Peluso vs Budget SDC's for Acoustic

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shawntp

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Guys - I know there have been threads on here that elevate the Peluso's above the rest for SDC mic pairs for various sources.

I bought into this but I must say there is one more element to consider when comparring the CEMC6 to others such as the SM81, NT5, etc.

That is that there is virtually no used market on CEMC6's and there are only a handful of dealers who hold the price high. I have been searching for options for many weeks and contacted a few peluso resellers and here is what I have seen.

Peluso Pair - $599 (noone is willing to offer any deas/discounts/etc - $565 unmatched). No used marked - just a handful of sellers with this price on there website and on ebay.

SM81 - Watched a Pair go for under $350 on ebay - several singles have gone at or under $200.

NT5 Pair - watched some go for the mid $200's

So when everyone says the CEMC6's are king in their range I wonder if its considered that you can basically only get them new without much of a discount versus the masses which are more abundant (being sold at Guitar Center and such). I mean MSRP on SM81's and CEMC6's is the same but I can grab used SM81's for about 50-60% of the peluso price.

Should I just suck it up and get them or are the other options better at their price? I record a gibson acoutic at home with a Presonus interface a RNP preamp and other mics are a Neumann TLM103, and SM57 (electric and vocals).
 
A tad higher in price ($679-ish) the sE Electronics SE3 matched pair would certainly give you a very nice set of SDC mics.
A single SE3 at $299 would definitely do the accoustic guitar thing very well.
http://www.seelectronics.com/
Warren Dent did a comparison with the SE3 and the older well respected Neumann KM84 (not KM184) on snare, acoustic guitar, and set-overhead.
Info is here: http://forums.frontendaudio.com/index.php?showtopic=334
Both sound nice but the SE3 has more depth and airiness IMO.
In fact on this Ac. Gtr. recording, the SE3 has a sort of magical sound about it.
My 2 cents.
__________________
 
shawntp said:
Guys - I know there have been threads on here that elevate the Peluso's above the rest for SDC mic pairs for various sources.

I bought into this but I must say there is one more element to consider when comparring the CEMC6 to others such as the SM81, NT5, etc.

That is that there is virtually no used market on CEMC6's and there are only a handful of dealers who hold the price high. I have been searching for options for many weeks and contacted a few peluso resellers and here is what I have seen.

Peluso Pair - $599 (noone is willing to offer any deas/discounts/etc - $565 unmatched). No used marked - just a handful of sellers with this price on there website and on ebay.

SM81 - Watched a Pair go for under $350 on ebay - several singles have gone at or under $200.

NT5 Pair - watched some go for the mid $200's

So when everyone says the CEMC6's are king in their range I wonder if its considered that you can basically only get them new without much of a discount versus the masses which are more abundant (being sold at Guitar Center and such). I mean MSRP on SM81's and CEMC6's is the same but I can grab used SM81's for about 50-60% of the peluso price.

Should I just suck it up and get them or are the other options better at their price? I record a gibson acoutic at home with a Presonus interface a RNP preamp and other mics are a Neumann TLM103, and SM57 (electric and vocals).
Click to expand...

Very well thought-out post IMHO. Do whatever you want, but it appears that a good used pair of SM-81's would be a good investment... take care of them, and you'll probably keep them forever, or, if you decided to sell them down the road, you'd probably get what you paid for them. I use my pair of SM-81's a LOT, FWIW.
 
The Pelusos are relatively new so there is no reservoir of used mics out there. The others you mention have been around for a while and, of course, there's lots of them out there. I'm sure that Peluso also manufactures a lot fewer of his mics than Shure and Rode. Maybe in a couple years there will be more of used market for them. There is a small used market for his LD mics, for example, they come up for sale from time to time on the GS board.

That said, anyone shopping for SD condensors and considering Pelusos needs to decide for themselves whether they are worth the extra $$ compared to the Rode or the Shure. At $599 a pair, you could spend a bit more money ($100) and get a used pair of Josephson C42s. Or spend a bit less and get a used pair of AT-4051s (@$500 a pair used). Whether you would prefer either of them to the Pelusos is up to you. You might like the Pelusos better than any of the other options at that price point -- or you might decide that ay difference in sound isn't worth the extra $$$. I've not heard the Peluso mics, so I can't offer a comparative opinion. I do like the Josephson and AT mics better than the Rode or the Shure however.
 
