JayK!!! Are you there? What d’you reckon? Did you go with your gut-feeling?
I still say get the Sterling st55. get a used one.
If you want a Bluebird used, I’ll sell you mine for 150 bucks US, shipped. Warning, it picks up the local radio station pretty well.
MIc shielding kit?
That’s a good price and works within my moto for gear,
"never pay more than half of retail for gently used gear"
keep shinin
jerm 
Good! send me your address, and I will send you the mic - 150 usa dollars, money back guarantee, all that…
Here’s an alternative to ANY sub $300 condenser microphone. I auditioned a couple of Telefunken M80 dynamic microphones for my little PA recently and I have been more than pleasantly surprised by the performance. Then I thought of you guys who are always frugally looking for versatility, and bang for the buck. Priced in the same ballpark as some of the cheaply made Chinese condenser microphones, I can honestly say that I believe these should be auditioned by anyone in the market for a new crayon in the crayon box. Some folks may actually find it to be perfect for their main vocal mic. It should also be tried anywhere you would use a 57. Seriously friends, you should listen to one of these before you buy any sub $300 dollar condenser microphone. …seriously……be well …old uncle dino
I got one.
THey are ok
I don’t use it for live shows, (I use wireless Shure gear, headset/SM58), but I do use it for sketching out ideas when I want to record them on the fly, it’s pretty well balanced and clear, I don’t know that I would make it my main staple tho, and he already has a dynamic mic, in his particular situation it might be best to have some diversity in his locker, eg. dynamic, condenser, ribbon.
I got mine on Ebay a year or so back, $100.
keep shinin
jerm
Quote: (TomS @ Oct. 23 2010, 9:30 PM)
Good!
send me your address, and I will send you the mic - 150 usa dollars, money back guarantee, all that...
I would Tom, but I am not in the market for another utility bottle right now.
The mod on that one is 350 bones, but is supposed to be Neumannesk when done...
I'm saying tho....for this guy, your price is reasonable and he will be hard pressed to beat that value to cost ratio.
keep shinin
jerm
Dino’s got a point. E.g., teh Audix dynamics are really good esp for the cost.
I’ve never thought of using the M80 for acoustic guitar. ?
or any dynamic really, thought that was taboo.
keep shinin
jerm
The longer I spend in this business,(since 1969) the more I realize that a high quality basic anything is more than a match against a cheaply built fancy anything. In the case of the M80, I was struck by the fact that it’s just a very nice sounding microphone. The fact that it’s a dynamic is irrelevant. I can honestly say that I will be trying it on a lot of things that I wouldn't normally think of a dynamic for. My current mic locker (see below) is an oddball collection of the well known to the obscure. Every one of them has their strengths and weaknesses, and I know these Telefunkens are going to be in the mix somewhere. I have zero buyers remorse with this purchase which is amazing for me. For $239 you will be hard pressed to find a better, more versatile microphone, regardless of type….oud
SHURE 57’S (3)
SHURE 545’S (2)
SHURE BETA 58
SHURE KSM109 (3)
ELECTROVOICE RE 10 (2)
ELECTROVOICE RE 15
ELECTROVOICE DS35
ELECTROVOICE RE20
TELEFUNKEN M80 (2)
COUNTRYMAN ISOMAX II Mini-DC HYPER-CARDIOID (2)
SENNHEISER MD211 SDD (cir 1970 - MATCHED SET)
OKTAVA MK012 SDC (2)
RODE NT5 SDC (MATCHED SET)
OKTAVA 319 LDC (2)
SOUNDELUX(Bock) U195 LDC
BEYER M500 RIBBON
ROYER R121 RIBBON
Not mine but Borrowable:
Shure SM81
EV666
Sennheiser 414
Neumann BCM 705
Sony ECM77
Tram
THis is looking a lot like a gearslutz thread 
me too, with the M80 tho I paid a descent amount less than that ($150) I doubt I will have any remorse any time soon.
I have a couple of oddballs too.
Beyerdynamic MCE81-N © Condensor(is that an oxymoron?)
Beyer M69 TG
keep shinin
jerm
Mics I’ve not been sorry I purchased:
Rode NTK, NT5 pair
Sterling ST 55
audix OM5, D6
Sennheiser 421
EV 664 and 635A, PL76 - and someday I want an RE20!!!
