I purchased a Universal Audio Volt 276 about a year ago as an upgrade to my apogee mic. I was using a pair of Audix i5 mics through my Mackie mixer and getting decent results. Really, the Audix i5’s were great but wasn’t capturing the sound of my guitar like I wanted. The goals was to always upgrade the microphones; it was just a question of what and when.
Neumann KM 184
I’ve seen Tommy Emmanuel and many other guitarists use the KM 184’s and watched Rick Beato use them as well. Overall, I’ve heard nothing but positive reviews on these particular Neumanns. These aren’t cheap, so I’ve been saving up gig money and shopping around on marketplace and Reverb. Found a brand new set of my now favorite mics for about $1500 and i’m very happy with them. They capture all of the nuances of the guitar and honestly, I don’t have to do as much to get a good recording.
I have found that they pick up everything so the pitfalls of a home studio can bite you in the rear; washing machine down the hall, a fan is on somewhere, or even a conversation downstairs. These were things the i5’s were not picking up and If they were it was miniscule. Now, all I have to do is make sure my levels are set and that I play good enough to do these bad boys some justice.
Universal Audio Volt 276
The Volt 276 has been a solid piece of equipment for me to use. I’m almost ready to upgrade to something with 4 inputs like the Apollo X4 but not just yet. There is still some life in the 276. It works seamlessly with my computer or ipad/iphone; easy to integrate into Pro Tools. I no longer use my Mackie mixer when recording because I find I get a better sound. The mixer is 20+ years old so it’s time to get a new one but like the Apollo, not just yet. The Volt 276 holds its own, it does everything I need perfectly.
How Do the Neumans and the Volt 276 Play With Each Other?
The Volt 276 has a preamp and compressor settings that give you a variety of sounds to play with so a sound needed to be in order. I created a video for my YouTube Channel, playing the guitar over each setting. Check it out out (below) and let me know what your favorite is; what is your favorite. You can also hear the Neumann’s in action with the 276 in my video of Tommy Emmanuel’s “Angelin. Let me know in the comments what setting yout think I used for this video.
