i need a good pair of small diaphragm condensors...

[dustcoversmyheels]

i'm leaning towards shure sm81's. the hard part is, i'm limited on budget and i want to buy a pair used. it's hard to find a matched pair, but i can easily find separate 81's through craigslist or ebay.

if i bought them separately (not a matched pair), would they be pretty imbalanced if used as a stereo pair? (drum overheads, an acoustic guitar, etc.)

[Phil O]

What's your budget?

Phil

[dustcoversmyheels]

$400.

[Dan Walsh]

You may be able to find a new matched pair of Rode NT 5's for that price. I've got a couple of matched pairs and they they work real good for OH's and acoustic instruments. I really dig em' on Dobro trax

[kassonica]

+1 on the rodes....

Great on overheads and matched.

[Phil O]

I agree on the Rodes. I can't think of anything better in that price range. If someone is letting go of a pair of 81's for 400 bucks, they're probably well used - if you catch my drift. You might also want to check out Studio Projects C4. I've never used them, but they're in that price range.

Phil

[newrigel]

Have you checked this out yet?
http://www.oktavamodshop.com/index.php? ... l52olev155

[HCMarkus]

I want to point out that a matched paid may or may not be desirable, depending on the situation. Unless going for a true stereo two-mic recording of a live performance, I often find an unmatched, even wildly dissimilar pair of mics works best to create an interesting stereo image. Where does reality lie in the context of a pop mix, anyway? Just a thought.

[airtime]

by HCMarkus » 12 Sep 2009 12:08 pm

I want to point out that a matched paid may or may not be desirable, depending on the situation. Unless going for a true stereo two-mic recording of a live performance, I often find an unmatched, even wildly dissimilar pair of mics works best to create an interesting stereo image. Where does reality lie in the context of a pop mix, anyway? Just a thought.

I'm with you on that HCMarkus. It's the end result that really counts, and unless one is doing some sort of scientific measurements of stereo space I don't think there's much point in closely matching a stereo pair of microphones. I know for a fact that my own ears are not matched. I can even see that with my eyes.

Wayne

[BradLyons]

I've used about every microphone one can imagine in that price range (and higher, too) and I must say that I do also heavily endorse the RODE NT5's. They sound excellent, are built-well, provide an incredible value, are quite versatile, take high SPL (I've put inside the bell of a trumpet, no problems). They are right there in your budget. I've sold a countless amount of these mics with just as much positive feedback. While they are not my personal go-to mics, I have no problems using them either live or in the studio.