Omni Pattern Mic

M

mikeh

New member
Anyone have a suggestion for a decent condensor (LD) mic in the $300 range that either is omni pattern or can be switched from cardioid to omni?

I want to experiment with recording both acoustic guitars and speaker cabs with the ability to capture some room sound (vs. strickly cardioid). I've used two mics (close mic and room mic) - but I thought a single omni pattern may be a good option.

A guy at Guitar Center claims the Shure KSM27 is omni (I don't believe it - I don't believe much of what people at GC say).

Also has anyone used the Octava MK-012 with an omni module? If so, how well does it work (yeah I konw it depends on the room). I have a couple of MC-012 - but they only came with a cardioid module. In fact I recently read that the MC-012 are actually Chinese clones (that were sold by Guitar Center) and only the MK-012 are legit. My MC-012 has what appears to be Russian printing (it sure ain't Chinese printing).
 
I'd start with a pair of the Niant MSH1's for about $50.

If room sound is really what you're after, I would put up a stereo pair of room mics. Two MSH-1's could be perfect for that. Cardiods you may already have could be perfect for that too, though.

If I were using one omni on a single instrument or amp, it would be to get in closer to the source without proximity effect, not to get more room sound. A spaced pair of omnis can make for a great recording in a good room. If your room is not treated well, I'd avoid omnis if I were you.

If you're looking for room sound, you are essentially looking for natural reverb. It's going to be much nicer with stereo room mics, regardless of the pattern. The room qualities and type of stereo recording method usually dictate the pattern choice. IMHO, YMMV, Etc. :)

BTW, the MC or MK designation is not what determines the Oktava origin. There's plenty of detailed info if you google it. I bought 5 Oktavas from GC, all of them Russian.
 
watch the noise floor on the super small diaphram omnis, it gets up there.
(that's just the way things is, fyi)
 
I seem to recall having read that the omni's (in particular, the MSH-1s) are good for getting a nice balanced tone on acoustic guitar. Anybody wanna back this up?





...thread hijacked!
 
Studio Projects T3 is a great one that goes on the bay for around$300 or so. For a change, you might want to acquire ariibon too.
 
This is off a bit but just what I've found to work for me...

For up close guitar cabs I jump to the trusty Audix I5 and E609's. These don't satisfy your omni desire though.

For acoustic guitar, I like MXL603's for close micing, pick up a pair of omni capusules (new for $45 on Ebay) and you've got a pair of nice switch hitters. I've been using the omni's a lot lately. I find them to be very tasty for the budget minded.
 
Thanks to all for your replies.

I did a bunch of reading last night on the CAD M-179. It sure seems to get got reviews. A local store has one in stock for $150 - so I'm gonna try it out. For $150 I'm sure I can find uses for it - and if I hate it (I'm sure I won't) the store will let me bring it back.

Many of the comments on the M-179 indicate it works good for a baklance tone without picking up too much room. My room is not great (it's not horrid) so full stereo room mic'ing is not really what I want.

I looked at the link for the KSM27 (I had already looked at specs for the KSM27) and I don't see any indication of an omni pattern.

The balanced tone on the acoustic is indeed the main reason I wanted to try an omni. I also read that an onmi worked well for that.

I had original looked at the 603's and then got the Ovtava MC-012 (I've though about trying to find some omni capsules fro the MC-012).

So again - thanks for the replys - I'm off to buy an M-179 (and then I can try to explain to the wife why I needed another mic:D
 
You have a lot of good choices (except that "omni" KSM27). I NEVER regretted buying my M179s or MK012s. Right out of the box, the M179 has unparalleled versatility, especially at its price. I have used the Naiant MSH-1o mics outdoors as a wide stereo-pair and I was impressed by the fidelity, instrument separation (air?), buttery-smooth bass response, and the way it captured the guitar cabinet in the mix. I also am impressed with the MSH-4 (the original 6mm capsule) for it's ease of setup (put it where things sound good to you, including near your head or halfway between you and a reflecting wall while you're playing) and the fact that playback makes you think you're still playing. I wouldn't use either Naiant to close-mic a guitar cab, though.

At this moment, the Karma K58 is on sale for $300 (I only have recomendations on this one---I don't own it---yet. At this price, I'm pulling the trigger on purchasing one later this week.)

Paj
8^)
 
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