EV Cardinal (2)
Wanna see a list of the ones I’m sorry about?
Thanks for all the replies,
it’ll take me a while to research all the suggestions.
rodes seem to be loved everywhere they go.
i wont buy a 2nd hand mic, not a condenser anyway, the only things i buy second hand are things that can be dropped without issues! (stones, hammers, iron girders etc)
i’ll let you know what i decide! (whenever that’ll be)
Thanks again all!
Quote: (JayK @ Oct. 25 2010, 2:14 PM)
rodes seem to be loved everywhere they go.
i wont buy a 2nd hand mic, not a condenser anyway, the only things i buy second hand are things that can be dropped without issues! (stones, hammers, iron girders etc)
Not to be cocky or anything...
But it is a good thing the majority of PRo studios in the US do not have that same approach, since they buy used vintage mics all the time that are worth thousands of dollars have refitted/conditioned and feature them in their gear repatwa'.
Restricting yourself to new only gear in that price range is really going to limit the choices and quality of what you can acquire.
Don't get me wrong there is an associated risk with anything you buy used but that is why you purchase through paypal or some other reputable exchange service or dealer that stands behind the purchase, much a like warranty you get on a new product.
This way you can get a $400~500 mic for your lower budget and have something that is going not only hold it's value, have better construction in the first place so most likely will last a lot longer, but you can rest assured if it doesn't work or breaks down within a month you will get your money back.
Just my two cent, I bought low end retail for years and was never satisfied wit the results and always ended up selling it off for way less than I paid for and ending up buying a higher priced model in the long run... (so basically I paid twice and sometimes thrice for something I could have bought the right one the first time and saved money)
keep shinin
jerm
I still say check out the sterling 55!
Don’t know if anybody has mentioned the Audio-Technica AT2020 + 2021 kit. The 2020 is a large diaphragm, side address condenser. Not quite a Rode NT-1A or similar… but dang close… especially for the price. The 2021 is a small diaphragm ‘pencil’ condenser mic. Works well on a lot of stuff. Pair the 2020 and 2021 on a decent acoustic guitar and they’re great.
I bought two kits on sale for $179 each at Guitar Satan… I mean Guitar Center. 
D
Ah. Excellent option.
Quote: (Unblown_Jonson @ Oct. 25 2010, 7:55 PM)
Don't know if anybody has mentioned the Audio-Technica AT2020 + 2021 kit. The 2020 is a large diaphragm, side address condenser. Not quite a Rode NT-1A or similar... but dang close... especially for the price. The 2021 is a small diaphragm 'pencil' condenser mic. Works well on a lot of stuff. Pair the 2020 and 2021 on a decent acoustic guitar and they're great.
I bought two kits on sale for $179 each at Guitar Satan... I mean Guitar Center.
D
This mic combo has got good reviews lately. I'm considering getting a set myself to complement my Apex set.
PACO
The price has really come down on those since I last looked at them, otherwise I would have suggested them (last time I looked they were just over $200)
Sears now has them for $154.
There was another option too in this price range I remember seeing a while back, was a pencil with interchangeable heads, you could unscrew it and put a larger diaphragm head on it for vocals maybe the price has come down on those (they were in the $250 range two years ago)
HE was talking about a Berry preamp/interface as well…with that in mind he might be better of going with the, TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle and get it all in one shebang, 2bones.
keep shinin
jerm
Quote: (jeremysdemo @ Oct. 25 2010, 6:51 PM)
But it is a good thing the majority of PRo studios in the US do not have that same approach, since they buy used vintage mics all the time that are worth thousands of dollars have refitted/conditioned and feature them in their gear repatwa'.
true but pro studios have a budget, and a capacity to take risk and absorb some loss.
pro studios also know what to look out for and will recognise a bad 2nd hand when the see/hear it. i would buy a 2nd hand mic but only from a friend i trust but thats it.
I only plan to spend money on this mic once, so i'll buy new, with full warranty and no guess work!
Right now i'm leaning twards the rode nt1-a
its €185 (+35 on budget) but comes with shock mount, popfilter and mic cable,
The one thing left is a pre-amp/ phantom psu.
the mic200 is about €50
i'm torn between buying it and being stuck with 1channel
or buying a similarly cheap mixer with phantom power.
my audio interface is an old edirol UA20 so i'm stuck with only stereo ins anyway.