I've had some very good advice here on mics and (usual for me) ignored it a
wee bit....!!!

:-)

I have been assured by someone who sells them (??) that Oktava are the 'best
by far' cheap mics and have thus ordered an MK319 (the 219s being out of
stock in the UK atm and deliveries from Russia are a bit iffy, apparently) -
anybody able to back that up from experience??

(Or shoot it down in flames...?? :-)

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:04:05 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


I've had some very good advice here on mics and (usual for me) ignored it a
wee bit....!!!

:-)

I have been assured by someone who sells them (??) that Oktava are the 'best
by far' cheap mics and have thus ordered an MK319 (the 219s being out of
stock in the UK atm and deliveries from Russia are a bit iffy, apparently) -
anybody able to back that up from experience??

(Or shoot it down in flames...?? :-)




No ack ack from here. That will do fine. A few years ago they had some
quality control problems, and about half of them got returned, but
they have sorted all that out now.

You are buying two, aren't you? And how about power - have you got
that mixer yet?

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:04:05 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


I've had some very good advice here on mics and (usual for me) ignored it
a
wee bit....!!!

:-)

I have been assured by someone who sells them (??) that Oktava are the
'best
by far' cheap mics and have thus ordered an MK319 (the 219s being out of
stock in the UK atm and deliveries from Russia are a bit iffy,
apparently) -
anybody able to back that up from experience??

(Or shoot it down in flames...?? :-)




No ack ack from here. That will do fine. A few years ago they had some
quality control problems, and about half of them got returned, but
they have sorted all that out now.



Hopefully! :-)

That's the way with Russian kit - for some reason they get away with iffy QC
and (sometimes) a loyal following for genuinely crappy stuff! Have you seen
the wacky 'Lomography' following on the Net?

http://www.lomo.com/

???


You are buying two, aren't you? And how about power - have you got
that mixer yet?


Aww, feck....

No, it gets worse - I'm definitely going the mono route for the moment while
I get it all sorted out. I can *stereo* it up in the future (when funds
allow), especially as I will also investigate the 219 if the 319 is up to
snuff, as matey at KMR said the 219 was *particularly* suited to piano!
(???)

Totally unprompted, while we were talking, he mentioned this little preamp:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

as being worth having at about a hundred quid or so, in a 'valve pre if no
valve mic, but not both' kinda way. I told him they were on eBay for about
half that right now, he said it would be a bargain, so I grabbed one for 55
quid while I was on the phone to him!!

If anyone else is interested, note that there are 8 more available and the
same thing can be had for twice the money, if it helps with your POQ:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

:-)

Basically, I want to bang this all together to make direct comparisons with
Nick's Behringer mic and *fine* little homebrew pre, while I still have them
here - nothing is ruled out for the future!!

This one *is* in stock:

http://www.kmraudio.com/catalogue/pr...roducts_id/782

....there wuz a time when I'da said 'sod it' and grabbed that as well!! :-)

(As the KMR blokey said - 'it's a lifestyle decision'....!! :-)

Especially as I've been running my SS vinyl rig this morning and confirming
*again* the difference between SS and valve main amplification, if nothing
else, is greater than *profound*....!!

(Better start knocking up a 'microphone cupboard'...!! ;-)

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:59:29 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:04:05 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


I've had some very good advice here on mics and (usual for me) ignored it
a
wee bit....!!!

:-)

I have been assured by someone who sells them (??) that Oktava are the
'best
by far' cheap mics and have thus ordered an MK319 (the 219s being out of
stock in the UK atm and deliveries from Russia are a bit iffy,
apparently) -
anybody able to back that up from experience??

(Or shoot it down in flames...?? :-)




No ack ack from here. That will do fine. A few years ago they had some
quality control problems, and about half of them got returned, but
they have sorted all that out now.



Hopefully! :-)

That's the way with Russian kit - for some reason they get away with iffy QC
and (sometimes) a loyal following for genuinely crappy stuff! Have you seen
the wacky 'Lomography' following on the Net?

http://www.lomo.com/

Interesting looking project - I will keep an eye on that and see where
it goes.



You are buying two, aren't you? And how about power - have you got
that mixer yet?


Aww, feck....

