Decent pair of matched stereo overheads?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MattGallagher
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lank81 said:
moresound do you think the KSM 137 & 141s beat out the tried and true SM81s? I got a pair for 400$ used and I think they are great overhead and acoustic mics. Really, I don't need much more than these. Thoughts?
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Shadow_7 said:
SM81's are cardioid ONLY. I'd call them hyper cardioid myself. Or shures terminology, unidirectional. They are very directional, kind of flash light directional. With two as a stereo pair, I pretty much had to have them at 45 degrees to pickup sound in a 90 degree range. With enough overlap to seem like stereo. Which was part of the reason I got rid of them. And also way too sensitive for outdoor use.

KSM141's have a selectable pattern. Or the KSM109's if you want the older version.
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Yes Lank I'm afraid so.
For mainly the reason that S7 writes about and I think the 81s sound sterile compared to the 141s.
Don't get me wrong I still have 4 of them and use them on certain projects.
I also have the SM94s that aren't that bad either, but there is no high pass or db pad on them.
 
Yeah don't misread what I said about the NT5 being dark as a negative. The are really nice. In fact I just used them through a new preamp last night and they sounded like a brand new mic to me...they really take EQ and preamp choice is important. BTW the preamp was a Seventh Circle Audio T15...$300 for the 8 unit power supply and $79 for the T15 kit...amazingly clear and the NT5s sounded amazing through it!
 
No not at all Aaron! I was adding more of what you were trying to say with the dark explanation.
 
From some of the drum recordings I've heard, I think getting the NT5's and using the recorderman overhead technique would give a nice sound considering I'm going for a fairly dry sound which is crisp but not harsh...that makes sense right?
 
One other quirk with the SM81's, the SPL limit was a bit low for my needs. Fine for a brass quintet, or most anything acoustic / strings (guitar / piano). But I'd be hesitant to use them as drum overheads. Or anything large ensemble. At least not without an appropriate distance factor in there.

AT4022's and/or MKH 8020 / 8040's if budget wasn't a factor.
 
MattGallagher said:
From some of the drum recordings I've heard, I think getting the NT5's and using the recorderman overhead technique would give a nice sound considering I'm going for a fairly dry sound which is crisp but not harsh...that makes sense right?
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Right !
 
I've used NT5s in just such a way and been super happy with the drums.
 
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