Realistic 33-1080 mic

For those too young to remember, Realistic was one of the house-brands of the Radio Shack electronics chain store. Most of the microphones sold at Radio Shack were junk... but, they did sell a few decent ones that were rebranded Shure and Sony mics.

John Lennon, recording acoustic guitar
with a Sony C22

The 33-1080 is reported to be a rebranded cousin of the Sony ECM/C22.

It is a back-electret condenser mic that runs off a single AA battery. Overall, it's a pretty decent mic. Smooth, flat frequency response and a nice vintage-y sound. But... the mic has one major flaw.

Noise!

Seriously. The circuit in this mic generates a ton of hiss. Back in the 70's it was probably not so much of a problem, because everyone was recording to cassette tape, which had such a high noise floor anyway, that maybe no one noticed how bad the mic was.

Realistic 33-1080 condenser mic

However, plugging this mic into a digital system with clean preamps makes you very aware of just how noisy it is.

But, all is not lost! The performance of this mic can be improved!

There is a little 6 volt camera battery called an A544 that, when two are stacked together, are nearly the exact same size as a AA battery. Running the mic at 12 volts, instead of the normal 1.5 volts, greatly increases its signal-to-noise ratio and performance.

Two A544's next to an AA battery

Even running this mic with the increased voltage you may still notice some hiss. It's never going to be as quiet as a modern condenser mic.
Still, it has a great sound that is especially nice on acoustic guitar. If you can pick one up cheap enough, it is definitely worth having around.

Realistic sold a lot of these mics, and you can find them everywhere. Check thrift and donation stores, flea markets, garage sales, Craigslist and, of course, eBay.

I snagged mine on eBay for only $12, and I really like it. But I don't think I'd pay more than $25-30 for one.

Beware! These little batteries are not cheap, and if you leave them in the mic when it is not being used, they will go dead. I've learned the hard way... remove them when not using the mic!

Battery powered condenser mics

In a previous post I talked about how much I love dynamic mics, and how everyone should use them everywhere. All the time! Of course, that's not 100% true.
Dynamic mics will not always give you enough low and high end clarity for some instruments or voices.

But, if you're using a cassette 4 track, or older digital multi tracker, you probably don't have XLR mic jacks that provide the 48v phantom power required by condenser mics.
Buying an external preamp is the best and cheapest way to get around this problem. Then you can choose from hundreds of condenser mics available.

However, if you're someone who really likes to keep your recording setup streamlined and simple, and don't want to add another piece of external gear, there are a few battery powered condenser mics available.

Shure SM94 (also, Beta Green 4.0/4.1)

This microphone has existed in the Shure lineup for many years, but with different names.
Originally called the 849, then rebranded as the Beta Green 4.0, then the BG4.1, now it is called the SM94.
The body and capsules have remained the same but Shure says the SM94 has improved noise floor compare to earlier versions.

I own the BG4.1 version and I'm very fond of this mic. I've bought, sold, and re-bought them 4 times now. They just keep finding their way back into my mic drawer.

It does not have overly hyped high-end, like many newer mics do. It's response is mostly flat, but the bass starts to roll off a bit early. Overall, it's just a good solid mic.
The performance is of course better when using phantom power, compared to battery. But it is still a big step up from a dynamic mic.

My initial 4 track recording setup in the 90's started with a Tascam 424, SM57, and BG4.1. In all honesty, those two mics were probably all I needed for the rest of my recording life. But, microphones are like a sickness and, once bitten, you're never happy.

The SM94 is still being sold new. They don't seem to show up used on eBay that often.
But, the BG4.0/4.1 is very common on eBay and can usually be found fairly cheap. I paid only $35 for one of mine! But, $75-85 is probably a more realistic and fair price to expect.

Uses phantom power, or a 1.5v AA battery

RODE M3

This is a mic I've had my eye on for a while, but is not one I've ever used. So I can't say much about it, except to point out that it exists as a battery powered option.

However, I've used other Rode mics in the past, and typically their stuff is top notch. Reviews on this mic seem very positive. If you've used it before, let me know what you think.

Uses phantom power, or a 9v battery.

Thrift Store Score!

If you're a cassette 4 track user, you know how scarce good quality Type-II cassettes are becoming. Sure, there are still some decent 90 minute cassettes available at a few online shops... but, 60 minute tapes have always been considered the best for home recording. And they are long gone from retail stores.

So, I'm constantly browsing through Craigslist, eBay, and thrift stores looking for unopened tapes.

Today, at the local Salvation Army, for only $1.99, I scored an entire box of unopened TDK SA-60 tapes.

I nearly cried with joy!

Dynamic mics for home recording

I love dynamic mics!

Two of my favorites: Shure SM57
 and Beyerdynamic M400

I've got a few condenser microphones but I almost never use them, for one simple reason. The acoustics in the room where I play and record are really bad.

What does that have to do with not using condenser mics? Simple. Condenser mics are super sensitive and pick up every sound in the room. Including all the unwanted sounds. Bad natural reverbs, and other weird audio phenomena, in a poor room will make your recordings sound amateurish.

Dynamic mics, with their lower sensitivity, will often pick up less of the unwanted bad acoustics. Just be sure to use them close to the sound source!
They may not be right for everything, but give one a try for an afternoon and see if it actually improves the sound of your home recordings.

Focusing on the important stuff

There's no denying it. Computers have drastically changed home recording. Today's DAWs and interfaces don't cost much, and they offer amazing audio quality. Plus, you have countless plugins and virtual instruments at your fingertips.

So why would anyone want to step back in time and work with inferior equipment? There's probably a thousand different answers to that question but, for me the answer is all about focusing on what's important.

When I have an idea for a song, I want to get that idea recorded as quickly as possible. Then, listen to the playback and decide if I like it.
Maybe I'll add another part, and then listen again. If the idea turns out to be a good one, I'll spend some time on the lyrics and arrangement until I'm happy with it and it feels complete. Then, finally, I'll focus on creating a more polished final recording.

That's my personal process. It's a very basic one, and of course I could easily do all that with a computer.

But if you've ever sat down at your workstation with the intent to record something, only to get distracted by hundreds of reverb plugins and then later realize you just wasted three hours and your song is no closer to being finished, then you probably understand the appeal of simplicity.

Many songwriters stick with a simple four-track for this reason alone. Less distractions means more focusing on the music.