old style mic

still looking for a single mic set up ....
was wondering if anyone knows of a nice model large diagphragm condenser mic that is styled in the same way they were in the 40's / 50's

thanks!

[Spruce]

"was wondering if anyone knows of a nice model large diagphragm condenser mic that is styled in the same way they were in the 40's / 50's?"

A lot of the Shanghai mics are made to look like C12s or U47s (sorta)...

You might also check these out...

You could load it with whatever mic you choose, and have the look of an old RCA 44BX...

[Dennis Schubert]

I remember reading that Karl Shifflet Band had some "dummy" old-style mic bodies made up from plastic or resin, and filled them with AT4033 guts (or similar) for a retro look. To go with their wide ties and suspenders.

[Spruce]

I think it's one of these...

[Don Grieser]

Those things cost more than the 4033.

[Pete Martin]

Yes, an expensive stage prop.

[Jeffrey Lewis]

We have been playing out with and recording with an AT3036, the cheapest model.

[Spruce]

I'd keep my eye open on ebay for an old broken EV V2 or a large American mic to use as a shell for your AT3036 if you want to have that cool look...

A prop mic can be had for as little as 50 bucks or so, and the old large V2 or the like have plenty of room inside them once you clean out the guts to mount your mic...

You won't get an RCA though--they're too easy to rebuild and are worth quite a bit even if they're busted...

[mike_c]

i should weigh in here,, is i also spent years looking for a reasonable priced RCA shell to put a 4033 in...the truth is,, it ain"t going to happen. #the rca shells are worth a fortune..and the electra-voice and other old shells are not big enough to mount a 4033 in. (or the cheaper 3035) i finally just weakened and bought the AEA replica shell..another interesting fact is that they (AEA) insist on mounting the entire mic inside their housing...for obvious grounding purposes..even the cheaper AT-3035 would need a BIG housing to fit...so yes,, with the mic housing and NO MIC INSIDE), and with a call letter flag on top of the housing.(like carl shifflet and doyle were using) ,you're talking $1200.not a cheap deal!!

[siren_20]

Why not just use an acutal RCA 44-BX? Who cares about how it looks, it's a great sounding mic, and is actually usable in a single-mic setting if you use a good modern preamp.
It worked for Bill Monroe, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, the list goes on...

[mike_c]

most sound men wouldn't have enough preamp and they are very fragile,,,any wind would be a nightmare..

[Spruce]

"Why not just use an acutal RCA 44-BX?"

The main problem is that the 44BX has a figure-8 pattern, so you'd be picking up the audience as much as the band.

And they really aren't all that sensitive, even through a powerful mic-pre...

The 77DX has a switch to make it a cardiod mic (sorta), but, again, you really have to jump on it to get it to sound good, especially when you compare it to the very sensitive condensers...

But they sure look grand...
That's the reason that they are on Larry King's and David Letterman's desk (that's a 77DX), and that's the reason we want them onstage now.

"It worked for Bill Monroe, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, the list goes on... "

The RCA ribbons are wonderful microphones, but they really aren't that good of a stage mic. #They are difficult to amplify, are not that sensitive, and they are very delicate. #One plosive from a singer or a gust of wind at an outdoor show and you're ribbon is toast.

That being said, there are tons of wonderful recordings made with the 44BX in the studio, and you can practically pick it out on recordings. #
Listen to old Nat Cole recordings for a great example of what a 44BX can do for a singer...

I'll see if I can find the tech sheet that came with a 44 back in the day. #It shows how to arrange the band around the mic for the best results. #The microphone itself, with it's figure-8 pattern and null points to the sides of the pattern would essentially become the mixing board for the recording.

For example, A piano/singer duo would be positioned a set distance from the mic as suggested in the tech sheet for the best results...

A bluegrass band's singers would be positioned on opposite sides of the mic facing one another, and the banjo and fiddle might be positioned on the null points. #
They would record a tune and see how the mix sounds, and arrange the players accordingly...