Hypercardioids and supercardioids, $150 and under

[Chill]

I'm thinking about picking up a couple hypercardioid or supercardioid mics at the end of the year to help out with isolation for recording my band in the basement. We put out around 112-116dB. Right now I'm using AKG hypercardioids on the kit, 57's on the guitar cabs, a noname dynamic on the bass cab, and noname cardioids for vocals. There is some bleed, mostly between the two guitar mics even with the gains down and the levels up, although the vocal mics bleed some too (since voices are quiet and amps are loud, the gain has to be higher...).

What suggestions do you have for hypercardioids and supercardioids for $150 and under?

 

[SRR]

Beta 57a/58

 

[hairylarry]

Akg D690

Hi,

I like my AKG D690 hypercardiod. Which AKG mics do you have?

Thanks,

Hairy Larry

 

[mixsit]

Don't expect a big differences. A few db more or less when the problem might be.. tens of db's..?
It's always sig. to noise right?
Wayne

 

[PinkNoise]

Room Acoustics

"recording my band in the basement. . . . There is some bleed"

It only takes a couple of reflections from walls, ceiling, floor to bring that unwanted sound around to the sensitive side of the mic. In a live room, the polar pattern might be almost irrelevant. Give some thought to placing some acoustic absorption on these surfaces, or make up some mobile acoustic screens. Could be even cheaper than new mics!

 

[Chill]

Mixsit, a soundman once told me someone's bleed is someone else's ambience. With the 57's, and the guitar cabs next to each other with nothing in between, hard panning the guitars R and L, and set for about -6dB into Homestudio, the other channel is usually running about -12dB. If I can get that to -18dB or -24dB, great. Not pristine, but more useable.

HL, they're AKG D2200S's which were Guitar Center specials as far as I can tell. They do a good job as the drum mics considering the levels in the room and that they pick up the whole kit without much bleed.

Edit: Pink, I did think about some 4'x4' mobile screens to help isolate the cabs. One between them as a small wall, another across the room to deflect the sound at 150 degrees instead of 180.