If it were me, and it isn't so YMMV, I think I would go for a Mojave MA100. Or I suppose the FET MA101 if I absolutely couldn't stand to wait the short time to make up the money for the 100.

Neumann TLM102. Seriously.

Davedog, post: 362315 wrote: Neumann TLM102. Seriously.

but my room is boxy and wonky...won't that mic pick up too much of the gunk?

Maybe. Maybe not. It is an LDC and wasnt that what you were asking about?

woops...i meant to type sdc. SORRY davedog (and all) !!!!!!!

i cant blame it on a typo cause i wrote it 3 ifferent times. need coffee. must have coffee...

lemme go edit my originial post

And we return to the MA100......

JackAttack- thanks I'll go read up on it :-)

I own an [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.mojaveau…"]MA-100[/]="http://www.mojaveau…"]MA-100[/] and its two in one / interchangeable cardioid and omnidirectional capsules..

For warning if you are going to be searching the web. I was doing searches on it tonight and came across a Mojave MA-100 review, top of google pointing to Gearshills highlighted by Fletcher at his best. I'm sure you will find it. (Dead Link Removed)

Looks like Jules (the guy who advocates free speech ) removed it (3 years too late) shortly after I made this public statement. Sad impact on a Mojave Audio.

i actually just saw that audiokid. That was pretty tasteless.
that why i dont shop at his shop.

While I typically prefer SDCs on acoustic (I'll have to add the MA-100 to my short list)....

Have you ever considered a ribbon microphone?
The fact that you mention country pop makes me think you might want some roundness, especially in less dense recordings. They're great on a lot of other sources, too.
The fig-8 pattern will also introduce more of your room concerns, but some well placed material could minimize that (foam, chair, couch, etc).

Just a thought. I'll step aside now, as I'm interested in what the others have to say about SDCs (and LDCs) for acoustic guitar...

Agree with ribbons and all of what Soap suggests. I use two Royer 122's for my acoustic G and its hard to want anything after this. The only thing I can imagine better for my personal acoustic sound is the Royer SF24v. But is a pile of $. Ribbons really sweeten the sound up but I'm saying this from only two comparisons. Maybe those Cascades. Man, can't believe how low priced they are.

I have another option but I have know idea how its going to sound until it arrives in a few days is the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.dpamicro…"]DPA 4099 G[/]="http://www.dpamicro…"]DPA 4099 G[/] $700 . It is going to be great for live and studio matched with a tube pre. DPA hmmm, Close micing might be your answer?
So many options. Back to the group...

Seriously. Neumann TLM 102. LDC or SDC this thing is gigantic sounding and in a close-micing situation arent you going for the intimacy and the woodiness of the guitar? Royers are yummy. I'm getting a 101 in a couple of weeks. I sure the Mojave is a very nice mic also, I cant imagine anything with David Royer designing it not being a good thing. Perhaps you need to get some gobos for your room. You can go really high-end on these and tame whatever, or you can go budget and get down to your local used office furniture place and find some cubicle walls. Not perfect but realize that all the manufacturers of these things build in a level of absorption. It keeps the noise down in office areas. So they do work fairly well if you find the right one. A couple will give you a little relief (noticeably) from your boxiness when you record acoustic guitars and anything else you want. 2 or 3 and you have a portable, easily stored medium for this purpose.

When you go to pick a couple of barriers out, simply lean down and shout into them. It'll tell you if its absorptive or reflective. If you need more absorptive, buy a couple of heavy packing blankets and drape them over the gobo. Cheap and easy aint always bad. Except in women.....

But I digress...

I use SDC's on most acoustic instruments also. I still love the SM81. Why dont you just get another? You know that mic.... I use ADK CHI system SDC's. The self noise in these is non-existent and allows me to crank the bejesus out of them for that seriously forward acoustic sound.

But I gotta reiterate...until you hear one of those new Neumann's , you'll not know what you're missing.

I might suggest that you go slightly further in your choice? I love my 4 SM 81's. I've used them since they were introduced in the late 1970s or was that the early 1980s? Any other similar SDC will have similar characteristics to the SM 81. Why not go one size smaller? Have you thought about the Earthworks? Those in a sound versus price comparison, probably come closer to DPA/B & K, Larson Davis type scientific reference microphones. These have a quality that even surpasses that SDC quality sound. Rather bright. Rather airy, Omni's. (Yeah, there are cardioids available too)

On the other side of the tracks, what about the improved transient tracking capabilities of a ribbon? Lots to choose from these days. You'd probably want one of those phantom powered, condenser sounding types. It may take you to a level of sweetness far beyond the 81.

