Pencil mics, stereo pair (another mic poll)

  • Thread starter Thread starter guitar zero
  • Start date Start date

Which small condenser pair for acoustic guitar

  • Rode NT5

    Votes: 3 42.9%

  • Oktava MK-012

    Votes: 3 42.9%

  • Just get the MXL 603's and get another GB Pre with the leftover cash

    Votes: 1 14.3%
  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .
guitar zero

guitar zero

c = b#
Which pair would you get for recording acoustic guitar?
1) Rode NT5s
2) Oktava MC-012s
3) Just get the MXL 603s and get another GB Pre with the left over cash
 
$1299 for matched pair is outside the scope of this poll. You have to play by the rules.
 
On your poll, I'd pick the NT5's, if only for Rode's outstanding customer service. If it were my money, I'd choose Studio Projects C-4s, which I prefer to any of the above, for that application. Besides, that gives you the omni capsules and the shock mounts with the flight case in the same general price range.-Richie
 
You can probably get a used pair of Shure SM81s for cheaper than a matched pair of MK-012s. I have three SM81s (one of them "modded") and one MK-012 (also modded a little), so I can only do stereo recording with the SM81s.

Which one I like depends on the guitar. My main acoustic is a 1972 Martin D-28, which has a full sound - I like the SM81(s) best on it. I have a couple of others with a thinner sound, and I like the MK-012 better usually for those (wish I had a pair). The SM81 is too honest :) -- the Mk-012 is too much on the Martin.

But while we're on the subject of the Group Buy, sign up for two ACM-310s! They might not (probably won't?) match in the stereo sense, but they're inexpensive and sound good.

Never used NT5s, so I prolly shouldn't vote. I have a MXL 991, which is like a 603. I didn't like it (edgy, smeary, phasey), so I went nuts with a soldering iron - it sounded better after changing the main coupling capacitor, but it's still a little bright, and I don't use it. BTW, Marik reported that the ACM-310 uses essentially the same capsule as the 603, but my 310 sounded *much* better out of the box than the 991 (maybe it's the tube, and the overall design, etc.).
 
None of the above. If I was starting out and wasn't going to spend big bucks I'd get a Naiant pair. As good or better IMO than any of the mic's in the poll for ac gtr. Don't let their price fool you.
 
antichef said:
Which one I like depends on the guitar. My main acoustic is a 1972 Martin D-28, which has a full sound - I like the SM81(s) best on it. I have a couple of others with a thinner sound, and I like the MK-012 better usually for those (wish I had a pair). The SM81 is too honest :) -- the Mk-012 is too much on the Martin.
Click to expand...

It's a matter of perspective. Normally, I'd say the MK-012 is more honest than the SM81. The SM81 lacks a lot from the lower mids down, give or take. The MK-012 is remarkably close to flat.

That said, for close mike situations (e.g. guitar), the extra proximity effect boost on the SM81 probably would make it seem flat while the MK-012 would add a lot of extra body to the sound for the same reason. To make MK-012s sound like your SM81s sound up close, try using the MK-012s as a stereo pair of room mics (in a good room) or use omni capsules.

You might also (as XLR pointed out) consider the Naiant mics. Because they are omnis, they don't have much proximity effect boominess, and they seem remarkably accurate and flat to my ears. If your main purpose is acoustic guitar recording, they're definitely worth a shot, IMHO.
 
Funny you should mention the Niants. They're so cheap I ordered a pair of the MSH-2 last night. I've also got a pair of ACM 310s picked out on the GB, just waiting for the go ahead to pay. If they work out well, all of this will be an academic exercise, and I won't need anything else. Thanks for all the replies so far.
 
That's a good point - I made some nice recordings with my old pair of MSH-1s. The product line has evolved (and I've fallen behind), but we'd all be remiss if we didn't strongly consider those mics in any sub-$1299 lineup.
 
guitar zero said:
Funny you should mention the Niants. They're so cheap I ordered a pair of the MSH-2 last night. I've also got a pair of ACM 310s picked out on the GB, just waiting for the go ahead to pay. If they work out well, all of this will be an academic exercise, and I won't need anything else. Thanks for all the replies so far.
Click to expand...

I suspect you'll very much like both of those on acoustic. Which one works best probably depends more on the guitar than anything else.
 
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