Cardiod mic for acoustic

I currently use the MSH (omni) mics which are good. But I'm also in an untreated room and I still think it'd be nice to have some cardiod mics even when my room is treated.

I checked mshilarious' site and it looks like the (MSH-3?) cardiod mic isn't available yet.

Anyone have any suggestions? I'm on a pretty tight budget right now so I was thinking around $200.

I will just be close-miking my acoustic.

Thanks.

Edit: You can also hear how my guitar sounds by clicking one of the links below. While there aren't any good songs on there yet you can at least hear how it sounds. It'd be nice to get one that suits my guitar well.

[travelin travis]

i haven't used many on acoustic but out of everything i've tried i like the oktava mk012.

[scrubs]

Cad M177/m179

[notCardio]

I kind of prefer NotCardioid mics myself!

Never mind.

MXL 603s get a lot of play around here.

[mshilarious]

Well, I am staring at the PCBs for the MSH-3s that just came today with ambivalence. Don't get me wrong, I think it will sound good. But it's still a directional mic, and that comes with some baggage.

Notably, proximity effect. The sound of the mic will change dramatically with positioning, and that isn't true of an omnidirectional mic. So whereas the MSH-1 can be placed very close to minimize room sound, that will not be true of the MSH-3.

I think the reality of a directional mic is that it lets you get away with a partially treated room. Since you will have to back off from the mic to get a natural tone, whatever room is in front of the mic will play a larger role in your recording, even as the rear is minimized. And still, note that any mic will effectively be omnidirectional at low frequencies, so if your guitar sounds boomy in your room, no polar pattern will fix that.

The moral of the story may be to know your room well. Trying playing and recording in different positions and with different mic placements to find the one or two that sound best. If there are none, you may need treatment of some sort.

That will make every recording better, regardless of mic choice.

Thanks for all the replies.

I will be treating my room. I wanted to treat the whole thing but it will be awhile before I can afford that. For the time being I've just been thinking of buying about three 2x4x4" panels and setting them up behind the mic.

I don't think I'll ever get a good sound out of this small bedroom so the best I can probably do is just try and absorb as much reflections as possible while still leaving a little 'room' sound so the recording isn't completely dead and lifeless.

I usually like close-miking the guitar because I like the up-front/detailed sound. My guitar isn't really boomy unless I mic right near the sound hole.

I looked over the mics you guys suggested and they fit my budget pretty good.

mshilarious - Do you have an estimate on how long before the MSH-3 cardiod is available? I'd like to order a couple, maybe a matched pair if you offer that for those mics.

[c7sus]

For $200 I'd look around for a good condition Rode NT-2.

Sounds great on my Martins.

[travelin travis]

I've used the m179 and 603. The m179 is cool for when you don't want to add any extra character. You definitely couldn't go wrong with it. You could use it on every track if it's all you had. It has a little character on close vocals. The 603 sounds a lot like the oktava mk012 but hyped in the upper and lower frequencies. It can be very boomy on a dreadnaught. The mk012 is pretty neutral but has a sound of it's own, which i like. It's really sensitive to plosives though. I've screwed up acoustic guitar tracks by breathing in the wrong direction while using the mk012. You have to watch your placement.

[Richard Monroe]

Yo Danny! Multiple suggestions. First, Oktava MK012 can be very good, but quality control is weird. I've heard multiple Oktava mics of the same model that sound totally different from each other. In many cases, both mics sound *good*, but not the same. MXL 603 is OK. CAD M179 is OK and very versatile.
Here's a pair of mics that won't be brought up by most folks, but they are very good on acoustic- AKG C2000B (older), and AKG Perception 200. Both mics are within your budget and are versatile workhorses. The C2000B is good on acoustic, some vocals, excellent on toms, djembe, conga, and is consistently one of my very best cab mics. I prefer it on most guitar cabs to Shure SM7B, AKG C414B-ULS, B.L.U.E. Kiwi, and yes, an SM57. It's one of the most underated cheap mics of all time. The Perception I've had limited experience with, but it reminds me of the M179- "Just the facts, Ma'am." The C2000B has a little more color to it, and reminds me of the MK012, without the Oktava's tendancy to pop when used as a vocal mic.-Richie

[tdukex]

Both the MC012 and the MXL 603s do a great job on acou guit.

Here's a good deal on a matched pair of 603s with shock mounts and case.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ist&sku=423843

[tkingen]

Studio Projects B1

[Nick98338]

I'm using an AT3035 on my two acoustic guitars.