I have a "tree" of 9, 4-year old AT 1400 series, 5, 3 year old AT 3000 series and 8 new
Telex mt-50 (which came with our new school). While I am always thankful of what the community provides me at school,
Telex microphones have all of the high end bells and whistles with low end casing. I broke 4 my last show. Not a single one of my cheap (but not cheaply made) 1400's broke.
I love my AT microphones for three reasons:
1.
IMO, AT is a good quality, rugged
microphone that doesn't necessarily
gouge your budget (I would LOVE to buy some
Sennheiser, but... WHEW... even though I see that they are getting better price-wise.). A very good tech friend once told me...
"Donnie... (I HATE that version of my name... especially because I'm 38 and it sounds so childish, but he was such a brilliant man, he could have called me ****head and I would have listened in rapture) if you break one of your cheaper,
yet quality 1400's or 3000's, you won't cry buckets because at worst you are out 280 - 400 bucks. You break your 750-1000 dollar high end model and you're going to be a
bit upset (his "high end"
microphone system was a single rack
unit comprised of 6 sony receivers with 6 transmitters that look very much like the AT 3000 transmitter that cost $1-k per
channel and broke frequently) . Any tech director and artistic director can spend money... the question is, can you spend it wisely with a good future eye? Your worst case scenario... You'll have to
pitch a non-repairable broken
system and buy another new one for 200 - 500 bucks that will last every
bit as long if you care for it."
What a brilliant man... I'm kind of bummed that he passed away in September.
2. AT is headquartered in Stow, Ohio (about 50 minutes from where my school is and 8 minutes from my alma matre, Kent State). I like this because if I don't get satisfaction to issues on the phone, I can go bang a
desk or two.
3. Since I started my collection with the 1400's, I have locked myself into that brand. I have been told that it is easier to use similar brands. I wonder if this is really true?
Well, enough of the AT commercial.
Whatever brand you have, I am sure if you care for them and
send them in for periodic maintenance (again... that 10% fund I mentioned yesterday on a different post), your microphones should last. Heck... up to the end, my good tech friend was using a VERY old
VHF system that was an incredible reliable piece of equipment... often times replacing those sony's that broke at my old AD gig. All he did... care for them like his babies.