What's the most neutral sounding mic below 1000$?

[plautus]

Hi, I'm looking for a mic that sounds neutral but not overly bright like a c414/c212 or whatevr their name is or the austrian mics.
Hope u have advice for me!


currently im using a Rode Nt1. It's harsh and muddy sounding at the same time. I don't like it, never did.

 

[EERecordist]

What is your source? What is the distance? What is the room?

There is a subscription service with microphone tests Audio Test Kitchen.

The large diaphragm condenser (LDC) capsules fall off above 15kHz and they have a bump below that. So all LDC microphones are making decisions about what to do with that bump. Sometimes they accentuate the bump to pull up the highs. You could consider small diaphragm condensers or ribbon microphones.

If you look at the Rode published curves, have you experimented with reproducible EQ with a PEQ, or something graphical like a Fab Filter plug in?

 

[Ricardus]

For my money the best mic for around a grand is the Shure KSM44. I have two of them and use them on everything. I tell people who are thinkong of buying a U87 to save their money and buy two of the Shures, and they'll have money left over for something else.

You can find it below a grand and various suppliers.

Large Diaphragm Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone

Premium microphone with three polar pattern options (cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional).

www.shure.com

 

[mpw]

Shure 57.

 

[plautus]

i tried EQing the mic it never sounds good.
Dont small capsules lose sound:?

 

[waynel]

what is your application?

 

[LTig]

What is your application for the mic: vocals or instruments (piano, flute, trumpet, drums, guitar amps, ...)? In which room?

Anyway: neutral sound (flat from 20 to 20 kHz) requires a small condenser mic. For singing you need a pop screen.

• Neumann KM184/185 come to mind.
• A cheaper alternative is the SE-Electronics SE8 (2 high passes, 10 and 20 dB pads, 2 versions available: omni and cardioid), but you may need to tame the highs a bit (like with many other mics of this size). I use a matched pair for ORTF or drum overhead, and single mics for bass drum and snare drum.

If it shall be a large condenser mic consider the Sennheiser MK8 which is mostly flat until ~12 kHz and very versatile (5 different polar patterns, 2 high passes, 10 and 20 dB pads).

 

[LTig]

i tried EQing the mic it never sounds good.
Dont small capsules lose sound:?

No, it's rather the opposite. Small condenser mics are usually flat starting from 20 to 40 Hz, reaching 20 kHz with a slight broad bump above 12 kHz. What they lack compared to larger capsules is SNR (same noise, lower signal). For close miking this is usually no audible disadvantage, but for field recordings you need a better one with noise optimized electronics.

 

[waynel]

What is your application for the mic: vocals or instruments (piano, flute, trumpet, drums, guitar amps, ...)? In which room?

Anyway: neutral sound (flat from 20 to 20 kHz) requires a small condenser mic. For singing you need a pop screen.

• Neumann KM184/185 come to mind.
• A cheaper alternative is the SE-Electronics SE8 (2 high passes, 10 and 20 dB pads, 2 versions available: omni and cardioid), but you may need to tame the highs a bit (like with many other mics of this size). I use a matched pair for ORTF or drum overhead, and single mics for bass drum and snare drum.

If it shall be a large condenser mic consider the Sennheiser MK8 which is mostly flat until ~12 kHz and very versatile (5 different polar patterns, 2 high passes, 10 and 20 dB pads).

all the mics you mentioned are cardiod or hybercardiod so have proximity effect and will only be neutral at one distance. That is why we need to know the application before suggesting specific models

 

[LTig]

all the mics you mentioned are cardiod or hybercardiod so have proximity effect and will only be neutral at one distance. That is why we need to know the application before suggesting specific models

The SE8 is available in Omni (as I wrote), and the MK8 can be set to Omni. The Neumann is also available as Omni (KM183). All (EDIT: except the Neumanns) have switchable highpass filters to counteract the proximity effect.

 

[plautus]

I use it for youtube, a bit hobby voice acting nothing professional, and use my voice in games. The Neumann KM184/185 is a shock mind, they make the sound boomy.

 

[LTig]

I use it for youtube, a bit hobby voice acting nothing professional, and use my voice in games. The Neumann KM184/185 is a shock mind, they make the sound boomy.

This is the proximity effect. What about a good headset microphone, e.g. the Sennheiser HSP2?

 

[plautus]

soemone said the Shure ksm32 is very good

 

[beeface]

soemone said the Shure ksm32 is very good

I think that would be a good choice, based on recordings I've heard, not personal experience

 

[Mr. Swordfish]

Thousands to choose from, but there's a reason why the RE20 is so ubiquitous.

 

[AA63]

I really like these...

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Sounds like a typical u87 - much closer to the Neumann signature (to my ears) than the other clones I've heard.

 

[Roland68]

Are there any good recommendations for microphones under €100 or €200?
Ideally, they should be robust and not prone to failure.

 

[AA63]

Are there any good recommendations for microphones under €100 or €200?
Ideally, they should be robust and not prone to failure.

Shure SM 57 or 58. You can run it over with your car (or bounce it off of the drummers head) and it will still work.

 

[LTig]

Are there any good recommendations for microphones under €100 or €200?
Ideally, they should be robust and not prone to failure.

What kind of application?

 

[plautus]

i return my apogee symphony desktop. Sounds overly low mid bassy. Call me crazy but I ordered the neumann mt48.
Regarding microphones. I'm selling my rode nt1 and gonna stick with the sE4100 that I just got. It's a huge upgrade. Rode sounded muffled and harsh,. THe new mic is the total opposite