Hey Shawntp- I'm actually going through the same thought/shopping process. My main use would be for recording steel string and classical guitar, with some dabbling in recording piano and flute. I've now narrowed it down to a pair of CEMC6's, or of the Avenson STO-2's. I'll 'probably' spring for the extra $$ and try the Peluso's, not only because the reviews have been so consistent among those I respect, but also because I like the flexibility of being able to change capsules. Whatever you choose, good luck!
 
Yeah - I just don't like buying audio equipment at full price because I always buy-try and usually sell/upgrade at some point. I would hate paying $600 for Peluso's knowing there is a fairly good chance I will ebay them in a few years and end up losing a few hundred. Id prefer buying something already depreciated that I know I can immediatly resell if I decide to switch and try something else.

Thats what I just got done doing messing with different preamps when I had singles and needed a decent 2-channel pre. I ended up with a used RNP and am very happy but if I unload I know I can get my investment back.

I will check out the used market for the c42's also.
 
pohaku said:
At $599 a pair, you could spend a bit more money ($100) and get a used pair of Josephson C42s. Or spend a bit less and get a used pair of AT-4051s (@$500 a pair used).
Click to expand...

Where do you find good deals like this for the
4051s and the C42s?
 
I Have Tried The Peluso's!

And I think they are well worth the money! You can't really compare them to cheaper mics. I researched alot of SDC's before I purchased, and the thing that really struck me about the Peluso CEMC6's is that a matched pair gives you a great stereo sound, a very balanced , musical sound throughout the audio spectrum. They are really impressive! The only other mic that is even close to it in the same price range is the Josephson C42, but many I have talked to say the C42's are brighter sounding.
 
Brackish said:
Where do you find good deals like this for the
4051s and the C42s?
Click to expand...

E-Bay and the GS board. At least that's where I purchased mine. I have a pair each of the AT-4051, 4053 and 4049, all of which were puchased off e-bay at an average price of @$250 a mic. Keep in mind that you can switch capsules with the AT mics. AT mics are pretty consistent so I haven't had an issue buying them one by one. My C-42s came from the GS board. I've seen other pairs of C-42s offered there from time to time in that price range (cheaper too).
 
shawntp said:
Yeah - I just don't like buying audio equipment at full price because I always buy-try and usually sell/upgrade at some point. I would hate paying $600 for Peluso's knowing there is a fairly good chance I will ebay them in a few years and end up losing a few hundred. Id prefer buying something already depreciated that I know I can immediatly resell if I decide to switch and try something else.

Thats what I just got done doing messing with different preamps when I had singles and needed a decent 2-channel pre. I ended up with a used RNP and am very happy but if I unload I know I can get my investment back.

I will check out the used market for the c42's also.
Click to expand...

If you get the Pelusos, chances are you will not sell them, ever, unless you are fiunally taking the plunge for Schoeps, DPA or Microtech Gefell SD mics. The Pelusos are very very good mics and silly cheap. They should match well with the RNP too, and will improve more once you plug them into a great preamp.
 
No-one sells their Pelusos...

I have a pair of Pelusos and the Rode NT5s and a km185. The Pelusos are far superior to the Rodes - cleaner, and more natural sounding. They are different to the Neumann but every bit as good. The Neumann is slightly more flattering to my violin, though I prefer the Pelusos on guitars.

There's probably a good reason no-one is selling their Pelusos....

Dan
 
Just sold my full set of cemc6's a few weeks back. So yes, they do come up for sale. As for resale value, I had them a year and sold them in less than a day for the price I asked. They are wonderful mics, I wish I could of kept them. Further gear purchases led me to pursue other mics. IMO, for the price and versatility of these sd condensors, nothing comes close.

