Best acoustic guitar mic under $200?

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> I already have an Audio-Technica ATM31 which sounds surprisingly decent

Sounds to me like you might want to just use the ATM31 then.
At around the same budget as that mic, chances are things
would get worse instead of improve. I'm sure you have plenty
of other uses for the budget  

That said, a pair of BG4.1 condensers seem to work pretty well on my
own Seagull.

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On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 03:46:31 GMT, no_one_here@home.org wrote:

>Hi. I'm going to be recording steel string acoustic guitar (both solo guitar
>pieces and pieces which will require later overdubbing).

>I already have an Audio-Technica ATM31 which sounds surprisingly decent
>positioned at the 12th fret, 5 inches from the fingerboard.
>
>My budget is under $200.00.

If you already have a mic for under $200 you like, why do you want
another mic for under $200?

>I'm open to large diaphragm and or small diaphragm options.

Does that mean you are not open to dynamic mics?

The difference in sound quality between a ATM31 and another condenser
under $200 is not going to be real dramatic. What is it you don't
like about the sound you're getting now?

I personally like AKG 535's for cheap condensers, but they have a lot
of proximity effect. I think you can get them under $200?

Julian

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no_one_here@home.org wrote:

> Hi. I'm going to be recording steel string acoustic guitar (both solo guitar
> pieces and pieces which will require later overdubbing). The style is sort
> busy and requires a mic that can handle that kind of articulation. The
> guitar is a Seagull 6 string which is cedar top and mahogany back and sides
> (I believe).
>
> The room I'm recording in has no ambience.

Is this possible ?

> I already have an Audio-Technica ATM31 which sounds surprisingly decent
> positioned at the 12th fret, 5 inches from the fingerboard.
>
> My budget is under $200.00.

If you like the ATM31 I'd save a bit more and look
for an AT4051 although you might still prefer the '31.
It's not a bad mic.

> I'm open to large diaphragm and or small diaphragm options.

If you just want to try something different,
and your room is as you say ...
get an EV 635A (or PL5).

rd

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no_one_here@home.org wrote:
> Hi. I'm going to be recording steel string acoustic guitar (both solo guitar
> pieces and pieces which will require later overdubbing). The style is sort
> busy and requires a mic that can handle that kind of articulation. The
> guitar is a Seagull 6 string which is cedar top and mahogany back and sides
> (I believe).
>
> The room I'm recording in has no ambience.
>
> I already have an Audio-Technica ATM31 which sounds surprisingly decent
> positioned at the 12th fret, 5 inches from the fingerboard.
>
> My budget is under $200.00.
>
> I'm open to large diaphragm and or small diaphragm options.
>
> Thanks in advance.

I have to agree that the ATM 31 is a good mic so why change? However, if you want, the AT2020 is a
hundred bucks street and sounds surprisingly good for a budget LDC.

--fletch

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On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 04:50:39 -0700, RD Jones wrote:

> If you just want to try something different, and your room is as you say
> ...
> get an EV 635A (or PL5).

And if your room isn't, an ND/468 might do pretty well.

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Just some replies to the general feedback I've gotten on this thread...

1. The ambience of my room.

Yes, I know that a dead or poor sounding room would still have these
aforementioned qualities be referred to as its "ambience", but by saying "my
room has no ambience" I'm sure most people understand what I mean: that I
don't want to record the room.

2. Why not continue to use the ATM31?

I'm not saying that I won't. I'm just asking "What's out there that can
complement and/or replace the ATM31"? I'm keeping an open mind here. I had
no idea that mics under $200.00 could not necessarily improve on the sound
of the ATM31 noticeably, which seems to be what I'm hearing. That's why I
asking.

Thanks and please keep the feedback coming.

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no_one_here@home.org wrote:

> 2. Why not continue to use the ATM31?

One more point about the ATM31 ...
It's a 'dual power' mic that can be used on battery
or phantom and as such has better specs when used
on phantom.

rd

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On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:11:28 GMT, no_one_here@home.org wrote:

>Thanks and please keep the feedback coming.

An EV 767 is a hypercardioid neodymium dynamic. It will minimize the
amount of room on your recording and they sound pretty good on guitars

Julian

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I think the one I have can only run on a battery.

I'm pretty certain they made one which runs only on a battery, one which
only runs on phantom power, and one which can run on either. I don't know
which is which, but isn't one the "ATM31", the "ATM31R", and one the
"ATM31a"?

If anyone knows otherwise, please say so...

Thanks.

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In article <nt%De.6866$Im3.6515@trndny07> no_one_here@home.org writes:

> I'm pretty certain they made one which runs only on a battery, one which
> only runs on phantom power, and one which can run on either. I don't know
> which is which, but isn't one the "ATM31", the "ATM31R", and one the
> "ATM31a"?

Yes. The 31R was the phantom powered version, the 31 was battery only.
The "consumer" version was the AT-813. I'm not sure what the "a"
version is, possibly a 31R without the battery compartment that came
out after Audio Technica had established themselves as a provider of
microphones to the professional audio community rather than just to
consumers who had a tape recorder with a microphone jack.

I have an AT-813. I bought it brand new from the same store (no longer
in business) where I bought my first CD player and my vacuum cleaner.
I think I paid about $55 for it. They were placing ads in the audio
magazines at the time showing an AT-813 hanging over the shadow of a
U87, implying that they were in the same league.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

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A simple answer would be an Oktava MC-012. Good all around mic for
reasonable $$. See if you can borrow one first. Compare with what you
have and decide.

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The 31a is on the Audio-Technica website. I believe it lists battery or
phantom power.