What are your favorite recording microphones?

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

This video should give you an answer to your question(s).

Humm I am bit confused as to how that video, has to do with answering the question of what mic's are people's favorites ?

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Humm I am bit confused as to how that video, has to do with answering the question of what mic's are people's favorites ?

I can see how that might get missed, but to me the overall point of the panel is that much of what we think we hear and discern about what we hear is demonstratively subject to error. We still select things like mics, pre-amps, other gear, and we think we hear better than the "uneducated," but we should be careful about what we are sure we hear.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

I can see how that might get missed, but to me the overall point of the panel is that much of what we think we hear and discern about what we hear is demonstratively subject to error. We still select things like mics, pre-amps, other gear, and we think we hear better than the "uneducated," but we should be careful about what we are sure we hear.

I agree what the point of the video is , I have in fact watched it closely several times since it first came out .. Enough to have also picked up on the statement by JJ that often goes over looked ( at about 2:30-2:50) . Which is that it goes equally both ways,,,,, being predisposed to not hear any difference,,, as it is to being predisposed to hearing a difference.

I understand that how we think we have developed our critical listening skill may not translate into blind testing (but that is different discussion)
And while there is no doubt that we humans often operate on conformation bias that also may or may not, hold up under blind A/B testing. (BUT That is also a different discussion)

However there is still nothing in that video that even suggests we should consider for example,,, one price range over any other for microphones,,, or one brand/s of microphone over any other..... the question being asked in the OP is ,,,,(What mics do we like ?) , not what mikes can we blind test demonstrate are better or consistently discernible .... juss sayin'

So again (unless I am missing really something specifically relevant ) I still do not understand how that video answers anything about what mics we individuals might prefer to record with ? And given no explanation of how it might be relevant a bit superfluous to the point of the OP

[jim1960]

I've had a lot of vocal mics over the years but the standouts have been the Flea 47, the Blue Kiwi, and the Lauten Atlantis
The Flea 47 is a Neumann 47 clone and, to my ear, it's the best 47 clone out there.
The Blue Kiwi has an 87 flavor but with a bit more presence than the 87ai.
Based on what I hear from it, I'd describe Lauten Atlantis as a FET 47. It doesn't deliver on the scale of Flea ...a bit less saturated... but it's a great mic especially given that it sells for $1500 and goes on sale occasionally for $1100. It's also quite versatile because it has three modes that change the character of the mic.

For acoustic, my best mics are my Gefell M295 pair. The 295s let you mic close without proximity effect. I tend to play lighter than most so that is helpful. I've also used a Blue Woodpecker and Earthworks SR30 as a spaced pair with good results.

[sdelsolray]

I've owned or tried many mics over the years for solo acoustic fingerstyle and classical guitar. I eventually settled down with the buying/selling/trying microphones hobby and built a small mic locker that I do not intend to change.

I currently have the following:

Pair Microtech Gefell M295 (medium diaphragm capsules)

Pair Schoeps CMC6 amp bodies with a pair of MK4 capsules (cardioid) and one MK8 capsule (figure 8) (all small diaphragm capsules)

A Telefunken (USA) M260 stereo system with a pair of tube amp bodies, power supply and pairs of cardioid, hypercardioid and omni (all small diaphragm capsules)

3 Zigma CHI 4 x 10 set with a pair transformerless amp bodies, a pair of transformed amp bodies, pairs of cardioid, hypercardioid and diffuse omni small diaphragm capsules and pairs of C-LOL-67 and C-LOL-49 large diaphragm cardioid capsules

AEA R-84 figure 8 ribbon

[CASD57]

Disclaimer: I'm not a Pro, I barely can record...
But I'm always on the lookout for the Diamond in the rough, a good-sounding microphone for a decent price...
My current preference is "Neat Microphones" In my signature, I used the original Neat Worker Bee V1 and a Shure SM57 12-14 fret on the Alvarez MD60BG
They have the V2 Worker Bee and King Bee now without all the "Bee" styling
I use Podcastage on youtube to check out Mic's and other equipment he does decent reviews

[guitarman68]

I owned and tried many mics over the years for recording solo finger style guitar, singer/songwriter, folk, bluegrass, acoustic blues, jazz...

In 2018/2019 I thinned out / upgraded my mic locker, and here is what's there:
a pair of Neumann KM84
one Neumann KM184
a pair of Schoeps CMC6 / MK4, one extra capsule MK41 (hypercardoid)
Ear Trumpet Edwina
AKG C535
DPA 4061 omni
Neumann U67 reissue
Neumann U89
Coles 4038 ribbon
Sennheiser MD441
Shure SM57
Shure SM58

Preamps are Avalon vt737, Pendulum MDP-1, Universal Audio 2-610, Universal Audio 6176, John Hardy M-1

When recording solo fingerstyle guitar most of the time I use a pair of Neumann KM84 or Schoeps MK4 in A/B to a Pendulum MDP-1 preamp.

Here are some fine mics I owned and/or worked with that are not longer part of my mic locker:
Gefell UM900, AT4033, Brauner Phantom, Neumann U87 ai, Neumann TLM193, AKG C414 EB, Neumann KM184, Gefell M300, Gefell M582/M70, Royer R-122 MKII