Ellis F5 Special Deluxe custom
Anton Krutz F5
Lawrence Smart H 5 Mandola
Gibson K 2 Mandocello
Northfield mahogany arch top Octave Mandolin
guitars, banjo, dobro, weissenborn, pedal steel, fretless bass, upright bass
A Shure SM7B with a CloudLifter will sound fantastic on mandolin, vocals, guitar, along with several other uses. Very transparent sounding microphone. It's more well-known as a vocal/podcasting mic but sounds excellent on guitar and mando as well. Super versatile. If you shop around you can probably find an SM7B for around $350 and a CloudLifter for $150.
Sorry for bumping this, but my old one got broken, so I'm seeking some budget-friendly options. Could someone recommend me something, please?
I picked up an AKG C214 a while back for recording my acoustic stuff, and honestly, it's been great, especially considering the price - got it under for under 200$ from Amazon. I mostly like it for its switchable 20dB attenuation pad, which allows recording of loud sources of up to 156dB SPL.
You can find more details about it on AudioTipz. Also, there are more guides and reviews of equipment that might help you find budget-friendly options.
Last edited by bprendie; Nov-28-2023 at 10:13am.
I used an Audio Technica 4033a.
"Put your hands to the wood
Touch the music put there by the summer sun and wind
The rhythms of the rain, locked within the rings
And let your fingers find The Music in the Wood."
Joe Grant and Al Parrish (chorus from The Music in the Wood)
The Shure SM81 is tried and true. Have used it on mandolins, fiddle and guitar with very transparent results.
I’m going to recommend something that s lot of folks will flat think I’m crazy. For acoustic instrument with possible exception of fiddle I think a Nady ribbon mock is hard to beat unless you pay about 10 times the price. A Cloud preamp makes it even better with most amateur/semipro recoding equipment. Both would run you about $250 to $300 total for the pair. There is a Klark (?)preamp which is getting some good feedback that would cut total price almost in half but I haven’t used one of these ( got one ordered ( duel for $50) gonna try it
I guess it becomes a matter of taste, I thought the condensers all sounded harsh, love the ribbon on any acoustic instrument I have no idea on price of this ribbon but the others would greatly surpass his stated budget.
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