Hello,

Not sure if this thread belongs under Vocals or Guitars, so I went with Guitars:

I just purchased a new studio microphone and tried it last night through my L1 (Classic). My Martin OM guitar, played through the L1 via this microphone sounds exactly (not close-ish...but exactly) like my OM28 sounds when played without amplification...only louder. It's the most natural-sounding guitar microphone I've used through my L1.

It's a studio condenser microphone so probably no good for live work (which is why I bought the DPA, which is working out just fine) though I will give the MA-200 a try live if the right environment presents itself.

I bought the microphone for some home recording and I was told it was a good quality microphone that would accurately capture the natural sound of my guitars. Looks like that statement was accurate!

The microphone is a Mojave MA-200 tube condenser microphone. For those interested in this microphone you can read about it here: Mojave MA-200 Microphone

It's also supposed to be fantastic on vocals, and I don't doubt it is. It's definitely of the caliber of the L1. I'll get to using it for vocals eventually. Right now it's my main guitar microphone for recording and rehearsing with my L1.

Stu

Hi Stuart,

I got curious about this mic based on your comments.

I looked it up and read many reviews.

I've never read so many overwhelmingly positive reviews on a mic before, I think everyone that used it was bowled over.

How are you liking it into your recording rig ?

When you get a chance to record vocals let me know what you think, I have a home studio also and I am always trying to find the perfect studio vocal microphone.

The other thing I record extensively is my Martin acoustic guitar, so you can see why I am interested.

Ted

quote:

"...I've never read so many overwhelmingly positive reviews on a mic before, I think everyone that used it was bowled over."

This is primarily the reason I decided to pony up the money and buy it...I, too, have not yet seen a bad review of this microphone. I also found (online) a recording session with a musician where she was conducting a singer/songwriter workshop, and she was using this microphone. She has a really great voice (to my ears) so more reason for me to consider this microphone. Of course I've never seen her perform live so don't know how accurate her voice was reproduced...but she sounded great, and that was good enough to convince me about the MA-200's potential.

Not that it will automatically make me sound good (I'm not a 'great' singer by any means and a quality microphone such as this one is, I'm sure, only going to accentuate my vocal shortcomings) but it did show me what is possible if I am ever able to improve my singing, etc. I have no doubt it'll sound great on vocals based on what I've heard from it so far. I did sing through it a little last night and, at least through headphones, I was very pleased with the results - even considering my limited vocal abilities.

I just finished recording a guitar instrumental and, even without putting the polish to the recording (EQ, etc) the sound is waaaaaaay better than anything I'd gotten up to now and it really does do justice to the nice-sounding acoustic guitars that I use. Although I balked at the price of the microphone (as usual) I do believe I have made a sound investment (no pun intended). Edit: The DPA4099G also sounds impressive; I was really talking about the microphones I used prior to purchasing this one and the DPA4099G.

One thing I noticed right away - this microphone is so senstive that it picks up everything, so you need to pay close attention (listen carefully) to whatever other sounds are in the room - and outside as well, for that matter - before pressing the record button. The microphone will pick them up if you are not careful! One of my PCs has a 'slightly' noisy CPU fan and the microphone, even though it was about fifteen inches from my guitar - and several feet away from the PC - still managed to capture the noise of the CPU fan!

quote:

"...How are you liking it into your recording rig ?"

I just started using Pro Tools with their MBox 2 interface, and I'm still in at the shallow end, so to speak, so it's too early to tell; but all signs point to positive; though I don't care for the MBox's controls layout. Maybe I'll get used to it over time but it's not as easy to work with quickly, compared to my Onyx 1210, for example.

Currently I've used the new microphone through my L1/T1 combo and the result was absolutely fantstic, and I wish I could find a way to perform live with it!. I've also recorded the microphone through my Mackie Onyx 1210 mixer; also great sound (I used this with a Firewire connection to my PC prior to switching to Pro Tools). And with the MBox 2 I'm also very happy with what I've heard so far; though the process of installing the Pro Tools software bordered on a fiasco which took a full seven hours to install and make work, due to a defective install disk, etc!

Nonetheless I have a very optimistic outlook for this microphone, to the point that my next good quality microphone purchase just might be another of these (or their small diameter tube condenser).

Basically it's giving me the same high level of enthusiasm for recording that the L1 did for live performance, etc.

If I find the sound clip of the female singer/songwriter I'll edit my post and include it. I believe it was somewhere on Sweetwater Sound's web site, but I've not been able to find it again. But she is definitely worth listening to.

Go buy the MA-200...I bet you'll be glad you did!

Stu

Edit: found the sound file. It was on Mojave's web site, not Sweetwater's. Here it is: Alice Peacock

Here's another by Jim Lauderdale, singing through a MA-200: Jim Lauderdale. There are some others on Mojave's web site as well, under the Sessions section.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: StuartD,

Hi Stuart,


Yeah, she sounds great thru that mic. It wasn't too hard too look at her either.

Thanks for all the great info and feedback on the microphone, it's these real world unbiased reviews from people I know I can trust that mean the most to me.

Mojave has done a great job of posting a lot of sound clips on their site. I have some high end headphones that I can listen to that stuff with and what I hear sounds very nice.

I have to let my wallet recover from my recent gear purchases before I can get out and do it again, hehe.

I recently purchased:

1) A Martin DX1

2) A case for the Martin

3) A pickup for the Martin ( Parts and labor )

3) The Fishman Aura pedal

4) A Shure Beta 87A

So I'm a little extended right now

HOWEVER, I'll be looking real close at this mic when my wallet fills back up.


Thanks for all the info Stuart !