81s

depending on the placement and distance involved, i would definitely say leave the switch at 0 - unless the signal is so hot that you need that slight pad.

Thanks I'll give that a go and see the sm 81's are new to me

Definitely leave it at 0 (I installed the pad locks in mine as I never move it off of 0) and you'll almost certainly want it flat as well. It isn't exactly an overly bass heavy mic.

With this mic, you'll want to stay on axis as much as possible as it isn't very clean off axis. It can get a bit crunchy, but it isn't a bad mic (my first pair of mics were a pair of SM81s. To this day, I still own them).

--Ben

can you explain the pad locks Thanks

Just a little piece of plastic that you drop inside just below the capsule to keep the ring from turning.

--Ben