Suggestion No. 1: Aphex Dominator Model 700

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These are fairly good limiters. They get decent write ups by the pros on RAP and other places. The praise they get is not lavish but respectful. I saw one in incredibly good condition go by on eBay without selling for a "Buy It Now" price of $175 or so. The latest model of these goes for about $1,200 new.

Add the Aphex Compellor (320?) to that list. A very clean compressor, good for automatic vocal leveling. With any Aphex gear, the "tubessence" versions seem to be the least preferred. Similar to RNC in ways, runs in the same sort of used price / depriciation factor as the Dominator.

Ashly SC-50 compressor - The general view on this model is that the blue pannel versions are the best as they use a discrete component VCA instead of the later dbx VCA, but my black pannel has the discrete VCA. Remove the foam inside the cases, as if it hasn't started yet, it will start falling to bits and sticking all over the circuit boards. Socketed opamp construction is the norm, generally older types, so there might be some value in trying upgrades, but I think it rocks stock. Not the quietest thing, but it sounds excellently distressed on guitars.

Delta Labs Effectron delays - these must have been cheap back then, as my junior high school music lab had one. Digital delay and modulation effects, under $100 typically. Good luck on support, but I understand support is getting scarce for old Lexicon boxes, too, and they cost more. Not as good, but solid and dependable.

EV PL-5 - same mic as the 635a, but you can often find them cheaper. (635a is still in production, as is the RE-50 - a 635a with shockmounting, maybe a bit more bass.)

EV PL-10. These can run pretty damned expensive - enough people know about them, and know that they are good, so they'll run over $200 quite often. They are not a "baby RE-20" as so many assert - it's a colored sounding mic, warm and wooly in tonality, but variable D so it minimizes proximity build-up. Fattens up thin sounding guitars and voices, a more manageable and workable mic than most ribbons. I'd count one a deal at $150 or under.

Bear

Suggestion No. 2: Assorted EV mics...

These are not necessarily old or obsolete (some are still in production) but they are way overlooked in today's world where project studio enthusiasts seem to obsess about the latest sub $200 Chinese mic.

EV 635a
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The 635a is an omni dynamic mic. It's called a stick mic in the TV trade. It's sort of indestructible as mics go. These are still made by EV. Try it on anything. You never know where it might give you the color you're wanting.

EV Variable D mics

Brad Lunde of Trans Audio Group said of these mics: "The whole EV Variable D line was always kind of a secret, and deserved much more attention than it got. EV owned the patents on it, which is why no one else did it. I see little talk of Variable D around here, and the technology was something that EV focused on because it was basically a cardioid without proximity effect. It also had an amazingly consistent off axis response for a cadioid, so it was always very good in situations where the user just couldn't manage to stay on axis (like VO broadcast). All these advantages made it very useful in a lot of recording situations."

"Variable D experiments were present in earlier EV mics (don't remember these numbers), but really got settled in with RE10/RE11 (RE11 was a RE10 with a pop screen), RE15/16 (16 had the pop screen) and the RE20. The RE15/16 passed a higher level of QC but I did weasel out of EV production guys that the capsules where the same as the RE10/11. So that means you might find very good RE10/11s out there that are almost the same as the 15/16. RE20s were pretty popular in recording at one point, I remember that EV was always very proud that Stevie Wonder used RE20s for years (Innervision days?). Some of those records had amazingly consistent and smooth vocal sounds, not quite the "hi-fi" of modern condenser mics like a Brauner, but very good nonetheless. Stevie was not exactly a stand still kind of guy so the Variable D thing worked magic for him, the off axis reponse consistency paid off big. RE20s continue to pay dividends in VO broadcast, where an announcer can move his head all over the place and it sounds the same."

Motown legend Bob Ohlsonn says the RE15 is one of the best sounding vocal mics ever.

Interesting facts about EV mics...
My understanding is that the PL series sort of stemmed from a relaunch of the RE series to the studio market. The PL20 is the same mic as the RE20. The PL11 is the same as the RE11. And, then, the 635a was thrown in for good measure as the PL5. The PL10 looks like a small RE20. Bear mentions it above in his post. The PL10 is a different mic than the RE10. Are you confused? Don't worry. Take a deep breath and let it soak in.

Quick caution regarding off-axis response: the RE-16 (still in production), which is essentially an RE-15 with a presence boost, is rather less forgiving. The presence frequencies are more directional, so on one level, it's a bit more useful in that you can use the off-axis response in a controlled way to alter timbre, but you don't quite have the same forgiving mobility.

Another tip: a frequently suggested mod for the RE-15 is to remove the foam material around the capsule of the mic. Opens up the sound for instrumental use. For vocal use, use one of the over-the-head foam windscreens - I'm told it's less intrusive than the internal foam.

(Oh, and don't try that sort of thing with an omni dynamic ever. The stuff packed in there is often crucial to the tuning - best to leave it alone.)

Bear

Bear, with your kind permission, I'm going to lock this thread to further posts. I think it'd be better if each of the items mentioned above such as Aphex and EV had their own threads. Let me know if you disagree by PM and I'll unlock. Otherwise, please help me move content to new threads. Thanks.