Maybe you could just go first??

Okay....heres what I think...and no copying.

e835....a brighter SM58. Not quite as good for stage building.

OM2 ...A bigger sounding SM58 with a tendency towards feedback in the low-end. It will bend if you drop it.

AKG D5....never heard one.

ATM410... I use the 610 and like it better because of the hyper cardioid pattern for tight stages. The 410 is really a nice mic and probably the most even response of all of them.

I can only comment about the e835, and since I rarely do any live work like Dave... I love it.

I might use words like open, present, but not too much of either. I find it sits better in my mixes than a 58, many times.
I get a nice, clear, balanced vocal take almost everytime w/ mine.

Sorry Dave, since I couldn't copy, I had to write in circles around what you said.

Spend a little bit more and get a Rode NT-1A would be my advice. Or even a Rode M3 - that goes great on acoustic guitar and is also good on vocals. I like condensers much better for studio work. If you want a live mic then you would do well to stick with the dynamics. The Rode M1 is also a pretty neat dynamic.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M1Rode/

nt1a? what the hell dude. i'm looking for live use, not recording.

i just sold both of my Rode M1s in order to get some other mics. the Rodes require too much gain. nice sound, but just didnt cut it for me

The e835 can actually, in some cases, be a better fit for some vocalists with huskier voices in "livelier" ambient environments. Like DD said, it has a slightly brighter top end to cut, but it's tighter pattern helps minimize feedback.
The D5 did nothing for me. It's rejection of handling noise is better than it's feedback rejection. And that's being nice.

The OM2 is no competitor, you have to work up to an OM5 to get decent performance, and that's a 60% increase in price.

I have a pair of A-T ATM41a mics, which I THINK are the predecessor to the AT410. Sounded nice, but they BOTH have crapped out on me for no reason. No drops, hardly used, they STILL look brand new, but they don't work anymore. No reason why. I kept looking for a "Beyer" logo on them...:)

LOL- Is Beyer really that bad????

Link555 wrote: LOL- Is Beyer really that bad????

Well, they will break. Something that a LOT of mics cant claim.

ok here's my thoughts:

om2 = smooth mic, lacks detail though. my least favorite thing about it is that you need to eat the mic to get a good signal. does not work well with quiet voices.

atm410 = generic sound. doesnt flatter anything, although its not necessarily bad, just sterile.

akg d5 = never used it, but probably wouldnt like it very much.

e835 = never used it. very curious. this is the mic i wrote this thread about. i figured if someone had similar thoughts on the other mics, then i could trust their opinion on this mic.

i mean - any old person can say what they think about a mic.

Davedog wrote: [quote=Link555]LOL- Is Beyer really that bad????

Well, they will break. Something that a LOT of mics cant claim.

Man, I LOVED my Beyers. I used to sell them (as a dealer) and quote their rep when I'd hear someone mispronounce the name (it's pronounced "buyer"):
"Bayer is an aspirin, Beyer is a microhone"...I was such a snob...LOL!!
Anyway, I had several (and still do have 4) different models: a couple of M160's, M130, M99, M69, Soundstar, M400, and (sighs heavily here) my beloved M500's ( I had 4 at one point). They broke the mold when they made those babies, IMO, and even THEY would piss me off...SOMETIMES.
With the exception of the Soundstar and the M400's (4 of those, too), they all sound g-r-e-a-t when you learn where/how to place them. They sure know how to do that at "Buyer".
Recently, there was a video posted here showing a U87 being manufactured at the Neumann plant. I think those dudes at Beyer should watch it, they seem to have missed a step or two in regards to the soldering of the metal windscreens!!! Example:
I used to carry my M500's in an Anvil briefcase. I had each one in its' own "protective" case, then I placed them in the Anvil. Then I would place that case, and only THAT case on the front passenger seat of my truck ("Sorry, baby, no room fer ya tonight, I gotta take the Beyers to the gig!")
Then I'd strap the seatbelt around the case to keep it from sliding around and possibly slamming up against the door (you should see me drive 8-) )
Get to the gig and I'd handle each baby ever so carefully, no slapping it into a clip (and the clips were the original "clothespin" type) for me.
Even though they sounded great on snare, I wouldn't dare!
The singer bellows? Not into those fellows!
No trumpet blaster, not even a Stratocaster.
Just nice, friendly singers who left them on their nice Keith Monk stands.
And every couple of months, one would show up on the gig DOA... :cry:

I still have an M130/M160 set, the M99 (but my PR-40 has taken its' place), and my last M69 (which blew apart like a Crashmobile when it fell onto a carpeted floor in a church) has been relegated to talkback position, using a Windtech to hold the "ball" together. I simply can't bear the heartbreak of Beyer anymore... sniff...sniff

Rockstar:"I mean - any old person can say what they think about a mic."

"Old person"?!?!?!?!?!? :x LOL!!!!!

I started out not liking the e835. You have to stay right on it. At least moreso than the 58 or the ATM. So it does depend on the talent. But it does have its place, especially with keyboard palyers and drummers who sing back-up. And I'm not a fan of it on ladies.

I don't think that the ATM sounds "sterile". It does do its job very well, and without inducing feedback the way some mics can. Just not as "hyped".
You will learn down the road that many times that is a good thing.

i dont understand what this means:

"down the road that many times that is a good thing".

explain yourself.

I reckon that sentence could be rewritten as

"in time, you'll have many experiences where [decreased tone increased feedback rejection] is a good thing"

I guess i'll piggy back on this thread. I bought a AKG Perception 100 yesterday at a shop for $80 US. I think this was a steal I just don't know if I stole the Mic or if the proprietor stole $80. Anyways I have 30 days to return it so that's nice. Has anyone used this mic to record anything? How about piano in a live situation like a hotel ball room? Hell, should I just give it to my 1 1/2 year old. He's a budding gearhead I'm sure of it. anyways hows about responses other than the cookie cutter " sell it and buy something expensive" line. I'm poor.

The AKG 100 would be an exceptionally poor piano microphone. The cheap AKG mics are not worth much IMHO. Their higher end brethren are much better quality and more useful generally.

I beg to differ my low end AKG makes a great doorstop when it is in it's case, little expensive but works swell.

I guess what I was getting at was as the AV guy at a hotel, sometimes I am required to mic up a piano for a banquet or something. My only other mic options are an A/T Pro4l dynamic or a low end CAD dynamic. I guess since I came across this mic I was wondering if there are any useful applications that are worth keeping it around. Thanks guys.

In any endeavor we are faced with often we are only allowed the option of the tools at hand so we improvise, adapt and overcome. That being said for vocals I would rather have a SM58 in that same price range for vocals. Micing a grand, baby grand or any piano is a daunting task, it has a huge area that produces tonal and percussive sounds across a wide octave range. Perhaps you should just post a question on how to best mic a piano for $100.00. Sorry not a question I could give you an intelligent answer on.

Cool man I appreciate the input it's given me something to think about. i still have time to take it back and I will have the opportunity to test it on a Piano sometime next week for a Christmas party. If it is in any way much better than the Pro4L or the CAD stick i'll probably keep it, but if not it will be replaced with a shure dynamic of some such. I'm a young guy who is just now becoming able to buy gear and not just use what the boss hands me. I should probably go ahead and start getting the standards (57's 58's etc.) so if the sound this 100 gives isn't worth having then this mic is def. on it's way out. Thanks JG