WTT My SM81's for your Oktava MK-012's

JG96

JG96

Active member
Great mics. Used but not abused. I just want a different flavor and the option of an omni cap.
 
Hey,
Would you mind giving me your general impressions between the pair?
I have had 81s for a long time and have often thought about trading for, or just getting 012s, but I never could be sure if it'd be worth it.

Thanks and good luck. :)
 
Sure thing. I too was interested in the 012's for a while I thought having the option of a pair of omnis would be cool. I really like my MK-219. What really sold me though was that the owner of the studio I intern at uses the Oktavas over his SM81's or Neumanns. His are modded but what he said is they have a more real sounding low end and a boost in the high mids that he really likes. I also owned a KM84 in the past which was awesome as an overhead and I know that the Oktava sounds very similar.
I will try and A/B them when I have the chance but it may not be for a while as I am away at college at the moment. My mic selection up here is very limited at the moment but I am only recording rappers and punk bands so it works out.
 
JG96 said:
Sure thing. I too was interested in the 012's for a while I thought having the option of a pair of omnis would be cool. I really like my MK-219. What really sold me though was that the owner of the studio I intern at uses the Oktavas over his SM81's or Neumanns. His are modded but what he said is they have a more real sounding low end and a boost in the high mids that he really likes. I also owned a KM84 in the past which was awesome as an overhead and I know that the Oktava sounds very similar.
I will try and A/B them when I have the chance but it may not be for a while as I am away at college at the moment. My mic selection up here is very limited at the moment but I am only recording rappers and punk bands so it works out.
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No worries man. Thanks for the info.
I used oktavas a few times at another studio, but everything is different at another studio so I didn't want to make the rookie assumption that it was all about the mics.

The omni option is tempting though, regardless. I think maybe once in the last 8 years or so I've seen a pair of sm80 capsules come up for sale! :eek:
Most have never even heard of them.
 
It is true that everything is different at another studio. I was thinking about SM80 capsules but because they are so rare they are ridiculously overpriced IMHO.
 
The SM81's are a little stronger in the upper mids than the MC-012's. I had both for the longest time and could use them interchangeably. Not that they sounded the same, but they were both good at the same things. It was a matter of taste which one was 'better' for which individual situation.

Sort of like kick drum mics. A Beta 52, D112, D6, etc... don't sound alike, but you could use any of them to get a decent kick sound.
 
JG96 said:
Oktavas have been purchased! May sell one or both of my SM81's down the line but I'm not quite sure yet.
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I might be interested in one or both of those SM-81s, if you decide to sell. I've wanted one or a pair for a while now, and they'd be a huge upgrade to my MXL991 pair. I record enough acoustic guitar that I'd love to add one or two SM81s to my meager mic locker.
 
Tadpui said:
I might be interested in one or both of those SM-81s, if you decide to sell. I've wanted one or a pair for a while now, and they'd be a huge upgrade to my MXL991 pair. I record enough acoustic guitar that I'd love to add one or two SM81s to my meager mic locker.
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PM'd
 
Tadpui said:
I might be interested in one or both of those SM-81s, if you decide to sell. I've wanted one or a pair for a while now, and they'd be a huge upgrade to my MXL991 pair. I record enough acoustic guitar that I'd love to add one or two SM81s to my meager mic locker.
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Add two. ;) Do it right.
It pains me to see an 81 on its own, even though they seem to get used on hats a lot.
 
I replaced the coupling caps on my 012s - polyester or something instead of the ceramic, and they sound smoother. I also have sm 81s and 80s, km184s, and akg C451Es, but it seems like the oktavas always sound best on acoustic guitar
 
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