Producing With Pro Tools

My friend’s brother works at SE Electronics here in Boston and recently let me try out a bunch of their microphones in my studio… and I like what I hear. My favorite of the bunch is the Gemini II, a two-tube condenser. This thing is HUGE… and yes, it’s got not one but two tubes! Once those tubes get warmed up, they provide a nice glow, which is cool for low-lit recording sessions. Aside from its glow, the mic has a great presence. The Gemini is not as warm as you might think a dual-tube mic would be, but the clarity of its mid and upper range still make it an excellent mic for just about any sensitive application. I’ve used it on lead vocals and acoustic guitars on several different projects and it really helps those tracks cut through the mix with minimal EQing after the fact.

I’m also a fan of their R1 ribbon mic. This is a great ribbon mic for less than half of what you’d pay for a Royer 121. I’ve mainly used it while recording a Vox guitar amp and it definitely adds needed warmth to jangly, high-end-heavy electric guitar tracks.

I did also try a few of their other mics… and although they were good mics, they weren’t as unique and didn’t impress me like the Gemini II and R1. Plus, I could only really afford these two mics. And yes, I did actually buy them after testing them out.

Wanna try an SE Electronics mic? Go to their web site and ask to borrow one. Seriously. Why not?

http://www.seelectronics.com/whatsnew.html

They also make the Reflexion filter… pretty cool device for reducing room ambience around a mic. If you’re recording in a bedroom, office, or otherwise not sound-treated room, you might consider this device to help eliminate a crappy room sound.

Note: My purpose here isn’t to hype SE Electronics, but rather to show you some alternative mics that have a lower price point than some of the industry standard mics, but still sound amazing and have a unique look… two qualities that will impress your clients.
Has anyone else used these mics? What do you think about them? Let’s talk mics…