Mics for Home Samples/Percussion..step up from entry level?

[Nicojo]

Hi all,
Have been gradually working my way through the threads about mics as it's one area of music tech that I'm not yet that familiar with. I'd like to get a mic to record samples into the computer to Soundforge via a Fireface 800 in the home setup. At other times I'll possibly be recording into an MPC. I'm not intending to use the mic for vocals. I'm going to be really playing percussion, shakers, bells, rattles and other 'hits' etc. I heard the SM57 is a good all purpose setup or the AT-2020. However, I have a little more to spend than that... more like $300 so I'm trying to get the best I can get for this price really. Would really appreciate some help on things to check if any one has any experience with this. Usually I just synthesize or sample my sounds but I wanted to break out of the routine a bit

 

[GazEcc]

For samples? Go with a stereo set of sdc's like the røde m3 they'd be well in your budget, or maybe akg c1000?

 

[elbandito]

I second the above recommendations, with the added information that those mics aren't really sdc. They're more like mdc, with 3/4" diaphragms. That said, I have owned a pair of M3s for close to two years and have tried them in almost every application you can imagine. They're pretty great all-around, multi-purpose mics. I recommend them for sure.