1046
by llllllllllllllllllll
I’d recommend anyone on a budget wanting a Neumann-style FET condensor try the Serrano 87 before getting anything else unless you are after a FET 47, which I would recommend the AT4047. I can’t imagine a lot of condensors doing better than the Serrano for $600 new, and I couldn’t find one used though they seem to do well on forums, which is usually a good sign. I still need to compare it next to a Warbler Mk I and AT4047, but I use those fairly often as it is, so it’ll happen eventually.
The Serrano came in when I was tracking guitar, so I just threw it out in front of the Balls AC30 that had an M201 and 57 in an Andy Johns 45-degree angle setup right on the speaker . After moving the 87 around a lot I found a space a couple feet away that worked, but was still more energetic in the high mids than I’d prefer for that type of sound, but I liked how it sounded combined with the dynamic mics and there isn’t much else other than a metronome on the track yet.
It took some outboard to get it where I wanted, but it was pretty happening once I bussed it down to stereo and cleanup with Audioscape pultecs, stereo compression and a phase box. BTW I never used an oscilloscope to check phase until a couple weeks ago and now I feel a sudden need to remix everything I’ve recorded at home.
Then the Sony C38b came in when I was done recording guitar and it was time for vocals, which turned out to be kind of a fucked timing. On voice, the Serrano 87 was pretty perfect with little more than phantom power, at least until mixdown, but the Sony required some low and low mid cleanup with Audioscape Pultecs, then of course compression while you’re at it, etc.
I’m finding the Sony seems to do much better on guitars, kind of the opposite from Serrano, which did much better on voice. It also seems like the Sony has a wider room pickup or something? Just something I noticed when comparing them side by side. Wish I would have had the Sony when I was still recording the guitars but I’ll use it on bass next. It really is the most ribbon-like condensor I’ve ever heard. Love it.
Both super cool. Honestly I have always thought those Sony mics looked great, then found out all-time favs John Wood and Phill Brown were fans, so had been after them forever and bought a clean one on impulse after this huge sell off I’ve been doing. I’d like to try a C48 one day and bet I would love it.
Anyways its been fun doing this big sale and upgrade but I’m ready to go back to working with the same stuff for a while now, at least outside the odd Pay-In-4 dynamic mic purchase. It just feels like everything takes so much longer with new gear, plus I feel the need to have it out and test and justify the expense when I know I should be using something else whenever I’m working on a specific task.