No, it gets worse - I'm definitely going the mono route for the moment while
I get it all sorted out. I can *stereo* it up in the future (when funds
allow), especially as I will also investigate the 219 if the 319 is up to
snuff, as matey at KMR said the 219 was *particularly* suited to piano!
(???)

Totally unprompted, while we were talking, he mentioned this little preamp:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

as being worth having at about a hundred quid or so, in a 'valve pre if no
valve mic, but not both' kinda way. I told him they were on eBay for about
half that right now, he said it would be a bargain, so I grabbed one for 55
quid while I was on the phone to him!!

If anyone else is interested, note that there are 8 more available and the
same thing can be had for twice the money, if it helps with your POQ:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

:-)

Yebbut, that fifty five quid would have bought you a whole mixer, with
two superb preamps, tone controls, line inputs, the lot. I really
think you have blown £110 (by the time you have bought your second)
here. We already know about valve buildup, and you have all you need
in your power amp.


Basically, I want to bang this all together to make direct comparisons with
Nick's Behringer mic and *fine* little homebrew pre, while I still have them
here - nothing is ruled out for the future!!

This one *is* in stock:

http://www.kmraudio.com/catalogue/pr...roducts_id/782

...there wuz a time when I'da said 'sod it' and grabbed that as well!! :-)

(As the KMR blokey said - 'it's a lifestyle decision'....!! :-)


Now you're getting just a touch carried away :-)

Especially as I've been running my SS vinyl rig this morning and confirming
*again* the difference between SS and valve main amplification, if nothing
else, is greater than *profound*....!!

(Better start knocking up a 'microphone cupboard'...!! ;-)



I imagine Nick's preamp will power the Oktava just fine. You will find
it a great deal more sensitive than the Behringer mic and a bit
livelier sounding due to the less flat response.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Don Pearce" wrote


http://www.lomo.com/

Interesting looking project - I will keep an eye on that and see where
it goes.


That's been growing for a number of years now! Some stunning images from
what what decidedly 'marginal' kit!!


as being worth having at about a hundred quid or so, in a 'valve pre if no
valve mic, but not both' kinda way. I told him they were on eBay for about
half that right now, he said it would be a bargain, so I grabbed one for
55
quid while I was on the phone to him!!


Yebbut, that fifty five quid would have bought you a whole mixer, with
two superb preamps, tone controls, line inputs, the lot. I really
think you have blown £110 (by the time you have bought your second)
here. We already know about valve buildup, and you have all you need
in your power amp.


A Behringer mixer is still on the cards for stereo when it happens, but the
piano to computer chain is totally SS apart from the little pre which I want
to compare with Nick's pre. I go with the best sound no matter what, but I
don't it'll be too crucial 'til Swim gets back on form - part of the object
of this exercise is to get her back to regualar playing!! ;-)



...there wuz a time when I'da said 'sod it' and grabbed that as well!!
:-)

(As the KMR blokey said - 'it's a lifestyle decision'....!! :-)


Now you're getting just a touch carried away :-)


Yebbut, it looks nice and I been assured (by the bloke *selling* them....)
they are pretty good...!!(??)



I imagine Nick's preamp will power the Oktava just fine. You will find
it a great deal more sensitive than the Behringer mic and a bit
livelier sounding due to the less flat response.


Yes, this is exactly what I'm looking forward to - it's all very
new/interesting to me!!

(If I can get an OK *product* there'll be some trax posted, of course....
;-)

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:29:56 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:

I imagine Nick's preamp will power the Oktava just fine. You will find
it a great deal more sensitive than the Behringer mic and a bit
livelier sounding due to the less flat response.


Yes, this is exactly what I'm looking forward to - it's all very
new/interesting to me!!

(If I can get an OK *product* there'll be some trax posted, of course....
;-)




Then let's have some piano with community singing - no more of that
dodgy speaker stuff, eh?

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Don Pearce wrote:
On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:59:29 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:04:05 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


I've had some very good advice here on mics and (usual for me) ignored it
a
wee bit....!!!

:-)

I have been assured by someone who sells them (??) that Oktava are the
'best
by far' cheap mics and have thus ordered an MK319 (the 219s being out of
stock in the UK atm and deliveries from Russia are a bit iffy,
apparently) -
anybody able to back that up from experience??

