What do you folks think about the MXL 990 cardoid mic? I play with a folk ensemble, fiddles and upright bass and guitar. Is this a good microphone for acoustic recording/live performance?
The 990 is a perfectly decent mic in its price class. Not a bad choice and certainly not a waste of money. The Studio Projects B1 will outperform it on every level for recording - especially with acoustic instruments. I've used 990's and B1's for live applications and they both work really well. The darker and airy Oktava MK319 is also really good choice in that price range if you can find them. The MK319 would be better for recording but less so for live sound.
