Favorite SDC for acoustic?

[b1j]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Sometimes it's difficult to find stuff on the Sweetwater site. I think you may have been referring to:
The Best Small-diaphragm Condenser Mics For Acoustic Guitar.

Rudy!

I had a hunch you might turn that up. Yes, that was the feature. I’ll try to bookmark it now.

I invite others to offer their impressions of the sE8. The mics were recorded in groups of four or fewer: not matched pairs, but a few competing mics on the same guitar performance. I spent quite a while listening, and to my ears the sE8 and the Schoeps seemed to have been used together.

In any event, I understand you can’t detect the nuances with a compressed audio file. But I can hear some stark differences among the mics. I have to admit I was coming at it from the perspective of looking to see if I thought the sE8 sounded cheap. I didn’t, so I bought a pair. I think they have given my recordings a step up from the Rode NT-1A pair, which I now use for vocals.

I’d love to hear what others think after listening to the Sweetwater feature on a good system.

[R22]

Originally Posted by lppier

I have the Beyerdynamic mc930s - if it's any indication, I've never wanted for any other small diaphragm condensors after I got these. It feels like these are tailor made for recording acoustic fingerstyle guitar.

I got an MC-930 as a xmas present to myself this year. I guess I was lucky, in that I found one on the Beyer Dynamic site as a B stock. Got it for less than $500. Problem is, now I want another.

Before I got it, I was working on recording a part with my Iris JB. I kept getting an annoying metallic sound, using a Joly modded MXL 603. I was able to EQ it out around 700k. I re-recorded the part with the 930. No EQ needed other than normal cutting in the low end.

Great mic. Very smooth top end. Does a great job of rejecting noise from the room. Very important in my case, as my recording space is in my garage. Road noise and a fridge that makes all kinds of weird sounds.

[Dave Hicks]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Definitely way below what you're looking to spend, but my favorite SDC is the AKG Perception 170.

I recorded all my mics using identical guitar positioning and also a sung vocal phrase. I put them all in a single "Mic Demos" project in my DAW so I could instantly compare them soloed. The Perception 170 was closest to my LDCs, without excessive brightness.

I use the P170 often, too. Honestly, I got it because it was inexpensive, but I've used it for guitar, mandolin and uke a lot. I often combine it with an LDC.

D.H.

[ChuckS]

The 3-Zigma CHI mics from ADK are very nice. They have swapable capsules; a number of small diameter as well as large diameter. I've used their cardioid and free field omni sdc capsules as well as their 47 style ldc. They are in your price range, but also watch for sales direct from the company.

I’ve also used the Line Audio mics, but the 3-Zigma have higher sensitivity and are lower noise.

[fitness1]

Another vote for the sE Electronics - I've been using an SE5 (which is probably more like the newer SE8 that has been mentioned already.

I went through a ton of mics over the last 20 years and that one has been the "one and only" for probably 4 years now.

[RodB]

I've posted an example of a recording I did with my SE8 mics here - about 16in from guitar placed as near-coincident, 70deg / 10in apart.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...58#post7403258

[ghostnote]

What you hear from a mic is pretty subjective, obviously, since we all hear things differently. I have an se8, and I’m on the fence about it, even though the reviews I saw were good. I have an AKG-P170 and I like that one, even though I was not bowled over by the reviews. Go figure. The one I use most often is a Shure SM81. It’s not as sensitive as the other two, and it doesn’t have its own sound, like a lot of mics do. But it’s super clean, doesn’t color the tone at all, and what you put in is exactly what comes out. The 81s have been around a long time for a reason. I like to pair it with an LDC on the same track for some contrast in the mix.

[DupleMeter]

I think the issue you’re going to run into is that at sub-$500 you tend to have a bright capsule to deal with.

Seeing as how you have a mic already, maybe you could just use an EQ to tame the top end & save yourself some cash?

Since you ask for a favorite, my preferred SDC for acoustic guitars is a km86. Definitely not under 500.

[Glennwillow]

I use a pair of Warm Audio WA-84 mics. They are within your price range, and I've been very happy with them. These days when I do a mixdown, I use a tape recorder simulation plug-in on the output stereo channel and that does a lot to round off any hard digital edges regardless of which mics are used.

- Glenn

[gwlee7]

My favorite SDC is my Microtech Gefell M295. It has a slightly wider cardioid pattern that lets it be a little wider but still focused.

I also have a matched pair of the sE5s that have been mentioned a time or two in this thread. I would probably let them go at a very good price if someone were interested.

[ACOUSTICDEWD]

The Line Audio CM4. Ruler flat with a neutral sound. It replaced the SE8 which felt a bit harsh in the highs.

[lppier]

Originally Posted by R22

I got an MC-930 as a xmas present to myself this year. I guess I was lucky, in that I found one on the Beyer Dynamic site as a B stock. Got it for less than $500. Problem is, now I want another.



Before I got it, I was working on recording a part with my Iris JB. I kept getting an annoying metallic sound, using a Joly modded MXL 603. I was able to EQ it out around 700k. I re-recorded the part with the 930. No EQ needed other than normal cutting in the low end.



Great mic. Very smooth top end. Does a great job of rejecting noise from the room. Very important in my case, as my recording space is in my garage. Road noise and a fridge that makes all kinds of weird sounds.

Yup this mic sounds great with acoustic guitar for some reason.
I find it not very flattering (at least to my voice) on vocals.

[rick-slo]

Microtech Gefell M 295 and M300 microphones are what I have used for recordings and they are great.

[R22]

Originally Posted by lppier

Yup this mic sounds great with acoustic guitar for some reason.
I find it not very flattering (at least to my voice) on vocals.

Yeah, I don't think it's design was for vocals. I Haven't tried it, but I have other, mics for that job, as long as the job isn't to "flatter" MY voice. That's a tough ask.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

My favorite SDC is my Microtech Gefell M295. It has a slightly wider cardioid pattern that lets it be a little wider but still focused.

I also have a matched pair of the sE5s that have been mentioned a time or two in this thread. I would probably let them go at a very good price if someone were interested.

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Microtech Gefell M 295 and M300 microphones are what I have used for recordings and they are great.

Those Gefell M295 haven’t been obtainable new for a while, and now all their M29x mics have been removed from their catalog. Too bad, as they are so detailed. I have a pair of their M296S Omnis.