If you liked that SM 81 sound? You might consider some of their other KSM series condenser microphones? I like their products well enough that I would purchase any one of those ear unheard & sight unseen, new. Although some of those require a bigger chunk of change to be outlayed.

You know I wouldn't lead you wrong
Mx. Remy Ann David

Davedog, post: 362372 wrote: Seriously. Neumann TLM 102. LDC or SDC this thing is gigantic sounding and in a close-micing situation arent you going for the intimacy and the woodiness of the guitar?

But I gotta reiterate...until you hear one of those new Neumann's , you'll not know what you're missing.

Well I'm sold on these Dave, the TLM 102 is on my list:
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.Neumann…"]Georg Neumann GmbH - Products/Current Microphones/TLM 102/Description[/]="http://www.Neumann…"]Georg Neumann GmbH - Products/Current Microphones/TLM 102/Description[/]

so was at GC today paying the last installment on my xmas resent from the girlfriend (a brand new American Standard Tele :redface:) and i mosied on over to the "pro recording" dept to look and see about that TLM davedog suggested. when i approach the case and see this teenie dinky little thing there i thought "he's got to be kidding". it almost looks like something you'd stick on a video camera for some audio.

nevertheless I ask the guy there if i could have a listen to it, and ran to pick up a gibson acoustic to give it a go. he sets me up in the little control room thingy and runs it through some focusrite preamp and leaves me alone with it for a bit.

all i gotta say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that mic is very sweet. i may just have to pick one up.

thanks

sq

Dogg dont lie.....

Sound like a good mic for a giveaway. contEST! hmm..

I'd pick this one over the TLM103 every time.

And they're so damn cute! Kinda like one of those really detailed models only its real.

Well, I believe these TLM 102's are sort of like the mini version of a U 47 like capsule which is smaller than the U 67/87 TLM 103's. So I would expect it to have a little more presence over the SDC type sound with more of that 47 WOW like factor. This might also make for the perfect bass drum microphone. It's just so hard to get a U47 FET positioned just right with those little bass drum holes. And knowing that it's built by that other crappy microphone company um, Sennheiser, um, might make it a good reason alone to get um, one or, um, maybe 2 eh?

I could've made that so much easier by um, thinking about, um, what I wanted to say, um, before my voice recognition software gets to have an um, field day with me, um?
Mx. um, Remy Ann David

Granted I love the 102 but I can't get over the high handling noise. But no more than any other LDC when tapping on one.

Good thing it isn't a handheld vocal mic then!

I have always used two SDC's on acoustic guitars. It seems they take a lot of the room out of the equation and just pick up the guitar.

I had two SM81's for a year or so, but found them to not work so well on the acoustic instruments I record. I bought a pair of AT ATM10a omni's off my local Craigslist for $30 each and they work very well. I also use a pair of AT 4041's with excellent results. I just like the more complete sound that two mics create. Octava MC012's are nice mics on acoustics too.

Just not a big fan of LDC's on acoustic guitars unless they are used in conjunction with an SDC on the top end.

GZsound, post: 363292 wrote: I have always used two SDC's on acoustic guitars. It seems they take a lot of the room out of the equation and just pick up the guitar.

I had two SM81's for a year or so, but found them to not work so well on the acoustic instruments I record. I bought a pair of AT ATM10a omni's off my local Craigslist for $30 each and they work very well. I also use a pair of AT 4041's with excellent results. I just like the more complete sound that two mics create. Octava MC012's are nice mics on acoustics too.

Just not a big fan of LDC's on acoustic guitars unless they are used in conjunction with an SDC on the top end.

I think this is totally dependent on the instrument before anything else. Yes, more room with an LDC. But guitars with a not so tame sound or something thin and boxy will need that air to develop the sound a bit more.
I still use SDC's most often, but occasionally will put up an AT4033 or even the U87 if I want the acoustic sound to be a bit 'softer' and more spread throughout the palette. Again, this is determined by the style of the music or even more specifically the part of the song.

I'm picking up a pair of at4041's very soon. I also have the ATM5's. And I just bought a pair of ADK Area 51 TT tube LDC's. This is a mike I've used before on acoustic instruments to great success.

I think its wise to keep your options open with acoustic instruments of any sort.

I think you'll like the 4041's. Their basically the 4051 that I use. I don't know if there is a "b" version of the 4041 but there is on the 4051 and it is a slightly better response.