Hey all. My 1,000th post is apropos to my recent infatuation with microphones and preamps, and I like that, so thanks el rythmatist for enabling my new mindfuck, LOL.
Anyway, since I am currently living in the proximity of Germany here in Switzerland I am fortunate to get better than average prices compared to some on different brands, and one of them is Microtech Gefell. The quality of these mics is outstanding, and just holding one in your hand confirms this. The microphone I will offer up for this post, coming in at CHF 1009 (just over the qualifying line, but not by a significant margin I hope, not to offend) is the m930. Wow! Guitars, voice, violin, piano, hand drums, harmonica, everything coming through this sweet, tiny, tiny (did I say tiny?) microphone sounds sooo very sweet. Also, the proximity effect is really smooth as you get close so you can eq on the way in without having to actually eq it with a device. And like the Schoeps but to not to as fine a degree, but still quite wonderful, the sounds coming from the periphery stay true to what you hear in the room, so it is a fine choice for a room mic. This is small but extremely fine large diaphragm condenser. It has no low cut and has no pad but can take up to spl 145db!!! It also has the ridiculesly low level of 7db of self noise. If you don't want or need other patterns like figure 8 or omni but want a great cardiod only, this is for you. The m930 is a microphone that you will keep for your entire life and you can use it on anything. It will sound good to great on any source you throw at it. I will need a second later on for a stereo pair to record chamber groups and the factory assures me that they will make me a matched pair from the specs on file at their factory, so customer service is stellar. The build quality is superb, it sounds heavenly, and I would even kick in the extra 9 bucks so as to keep it under the 1000 line if anybody would take me up on the offer and buy one. I stand behind this mic, the Gefell company as well as all the other quality microphones in their entire catalogue. I also recently bought another of their mics, a umt 70s which is also GREAT. So there, my 1,000th post...with all my love...superliquidsunshine.

And to see and hear this mic, follow this link...http://www.microtechgefell.de/index.php/en/microphones/211-m930

 

Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2016

Also, I have heard from some good sources that 3U Audio microphones are fantastic for their price point, fantastic even without one. The manufacturer has no middle man and makes them in China, but the quality control, the parts and the sound of these mics are top notch and many have 3 different voicings that can be changed buy the flip of a switch on many of the microphones. This can help when you want to keep things interesting sonically and have just a few mics to paint with, or just the one. Additionally, contrary to the general offerings from manufacturers making mics these days in many Chinese factories aiming at a price point, sibilance is NOT an issue, and the highs are not spitty and hurtful to the ears but rather pleasantly portayed. There is a thread on another forum dedicated these mics with tons of audio examples of the plethora of mics this guy Gusheng puts together from quality parts. Check it out. I might go for his U47 clone somewhere down the line. The link to the GS thread is (I hope I break no laws here) http://gearslutz.com/board/low-end-theory/1050130-thread-dedicated-just-3u-audio-mic-demos.html. He sells as far as I know exclusively on ebay, so search for 3U Audio if it tickles your fancy to do a search on this pleasant surprise out there(Paypal only). So if you have a budget or not, these mics may be what you are looking for.

 

Don't forget to update us! I'd love to build one, I stumbled into a session with a guy recording with a refurbished U-87 but he monitored with headphones and I never got to hear anything . I know the Neumann TLM 193 sounds damn sweet on voice-over work though.

True that, I've spent the most time recording on a Behringer C-1 and I miss how forgiving the mic was because it barely picked up any room

 

Happy 1000th post @superliquidsunshine !!! Continue spreading that knowledge.