The avenson's were mentioned earlier. These too are wonderful, I have pair which will be going nowhere. Of course I said that about the Peluso's but the nature of the beast. ;)

One thing that always had me smiling about the Peluso's, is how ridiculously cheap they are and how wonderful they sound. Would have me chuckling sometimes, and my wallet thanking me. :)
 
One thing that always had me smiling about the Peluso's, is how ridiculously cheap they are and how wonderful they sound. Would have me chuckling sometimes, and my wallet thanking me. :)
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I was wondering if you could compare the
Pelusos to the MC930s?
 
Brackish said:
I was wondering if you could compare the
Pelusos to the MC930s?
Click to expand...

Well, I actually just picked up a pair of mc930's. Used them twice in the field but just as room ambient mics. Both were not ideal situations but so far I am pleased. My intitial feelings on the comparison of the two are just that, feelings. No testing in controlled enviroments and different situations will present different results. What I notice is that the cemc6's are faster, a bit more detailed. High's go way up there, can be a bit harsh depending on your pre. Matched w/ an appropriate pre though it sounds fantastic. Low end is huge, but not sloppy, very tight. Mid is a bit lacking but again overall a stellar mic. The subcard/widecard cap though is absolutely amazing. Very warm and open. I found myself using this cap more over the others. Again, depends on the sound or situation on what cap. The mc930's intitial impression is equally fantastic, but a bit different. Smoother not quite as fast, but still very transparent and detailed. What I really like though is the great mids and highs. Low end is very nice, not as tight as the Peluso's but pleasing. Another thing that gets me (nicely that is) is how these mics have that "air" sound. :) Very pleasing on playback. Of course these are just my initial experiences on the beyer's. Either of these mics would be great addition. Depends on exactly what you are looking for. My tastes change constantly, on what is pleasing to my ears, so likewise I have changed mics. Not a radical change but just to see what else is out there and play around ;) Plus, we are trying to define a sound and the 930's are a nice addition to the other beyer's. Look forward to some extensive use of the 930's in the upcoming months.

This probably doesn't answer your question, just my 2 cents on my personal experiences with these mics.

-Jon
 
Thanks, Jon, that helped a lot! It was more detailed
than what was expected.

With the Peluso, what is the main
difference between the card and the
subcard caps?
 
Brackish said:
Thanks, Jon, that helped a lot! It was more detailed
than what was expected.

With the Peluso, what is the main
difference between the card and the
subcard caps?
Click to expand...


Lets see. The sub/wide card is basically an omni with 10db of attenuation at 180* off axis. At least that is what was explained to me on the ck21 (Peluso widecard). Very open and warm, great in situations where you need some rear rejection but the open warmness of an omni.

The card (ck4 cap) is a very nice cap too. Great go to cap. Sound is wonderful. Less open than the sub. More directional. Depends on the uses. IME, the card is more versatile. Though the subcard is more pleasing to my ears. Of course I prefer a more open sound. Everyone's ears are different so YMMV.

We already have a multipattern mic so as much as I liked the Peluso's, the need was not there and I really wanted to try out the mc930's, so hence my getting rid of the cemc6 set.

If you need a versatile(multiple cap options for differeing situations), sd, that sounds great, and won't break your wallet, I would highly recommend the Peluso cemc6. I loved mine. And if you don't like them, they are easy to resell. Of course you would probably want to keep them ;)
 
Mainly, Jon, I'm looking for something as a
main stereo pair for location recording,
bands or classical. Would you have
any thoughts if the Beyer or Peluso
would be preferable?
 
Brackish said:
Mainly, Jon, I'm looking for something as a
main stereo pair for location recording,
bands or classical. Would you have
any thoughts if the Beyer or Peluso
would be preferable?
Click to expand...

Either would do the job great. Probably not the answer your seeking. I guess it depends on your budget. I have not done enough testing with the Beyers to give an accurate honest assessment with them. Naturally as I sold my Peluso's and replaced with Beyers I'm hoping they perform better as I too use my mics solely for location recording.
 
Thanks a lot, Jon. Yeah, it would be great
to have a set side-by-side on location
and then A/B later and pick your
preference.

You should keep us informed as you go along
as to your impressions of the Beyers.
 
Brackish said:
Thanks a lot, Jon. Yeah, it would be great


You should keep us informed as you go along
as to your impressions of the Beyers.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I plan to. I'm gonna be giving them a real workout this next couple months.
 
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