kojdogg said:
+1 on the k-58-- particularly if you swap in a nicer tube. i also love my oktavamod pe mk-219 on pretty much everything, though it's not multipattern.
I guess to each his/her own. The K58 is my least favorite of the three tube LDCs I have, at least on my voice. I think I'd like the K58 on a baritone or bass vocalist, but for a tenor, I found it to be somewhat harsh even with a NOS GE tube. For my voice, I much prefered both the ADK Generis GT-2 and the CAD M9, both of which can be obtained for a lot less.
As with anything, the right mic depends on the source you're recording, so you really should find somebody who has one or a store that has one and try it out.
I can't imagine using an LDC for piano, and particularly not a tube LDC. IMHO, a pair of SDCs is just a lot better suited to the task. I find that a pair of MSH-1 mics---one at the top end, one near the bottom---gives a really nice sound on piano. That said, I use
a Shure VP88 normally.
Brass, I would immediately reach for a ribbon, though an LDC would be okay as long as it isn't too bright. The K58 would be too bright from what I've heard, as would pretty much all the LDCs in my collection except the Generis... maybe the CAD, but even that might be a bit on the bright side.
The K58 would probably sound very good on cello and possibly bass. It sounds very similar to mics that I have used on cello, though I haven't tried that particular mic on cello. I think it would work particularly well if your strings have a bit of a dark character like my Pirastro Aricore strings.
Just my $0.02.
