Take a look toward the end of the post you quoted...

Just acquired a Coil CA-70S. Pairing that with the REDD creates some pretty significant differences to my ears. Keep the REDD pre at the lowest setting, and the Coil preamp takes over. Between the gain, low, and NF you can make this beast sound vintage or modern.

After all this wait we need samples haha!!

Saith the Coil Master. ;-)

I can only get one I do hip hop and r&b vocals. Like juice wrd drake type vocals and also I track different artists do I really have to have the redd mic a 12 inches back to get the best outta the mic I really need some feedback guys and which is the more versatile mic I know it’s a lot of questions but thank you

The Redd is a more musical microphone but the Sony would be better for you if you want that hip hop sound.

Quick question do I have stand back to use the redd

I don’t see why. It reveals room acoustics more than the Sony though.

When you stand back, there's a better chance you'll avoid sibilance, which can be an issue, especially for rappers. But every mic is different and you don't necessarily need to do with this one.

My personal preference is to have singers step about eight inches away at least, sometimes further, but it's always different depending on the song and singer. Just record a bunch of takes at different positions and see which you like best.

I appreciate it for the feedback

I've also had good results with going a bit off-axis vs. stepping way back. That will dampen both the sibilance as well as a bit of the detail, but the REDD already has so much detail a little experimentation can produce your sweetspot.

Hi Chris!

Happy New Year to you, bro'!

The AS Opto is the LA2A clone, so the only settings you have really are the Gain and Peak Reduction. Granted, the HF knob will impact a bit, but since the AS Opto in this scenario is used to gain up the mic, you have to crank the Gain up pretty high, and also the Peak Reduction to get any compression happening. That also means the HF knob needs to stay at the 4 o'-clock-ish position for any compression to be occurring.

Not sure if that answers your question in the vein you were asking. Also, you're likely aware that I recently acquired a Coil CA-70S so that is now sitting between my REDD and the Opto. That allows me to keep the REDD preamp low and not have to crank everything on the Opto.

Thanks! You too!
They way things look already for 2022, I need to get an extra hour of sleep. Not kidding.

Later in this year, there's a good chance of me splitting $$ on getting the Opto, with a local Buddy.
He already has an Atomic Squeezebox, that like Seinfeld is great at "doing nothing".

I realize it's always somewhat of a "case by case" basis for more specific settings, but appreciate your feedback.
Thanks, Chris
P.S. Congrats (again) on the REDD and now the Coil!

Hi I’ve always read threads before but never actually made an account and ask/respond so kinda new here. To Make it short.

I’ve notice after a long while (I guess I was being naive) that my Manley Ref is not the ideal mic even pairing it with a Redd.47 pre. I’ve changed the tube to a Telefunken and it helped with mids and lows as well but I still can tell the vocals sound thin and the low end aren’t as clear/thick that I would like them to be. (Don’t get me wrong it sounds good) but not for reggaeton which the sound I’m aiming for is in your face but still has that warmth. I like the brightness but it can be very harsh in several vocalists that I’ve been recording and taming it’s difficult at times. Here’s the thing I’ve been reading the forum and I hear tons of great stuff about the Redd Mic, read reviews, and sound clips etc… the tone of the Redd Mic sounds kinda what I’m aiming for but more importantly is when I’m tracking I want full clear vocals without harshness which I don’t mind if there’s some I can always work with something like that. What do you guys recommend? I’ll be able to afford the Redd Mic by selling my Manley reference and my Redd.47 pre and purchased it now or wait about 2 years from now lol which I don’t think I want to do that. I know I’ll miss for my preamp but since the Redd Mic has one integrated I don’t think I’ll miss much? Or keep my Manley for certain applications and purchase a different mic (budget $2,000 or less). I’m not sure it’s beneficial going this route. In the long run I’ll be able to purchase the preamp again (which I’m not sure if I’m going to want to do after owning the Redd Mic) if that happens. Or, keep my preamp and sell the Manley for something else? Like a clone 251’s, Neumann, (not really a fan of the u87 btw) around $3,000 or what would you guys recommend? Or even the TG MiC paired with my Redd.47 pre?

I hope I made some sense on what I’m trying to ask here. Cheers!

Manley REF C is a great mic & the Chandler pre is excellent. Make sure you have levels checked & your entire chain is @ +4 (or -10).
After adding the AT & EQ in regaetton I don't thiink a "new" mic/pre might be the solution.

Rent or book a studio with a Sony C800G and a Telefunken 251. Try em on your voice and see if it fits.
The Sony has the clarity and it compresses the low mids which the Ref C doesn't do, the Telefunken 251 has the highs and if your voice is nasal, makes it "warmer".

But none of these might be the right fit as everyone's voice is unique and depending on the resonances, needs a specific microphone.
( And by the way, i have a Manley Ref C and a Gold that on some Reggaton artists was the perfect match and others didn't work at all).

Thanks for your reply! I don’t think that’s the case. I’ve check levels everything seems good. I do find trouble capturing with most vocalist clear low-mids information which I tend to like on reggaeton depending on the song. I’ll definitely go back though thanks for your feedback. 👍

Thanks for your feedback! I might need to try that before any selling/purchases. That’s one of the issues which with my Manley it’s perfect match at times and others are just not good at all. One thing is that some vocalist are very dynamic to the point that it distorts (tiny bit) the signal. I engage the -10 pad but once I do the tonal changes with the REDD Pre which I don’t really like. I know in Manley’s manual it mention something like that and advice to use a different pre before engaging the pad (can’t recall exactly what it said.) It makes sense in my particular situation to Book or Rent mics that you mention and that I’m interested (including the Chandler Redd) do it’s sound that I particular like as in “creamy” yet modern when you want to with no harshness. Yet I’m afraid just like what you mention it might not be for all vocalist though it has several options like it’s drive mode etc… and mic adjuments. I’ll take that into consideration for sure maybe investing in a second mic and keeping the Manley as well. Won’t know until I try. Thanks for your reply!

