WATCH PART THREE OF THE INTERVIEW RECORDED AT ABBEY ROAD
In this third part of the interview series we found out from Ken about how using less impressive microphones when recording drums needn’t be a problem, talks about dynamic range, the importance of good monitoring (again) and making a decision to keep a session moving. Come back soon for the fourth part of our interview!
A decade or so ago, we used to buy microphones from a company in China called 747 microphones, established by engineers from Geffell in (the then) East Germany in the 1970’s. We gave these cute condensers the moniker of ‘Micro Funk’ and at sixty or so squibs a pop, they proved a popular addition to many a professional and semi-pro collection. They were adequate for most purposes, although lacking in character. Still, at that price they were a definite bargain when compared to better made (and better sounding) examples from Germany and Austria.
And then a strange thing happened…
Gradually, the same bulbous contraptions started to appear on the market with different badges and vastly inflated prices. What was most alarming was the claim by many ‘manufacturers’ (middle men, in other words) that these were ‘U.S. made’. They weren’t. Oh, for sure some had been tweaked en route from Asia with the addition of a different transformers, a new resistor here or a capacitor there, but without exception the capsules, the bodies and the bulk of the electronics were identical. But prices…
New shapes appeared. Some were clones of established classics. Indeed, I was called upon as an expert witness by AKG who successfully sued one Chinese company for ‘passing off’ – manufacturing a replica of the C12VR. Other examples represented new designs, alarmingly so on occasions. We received a succession of tube mics from different ‘distributors’ with potentially lethal power supplies, as the male and female sockets had been inexplicably reversed, leaving HT voltage exposed to prying fingers on bare pins. We asked the distributors to withdraw these dangerous products. They refused. We contacted trading standards and shortly thereafter the most blatant examples disappeared. Thankfully.
By now, prices of these well-marketed microphones had edged up into the middle hundreds, but worse was to follow as in the last few years the market has been flooded with high-end microphones costing thousands of pounds and claiming to be lovingly manufactured in the States or Europe.
They’re not. In fact, I can buy exactly the same microphone as one marketed with a prestigious name in the west at over two thousand pounds for a couple of hundred directly from Beijing.
Now, I have a problem with this. Indeed, I have two problems. The first is misrepresentation. A degree of tweaking and component swaps doesn’t constitute manufacturing and it’s downright dishonest to claim a Chinese product is made in the West. But secondly, these mics just don’t sound very good. The limiting factor is the capsule, a decent general purpose affair but lacking the precision and design quality needed to deliver top quality results.
Every week I seem to find myself debating the origins of yet another expensive addition to the range of mics flooding the market. Time after time a distributor or manufacturer swears blind that his new microphone is made in America only to back down quickly when pushed into a verbal corner. Because these Chinese mics are simple to identify. The giveaway is the cheap connector that protrudes from the base rather than being inset as with most European mics. All these Chinese connectors are identical, so if your new, expensive, US mic has a mini barrel-like protrusion into which to stuff the mic cable, it’s Chinese made. And of course, all these mics have similar, flimsy suspension mounts and (usually) a tacky aluminium flightcase.
Be warned. These mics are mutton dressed as lamb, destined to devalue faster than the Drachma should you want (or need) to part with the thing.
Lest I always seem grouchy and negative, it’s only fair that I heap praise upon the one exception to an otherwise shoddy bunch.
Manley used to market a Chinese microphone under their Langevin brand name (the 201). In fact, this was a pretty decent microphone, but what made it special was the informative instruction brochure that came with it. As well as having a host of useful recording tips, there was a detailed background to the genesis, making clear that the guts were made in China and then assembled with selected additional US parts in the Manley factory in the States. There was no apology for using Chinese capsules, and nor should there have been. The microphone was excellent value, looked good (I believe the case and grill were American made) and performed well.
Manley’s honesty was refreshing, as that company’s approach always is. Moreover, they had no desire to hide the origins of what they acknowledged was a budget microphone. On the contrary, their explanation confirmed why they could offer such good value. But why should this company be the exception? Why should so many other brands hide the honest truth?
I suspect the reason is staring me in the face, along with the shoddy XLR connector.
Filthy lucre. Only a fool would pay £2000 or more for a £200 Chinese mic with a fancy badge.
Ever been fooled?
I sincerely hope not.
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Drum Recording Video Tutorial
This is a 5 minute extract of the drum recording session with Grammy nominated and MPG winning engineer James Towler. This was filmed at the last drum recording masterclass.
James takes a look at the ways to record live performances and uses his experience recording many Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood gigs over the last few years.
A number of leading recording engineers and record producers gathered at Modern World Studios in the UK countryside mid January 2010 to record a series of drum recording masterclass videos. Each contributor covered drum recording, microphone placement, drum tuning and much more from their point of view and experience.
This video features George Shilling. George is a successful record producer, recording engineer, musician and journalist writing for leading music industry magazines. In this video George takes the ‘recording on a budget’ perspective.
Special thanks to everyone that attended, Sean Genockey, Simon Turner, George Shilling, James Towler and Greg Haver. Special thanks also to everyone at Modern World Studios for making us so welcome that we want to come back and do more of these!
