Sage97 said:
Good advice. There is somewhat of a complication on this one. The only two music stores where I'm from do not have competitive prices and they know it. They have the nicest salespeople though and they've become friends of mine. They do not carry these two mics in stock and I don't feel right about having them order them for me knowing that I will end up buying on the internet. In other words, I can't try them out unless I drive to Dallas which is about 5 hours. A little bit of a dilemma there.
Anyway, I know that sound is so subjective but I guess I just really want to know if these two mics are in the same league/class. If this is the case, I'll go with the better deals on the internet.
Hope I make sense. If not, I'm a newbie and that's my excuse.
It isn't all about the best price. The local dealer should be willing to order both on the verbal understanding that you will purchase one pair or the other. So what if you pay $50 extra for the pair? Having a local pro audio dealer or two is well worth it. As time goes by, you'll appreciate that local presence more and more.
Anyway, as between the C4s and the 4041s, I would go with the C4s, but that's me, for my use (solo fingerstyle acoustic guitar). That's not to say the 4041s are not as "good". They are, overall, in the same quality class as the C4s, among many other cheap small condensers. The 4041s are fairly flat, but there's a small bump at 8k and a larger bump about 12k or so. Dunno about their off-axis response, as the data on the website only shows the polar pattern for 1k Hz. Kinda makes me suspect. I remember liking the 4041, for fingerstyle acoustic guitar. They were pleasing and musical. They reminded me of the Shure SM81.
The C4 has a fairly flat response with two modest HF bumps. The C4 is not flat in the bass, as it gently rolls off. The 4041 is flat in the bass.
A pair of 4041s will cost about $550. The C4 pair runs about $350, with the additional omni caps.
As I remember from your other thread at acousticguitarforum.com, you mentioned you'll be recording vocals too, not at the same time, but alone.
You're gonna need a vocal mic too. The savings from buying a pair of C4s can be used towards a decent vocal mic.
Along with your RNP, you should have the tools to make some excellent recordings.
Dont' forget room treatment.
Of course, next will be those crummy converters in your recorder.
