Enough of this low-end crap--what are good mid-priced mics?

  • Thread starter Thread starter cornjchob2
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i have a motu 828mkII also.. i was surprised at how good the pre's are in it.. not bad at all... not an avalon by any means but not bad..
anyway i had to give a thumbs up to the blue dragonfly mic... i love it. its pretty versatile the ball moves 45 degrees (actually more) to give you different mic characteristics. down for more warm, and up for a crisper sound. it has a small sweet spot thats different for different applications and ats sweet as hell
 
I would choose...

Blue Dragonfly
ADK TL
Rode NT1000

Or

Shure KSM44
ADK TC
Rode NTK
 
A pair of AT4053 would serve you well in the overhead/guitar department.
 
Shure KSM44. I bought one a few months back. It's a very airy, slightly dry tone that is ultra quiet. I got mine new for 550.00.
 
You've received a bunch of good suggestions so far. I think it's key to pick mics that you're not going to grow out of, even if it means buying fewer mics. With me, I know that if I buy cheap, I buy twice.

It sounds like overheads and acoustic guitar recording are a priority for you, although you could probably use a better vocal mic. Pairs of either 414s, 4050s, or KSM 32/44s would work well for these tasks. For acoustic and overheads I typically use small diaphram condensors. In your price range the Neumann KM-184s and Josephson C42s would be good candidates. I would probably lean toward getting a solid pair of SDCs at this point and then buying a really nice vocal mic down the road.

Good luck.
 
cornjchob2 said:
My studio's finally reaching the limits of the novice equipment I've had for about the past 6-10 months. I just got a MOTU 828mkII and I now realize just how bad a lot of my equipment is; how much noise, how poor the SNRs are, how the headroom's lower than the ratings of a Sinbad special, etc. That being said, I'm movin' on up--or, at least, I will with the help of the best damned sound community on this great net of ours. I'm not ready to spend thousands of dollars on a mic /yet/, however, I /am/ looking to spend between $300 and $700. I already have a Rode NT1A (which is a great mic and very capable--recommended) and the Shure Drum Mic package (3 SM57s and a beta52), but the one condensor is just not cutting it for me anymore, especially vocally. So if you had that mic to complement say, two more condensors and you had up to $1400 to spend, what would you buy and why? I'll be using them for drum overheads as well (something about matched-pairs?) and the occasional guitar mic (I like to do all sorts of freaky things with mics). Thanks!
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I think it's a good idea for everyone just starting out to at least listen to the Shure SM81... reason being, the SM81 is kind of a middle of the road type SDC mic... meaning kind of neutral, not dark, not bright, not flat (but close) but middle of the road... IMO, after hearing the SM81 it will give the new user a better idea of what they want. I think of some mics (like the Shure SM81) as rulers to judge other mics with... also, it will help when talking with others about mics.... For example, it's easier to compare a mic with a mic that most people are familiar with.

Two of my favortie drum overhead/acoustic guitar mics are the Josephson C42 and AKG C451.

Some drum favorites...
OH... C42, C451
KK... MD421, M88, ATM25
SN... M201, SM57
 
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