am not a crazy gear head. But don’t get me wrong. I love solid gear that will do what I want it to, but I don’t focus on the specs. It doesn’t matter if it’s tube or solid state. If it’s discrete or has IC chips. If it does what I want, when I want, and doesn’t flake out, then I am happy.

The Blue Mouse FET (large diaphragm condenser) does just that. It never gets in the way. It captures. And it captures accurately. Not to mention makes everything sound huge and amazing. And to be specific, I am talking about the early model that was black/gray that indicated it has the transformer inside. It really stands up to the Neumann FET 47. The FET 47 tends to be a tad unfocused in the lower-mids. I’ve used these two mics side by side and I generally grab the Mouse first. The bass is smooth and the upper-mid aggression is what you need to make instruments sit perfectly in your mixes. (more…)

Recently I had the great opportunity to try out some new mics. This time around I got to test out JZ Microphones for a few weeks. Thanks Kate! Each JZ mic is hand crafted in Riga, Latvia. And when I say handcrafted, I mean it, every component is meticulously hand-soldered. This isn’t your Chinese-made condenser. This is the real deal.

JZ Vintage 47

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On a recent day in September, music fans everywhere reacted to the news that R.E.M. had decided to break up. However, the same day a much less famous band, but perhaps one that still had a bit more potential for future growth, also announced that it was calling it a day. The breakup of the wonderful, inventive Baltimore quartet Ponytail was not exactly a shock — in fact their split had been preceded by a lack of touring and lots of speculation about the band’s status — but it was still sad to hear. But the band left behind one last album, Do Whatever You Want All The Time, released earlier this year before calling it quits, and it’s a worthy addition to their legacy.

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It’s time to showcase a condenser mic this month! And there’s nothing we like more than a versatile mic you can find for under $400.

I first got into recording doing a lot of solo and acoustic performers. I emailed one of my favorite songwriter/recordists at the time and asked him what mic he used to track his acoustic guitars. It just so happened the Audio-Technica 4033 was the mic he’d been using for years to record guitars and vocals. This being THE first studio mic for me, I put it in front of as many instruments as I could and received pretty incredible results. Audio-Technica even boasts that this was the mic to break the $1000-barrier in it’s class. (more…)

No, not the SM57. The S-M-Seven.

While it’s not my favorite mic, nor is it the most interesting, by any means, it certainly reproduces many sounds wonderfully and accurately. Simply put, it’s utilitarian. And build like a tank. My SM7 has taken many o’ falls and still, many many years later, works like a charm. I’d say, in any given record I produce it’s used multiple times. And not on just one instrument. It yields great results with vocals, drums and bass/guitar amps. I’ve even used it on kick drums (more of the vintage flavor) and have been very happy with the output. It’s claim to fame was when it was discovered that engineer Bruce Swedien used this mic for most of the vocals on Michael Jackson’s 1982 record, Thriller. You know the record that spawned seven top 10 singles and has sold over 110 million copies? So aside from the fact that Michael sounds great behind it, other people do as well. It’s not just Michael’s amazing voice. It’s a cardioid dynamic mic that can stand up next to a U47, U87 or any other variety of vintage condensers.

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In a way, the continued existence of The Death Set doesn’t really make a lot of sense after the 2009 death of one of its two founding members, Beau Velasco. Not that remaining frontman Johnny Siera shouldn’t have pushed forward, but the band’s hyperactive fusion of hip hop and dance beats and pop punk sugar rush hooks simply doesn’t seem like a creative vehicle that can handle that kind of sadness hanging over it, and even the Death Set’s name feels awkward and perhaps even in poor taste now.

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