Vintage Microphones

[CraigLennon]

I'm looking for an ACTUAL vintage microphone not a styled microphone.

Every search I conduct only brings up style microphones which are mostly just rubbish.

Can anyone  recommend a site that actually sells old, good condition microphones.

[thetworegs]

There's always eBay a quick search found this one ..... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Original-1960s-Shure-Model-545S-Unidyne-III-Microphone-Mic-Dynamic-Model-/251435926763?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Microphones&hash=item3a8abfc4eb I'm sure there's more not sure if it's good or not it was just a name I recognised.....

[Blooby]

I think this site may, but I wouldn't expect them to be cheap: http://vintageking.com/

Good luck.

Blooby

[Flash Harry]

There's quite some rubbish spoken about vintage audio gear. Mostly it had poor HF response and early low end roll off, which didn't matter when you were recording to vinyl, (poor HF response and early low end roll off) coupled with valve amps, (high distortion figures, lumps of iron transformers to drive, hysteresis, crossover distortion etc.) but modern signal chains are clinical and show up the weaknesses in old microphones.

Ribbon mics used to be regarded as the 'best' sounding, but catch a plosive and you run the risk of damaging the ribbon. 

1970's condenser AKG's are probably the earliest that would sound right (unless you can find a telefunken U47) but these are rare and probably sound worse than a modern AGK 414 which has a retro(ish) look.

If you want the 1950's rock n roll radiator grill type, be prepared for noisy muddy vocals.

[Burtog]

can i ask why are you searching for a real vintage microphone?

I would have thought there are modern processors that replicate old mics or is it a look kind of thing?

[bruno]

I have a friend who worked for the BBC - he picked up some expensive mikes that we going to be thrown into a bin. We AB against my SE Valve mike (which you can get for around £250 these days), very little difference. Not exactly vintage, however modern mike have a brilliant price/performance ratio. I would bother with a vintage mike for home recording.

Having said that, some people like the reduced sound of older equipment, as they are trying to reproduce a 60's sound for example.
B

[Flash Harry]

Yeah, BBC TV had AKG condensers when I was there. They were expensive enough to be individually marked and regularly audited.

I'd have loved to have had one.

[henwrench]

I love the vintage/modern argument. It tickles me to my cock-rim.

          'Vintage' wasn't vintage when it was being used. It was brand new. Or 'modern', at the time. Just buy the best mic you can afford. A Nuemann U87 will cost about £2,000. An AKG c414 will cost about £650. Both are industry standard. Both are really fucking good. Both will pick up the sound of your fingernails growing.

          Hendrix used the newest of Strats, no old shit for Jimi. The Beatles championed the use of transistor amps (check the 'roof top' gig).

                                                                   henwrench

[IanR]

http://www.themicstore.co.uk/

http://www.rodemic.com/mics

just get on to google

[CraigLennon]

Cheers for the replies.

I'm looking at some of the mic's that artists used during certain recordings/live sounds and trying to just experiment with their sounds.

I'm just making a list of websites that will sell old mic's. 60's & 70's are the year's I'm looking at.