Sweetwater blowout

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Richard Monroe

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Just a heads-up. Sweetwater is blowing out AKG D3800M for $99.99
in the flight case. This is a supercardioid stage dynamic. It's comparable to Sennheiser MD421, but never caught on in the USA. Very feedback resistant, rather tricky to use as a vocal mic because of the tight polar pattern, it is clear as a bell, with rather high output, and produces very little handling noise. Two of them is one of the best live dynamic piano solutions I know of. Intended as a $350 mic, at $99.99, it's a no-brainer. You heard it here first.-Richie
 
Thanks for the heads up!



Richard Monroe said:
Just a heads-up. Sweetwater is blowing out AKG D3800M for $99.99
in the flight case. This is a supercardioid stage dynamic. It's comparable to Sennheiser MD421, but never caught on in the USA. Very feedback resistant, rather tricky to use as a vocal mic because of the tight polar pattern, it is clear as a bell, with rather high output, and produces very little handling noise. Two of them is one of the best live dynamic piano solutions I know of. Intended as a $350 mic, at $99.99, it's a no-brainer. You heard it here first.-Richie
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thanks! you say it's comparable to the MD421. could this deal make a poor man's RE20/SM7?
 
brother rat said:
thanks! you say it's comparable to the MD421. could this deal make a poor man's RE20/SM7?
Click to expand...

I think not. It's a different kind of mic than SM7 or RE20. Not only does it have higher output, but it's really good at high end detail. In other words, it sounds more like a condenser than a dynamic. It won't replace my SM7b by any means. The SM7 a forgiving, cardioid mic, almost wide cardioid. It gets its feedback resistance by having low output. I use it as my main stage vocal mic, and it rocks!

The D3800M tripower is a whole different animal. Excellent high end detail and high output, for a dynamic. It gets it's feedback resistance by a tight supercardioid polar pattern. It's simply a mic I would not use for stage vocals, partly because of that tight polar pattern, but also because of its abrupt proximity effect. The SM7b has a smooth, gradual, painless, forgiving proximity field.The D3800 has a line in the sand, and you need to know where it is at all times.

So what *is* it good for? Things that don't move, especially delicate things where you want high end detail. Live cello (violinists move too much). A pair rocks on live piano. Not so good on cabs, IMHO. They are very good on live acoustic guitar, if the player doesn't move much (it loves sitting folkies). Good on live sax/brass, if the player works the mic properly/has good aim. Great on voiceovers, again, if the talent can stay still, and maintain the proper distance and axis. Good on toms and kick, oddly enough. Believe it or not, positioned well, they make good overheads. All in all, it's a great mic, but way too unforgiving for what it was intended for, a main stage vocal mic. What it turned out to be is a really good, *very* directional instrument mic. Is it worth $99? Hell, yes.
 
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