(Or shoot it down in flames...?? :-)




No ack ack from here. That will do fine. A few years ago they had some
quality control problems, and about half of them got returned, but
they have sorted all that out now.



Hopefully! :-)

That's the way with Russian kit - for some reason they get away with iffy QC
and (sometimes) a loyal following for genuinely crappy stuff! Have you seen
the wacky 'Lomography' following on the Net?

http://www.lomo.com/


Interesting looking project - I will keep an eye on that and see where
it goes.



You are buying two, aren't you? And how about power - have you got
that mixer yet?


Aww, feck....

No, it gets worse - I'm definitely going the mono route for the moment while
I get it all sorted out. I can *stereo* it up in the future (when funds
allow), especially as I will also investigate the 219 if the 319 is up to
snuff, as matey at KMR said the 219 was *particularly* suited to piano!
(???)

Totally unprompted, while we were talking, he mentioned this little preamp:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

as being worth having at about a hundred quid or so, in a 'valve pre if no
valve mic, but not both' kinda way. I told him they were on eBay for about
half that right now, he said it would be a bargain, so I grabbed one for 55
quid while I was on the phone to him!!

If anyone else is interested, note that there are 8 more available and the
same thing can be had for twice the money, if it helps with your POQ:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

:-)


Yebbut, that fifty five quid would have bought you a whole mixer, with
two superb preamps, tone controls, line inputs, the lot. I really
think you have blown £110 (by the time you have bought your second)
here. We already know about valve buildup, and you have all you need
in your power amp.


Basically, I want to bang this all together to make direct comparisons with
Nick's Behringer mic and *fine* little homebrew pre, while I still have them
here - nothing is ruled out for the future!!

This one *is* in stock:

http://www.kmraudio.com/catalogue/pr...roducts_id/782

...there wuz a time when I'da said 'sod it' and grabbed that as well!! :-)

(As the KMR blokey said - 'it's a lifestyle decision'....!! :-)



Now you're getting just a touch carried away :-)


Especially as I've been running my SS vinyl rig this morning and confirming
*again* the difference between SS and valve main amplification, if nothing
else, is greater than *profound*....!!

(Better start knocking up a 'microphone cupboard'...!! ;-)




I imagine Nick's preamp will power the Oktava just fine. You will find
it a great deal more sensitive than the Behringer mic and a bit
livelier sounding due to the less flat response.

Maybe not, it only provides 17v phantom power, lazy I know, but it was a
cheap option.

--
Nick

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:53:14 +0100, Nick Gorham
wrote:

I imagine Nick's preamp will power the Oktava just fine. You will find
it a great deal more sensitive than the Behringer mic and a bit
livelier sounding due to the less flat response.

Maybe not, it only provides 17v phantom power, lazy I know, but it was a
cheap option.

--
Nick

Ah! No idea how the Oktava will deal with that - worth a try, of
course. A lot of mics are still perfectly happy way below their
specced voltage.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:53:14 +0100, Nick Gorham
wrote:

I imagine Nick's preamp will power the Oktava just fine. You will find
it a great deal more sensitive than the Behringer mic and a bit
livelier sounding due to the less flat response.

Maybe not, it only provides 17v phantom power, lazy I know, but it was a
cheap option.

But possibly at the expense of headroom.

But as long as you're enjoying yourself.... :-)

Keith G wrote:
I've had some very good advice here on mics and (usual for me) ignored it a
wee bit....!!!

:-)

I have been assured by someone who sells them (??) that Oktava are the 'best
by far' cheap mics and have thus ordered an MK319 (the 219s being out of
stock in the UK atm and deliveries from Russia are a bit iffy, apparently) -
anybody able to back that up from experience??

(Or shoot it down in flames...?? :-)




Keith,

Back in 1992, I briefly became the Oktava distributor for the UK. The
mics were pretty good, excellent if you factor in the price. However,
quality control was a bit variable, and we had to return a fair few.
However, those that worked all worked pretty well. At the time, the
finish was a bit agricultural, but operationally they were OK.

Do you intend to use them for recording or as measurement mics? I
wouldn't normally use a large-diaphragm cardioid as a measurment mic,
hence the question.

S.