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In Reply to: Need a good stereo mic pair for under $500... posted by Penguin on February 23, 2002 at 10:12:24:
dee,I use HD recording at home of classical: either piano,harpsichord, sometimes with gamba, plus clavichord, and even a MIDI used to simulate organ. Vistors have recorded jazz. I use a Peavey VMP 2 all tube mic pre with vintage NOS tubes and this goes to an Audiowerk 2 sound card onto PC HD and then CD. This is always with only a single mic pair.
After using Shure 5596Ds for a year, I borrowed a few microphones to try and I liked my friends' Neumann KM84s best as well as AKG B-ULS C414s. The Schoeps and M147 were nice too!
These are all expensive but the Russian Oktava M012 is based on a near copy of the KM84 for(then)$160 each. Oktava make a large diaphragm condenser also. I find small diaphragm easier to place with less unpredicted results.
I was warned about the inconsistent build quality so when I went to Guitar Center, I took 12 M012s into their preamp room and got a pair of reasonably similar sound, though I'm convinced one is a little hotter than the other.
Mine are cardioid but there are interchangable capsules. They come with a screw in -20dB pad and in a very attractive ribbed beige plastic box. None of this matched stereo pair in a cherry presesntation box with a brass plaque! This is the 'People's Neumann'!
Quite smooth, very good bass to the bottom of the piano, good highs, good off axis rejection, quiet. They are very sensistive and sensisive to placement. I tried A/B with the KM84 and the Oktavas are not too bad. My experience has been less great with vocal on the M012s.
But good results on a budget!
The Oktava experience is positive enought that I have put off my intended Neumann KM184 purchase much longer than I thought.
By the way, you could buy the KM184s for just over $400 each direct from Germany. Used, in your range, you might see the AKG C3XX series with interchangable CKXX capsules- very nice for keyboard also.
Cheers,
Bambi B
Follow Ups:
I was wondering when someone was going to bring these up. i have a matched stereo set I got from the soundroom www.oktava.com and these are very nice indeed. They cost a little bit more if you buy them from here, but they go through several extra steps of QC and are tested and matched. This was definitely worth it for me, as the GC in my area is no doubt stocked with everyone elses rejects, due to the large numbers of small filmakers and studios here.Individual printouts of the frequency response curves are included and they come in a nice cedar box, which doesn't have much of the ole comrade shtick but keeps the moths away and looks nice.
Sound is very good, shocking for the price. They are quiet, detailed and natural sounding, and maybe just a tad euphonic. I also use them through the AMR (peavey) tube preamp. I don't have any KM84's and bought these as a stopgap but like the above poster, I'm not in any hurry because these are quite nice. I do have some TLM103's and have used or heard other neumanns (including old tube models) so I have some idea at least of what I'm talking about. Like the above poster, I don't recommend them for vocals, as they are prone to popping, but you can buy a large diaphragm head for them which is supposed to be nice.
Greg B
Considering my heritage it may not be a bad idea. :-)
dee
;-D
dee,Then you may be in a position to read the cryptic symbols on the MC012 switch that I can only assume say "Signal DA!" and "Signal NYET!"
Cheers,
Bambi B
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