Hey people, I have decided to get some new mics to add to my collection but I'm not sure what to look at next..

Currently I have..

Line Audio CM4s
3U Audio Warbler
AT4040s
Shure SM7B

I will mainly be recording acoustic instruments such as acoustic guitar maybe violin and voices such as opera and classical. Have a budget of say $800 usd ish for two or more mics.

I have been considering maybe a Shure KSM32 or maybe a pair of Beyerdynamic MC930s?

What would should I look at next and why?

I would get some nice dynamics, as you have none. Like a pair of AKG D224's, D202's or Sennheiser MD211's or Beyer M201/Revox 3500. Or an M69 or M610. And definitely an EV 635a or two.

Or ribbons. Beyer M260N. Extinct Audio's new little one. Royer R10. Anything by Stager.

[QUOTE=

Currently I have..

Line Audio CM4s
3U Audio Warbler
AT4040s
Shure SM7B

I will mainly be recording acoustic instruments such as acoustic guitar maybe violin and voices such as opera and classical. Have a budget of say $800 usd ish for two or more mics.[/QUOTE]

An excellent ribbon designed and manufactured by J-P Gerard would be an excellent addition to your current microphone locker.

https://www.nohypeaudio.com/nhaproducts.htm

Line Audio Om-1

I do a lot of classical and choir.

Sorry, missed the opera and classical bit somehow. Extinct ribbons still stand though. Or indeed nohype for less. The Line Audio OM1 advice is also great imo.

KSM32 might not be a bad idea, because it's good on pretty much everything where you want an honest representation of the sound source without a lot of hype.

But I don't think the Beyers would be enough of a step up from the CM4 to justify the cost.

Honestly, I think what you have is basically all you need for your purposes. Is there something you feel you're missing that your current stock isn't providing?

Austrian Audio OC18 or 818 if you can swing it.

I just want to make sure I get the best possible representation of the voices I plan on recording as they and the acoustic instruments are quite varied. I would like to have several options to choose from, hence why the KSM32 is proposed.

1. What does the rest of your recording chain look like? Pls give as much detail as possible, including how many channels you can record at once.

2. What sort of spaces will you be recording in? Studio use only, or are you out in the field in churches, cathedrals & concert halls etc?

Hi,

Mainly studio use and the occasional church.

Running a Focusrite 18i20 4th gen into studio one. Have about 8 inputs. Gonna be at most 2 mics for guitar and 2 for voices for live stuff, so probably 4 -5 mics at once.

I like the KSM32 idea (it's never a bad idea, really), and maybe some handheld condensers that you could use for dual purpose, live or studio (Rode M2 or Audio Technical AE5400 come to mind).

I would save for a little longer, then budget for either a Neumann TLM 107 or Austrian Audio OC 818. Either would be a great workhorse microphone, and can be had for a better price if you buy used from a reputable source.

you should be asking yourself, why do I need more mics? anyhow you couldn't go wrong with more line audio cm4 and use them as spot mics.

Quote: I will mainly be recording acoustic instruments such as acoustic guitar maybe violin and voices such as opera and classical. Have a budget of say $800 usd ish for two or more mics.




Consider Neumann KM84 I just picked up a pair of the NOS limited edition and WOW. (these are sold out and were almost 8x your budget - lol I've been struggling for years to capture my pre-war and war-era martins as natural as possible.

I don't think they are too much on the used market, I see a few for sale people are 'asking' maybe $1.5-2k a piece

Also if you can't afford it, just wait. Keep saving and keep looking. I think your budget is too low, or you need to find someone selling a KM84 cheap that perhaps has a few dents or something cosmetic to bring the price way low.

Keep saving and turn your $800 into what is required to buy quality gear. How long would you have to save? A few ________ (weeks, months ???? don't know your income/expenses) But its worth the wait.