The Manley Dual Mono mic pre is bit warmer and smoother than the REDD and has an input attenuator and loads of headroom.

I might need to check my vocal chain again, starting with the tube swapped. Thanks!

The Manley Ref C sounds best without the pad.
Use a different mic pre if you are distorting mic pre( it has such a hot output it doesn't need much gain).

When I hear "creamy yet modern" first mic that comes to mind is the C800G through a Neve/Tube-Tech type pre into a CL1B, second a Tele 251 and third the Manley Silver. The Manley Silver top end is between the Gold and Ref C. The top reminds me some of the Reissue U67 with the right tube but over all not as round( to some round might sound not clear/laid back).

I love the Silver's and Bock 251 (over the T-Funk's) tone.

Heiserman coming out with his own 251 style, IIRC by June NAMM ETA. But I'd call them.
Chris

I’m glad I’m not the only one that notice that with the pad whenever I engage it, it just didn’t sound right/same. I appreciate for your response I think I’m good now and have a better understanding to what I’m looking for.

That Bock 251 sounds really good as far what I’ve heard. That’s something I eye on, definitely giving them a call try them all including the REDD to see what works best.

Thanks Carlos

I'd sell that Ref C in a heartbeat. I recently tried it on my YT channel and it wasn't great. Capsule ringing, distorted mids etc. I just got the feeling that time had caught up with the mic. There are allot of better options today in that price category.

The Redd has everything you describe. It almost have a Neumann-esque lowmid quality to it but still very bright and modern. But if you're spending that kind of money be sure to be able to demo it first.

I wouldn't stack tube pres ontop of eachother. Since they tend to make things brighter. I did dig the redd with my Pacifica turning down the Redd mics preamp to 0 and then use the Pacifica. It made it a bit smoother.

The GAP 8000 was extremely nice and is probably the best bright mic I've tried so far. Maybe try that one as well?

Good luck

This is funny, because this is exactly what I am experiencing with my mic with distortion then. I thought it might of been my setup/pre but I know how to gain stage just I couldn’t figure it out why. I like saturation on vocals to distort in a nice sweet way but this is different. It’s mild/subtle but to the point that it does bother me a lot and several occasion depending on the vocalist harsh sounding.

Tough choices but as what you mention and everyone has in this post, I don’t think I’ll be able to know unless I actually demo it myself in my room with my equipment. I’ve heard several clips, videos, raw files of the REDD and I like it a lot but sounds a bit different due to the voice/environment so I can’t really tell sound nature of that mic, but from every single source I’ve like it. Sounds workable all around mic for my applications.

I definitely will need to try the recommended microphones including GAP 8000 to make a choice with my particular situation.

Thank you for the feedback and links, well appreciated.
-Carlos

I really liked the Redd Preamp with the Manley Ref C. but at the time, I used it with the gain all the way to -6 (the EQ gain on the right of the preamp).

I used to do that with the c800g as well. Now I don't and I find that the tracks I'm getting with the c800g are too bright and so I need to filter the highs in the software.

I tried the Redd mic next to the c800g and the c800g had more of that modern sound, but it's also more expensive too. I find the Redd mic and c800g reveal your room a lot. I used to run the Redd microphone into the Redd preamp and Cl1b and it sounded great, I should have kept the mic.

One last thing, the Earthworks cv33 into the Redd preamp and Cl1b is the most balanced chain I have, and the easiest to mix considering the mic doesn't get the room reflections at all. The bass sits right, the highs sit right and the mids are there. With the c800g, I tend to have to remove bass, remove highs etc, it can be a nightmare to carve.

The right gain I’ve only done -1 but never tried that before. Definitely going to give a try first before jumping to any other conclusions.

Im not really worried about my room it’s between small/medium but well treated. Yet every room sounds different so that can be a small input on the sound in case I jump to one of those mics. Preferably REDD Mic for the affordability.

Mmm I never really heard the Earthworks mic, I better check that out since I already own the REDD pre. Since you put it that way (C800G) it’s nice catching those highs freq information but I see myself carving those frequencies as well with “most” of the songs I’ve been working on, that tells me might be a nightmare for me as well. I know I keep carving 3.5-5k & 8k on the Manley depending on the vocalist and song etc… in pop songs with the right person I leave it alone.

Thanks for your info it helps a lot!

From what your asking for it sounds like the REDD Mic would fit. But, as always you should try it out first.

Don't know if this track would be helpful but this is the Chandler REDD mic. I love the way the mic brings out the lower notes and also the wonderful way it presents the high end.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2spC07gRkx7NQ5kbF8mygx

I tend to carve the 3.5k and 5k on the c800g as well, especially if I'm singing higher and louder.

Earthworks is nice and for sure it's not as high Def and big sounding like the c800g, but the bass fits a lot better and it's more solid with the Redd preamp.

I go back and forth between my TG2 and Redd preamp with the c800g. TG2 is more solid but can be a bit sharp sounding in the mids. Redd is nice but it can be a bit too big sounding and less Saturated and rounder. It's also brighter too. TG2 is more classic with the c800g, but it can be a bit much with the cs and ts on my voice, somehow the Redd doesn't accentuate that.