Barbo wrote: Sat Dec 13, 2025 1:03 pm I am looking to buy a not terrible but not terribly expensive (<$350) mic primarily for acoustic guitar for my brother. He has been using an AT2020 for years but I figure it is time to treat him to at least a slight upgrade. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Jon

AT2020 can be beaten without spending a heap.

Close to $350, possibly used:
AT 4033, Shure KSM137, Oktava MK12,

RECOMMEND ME A FUCKING HEADSET WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

losthighway wrote: Sat Dec 13, 2025 4:33 pm

Barbo wrote: Sat Dec 13, 2025 1:03 pm I am looking to buy a not terrible but not terribly expensive (<$350) mic primarily for acoustic guitar for my brother. He has been using an AT2020 for years but I figure it is time to treat him to at least a slight upgrade. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Jon

AT2020 can be beaten without spending a heap.

Close to $350, possibly used:
AT 4033, Shure KSM137, Oktava MK12,

every one of these were what I was going to say. also that lewitt 414 copy sounds really good. AT3035 can be had for like 100 bucks sometimes on eBay and is great for the price. don't feel like you gotta go condenser. M88, 421, even a 57 can sound cool. use the mic distance to eq. honestly a SM81 or Oktava 012 is what I grab every single time. Stereo acoustic recording can eat my ass.

flyinghouses wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 6:41 pm RECOMMEND ME A FUCKING HEADSET WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

beyer makes a new one that people are saying is good. haven't used it. when I was working from home I used a Pair of closedback beyer 770 pros and a Dbx measurement mic with a little EQ in OBS with a cough drop and it worked great 90% of the time. honestly software is a bigger tool than hardware for just getting a good conferencing/zoom call thing. obs is a great intermediary and accepts vst plugins.

My favorite acoustic mic is the AKG C451 - mine is a C452EB to be exact. I think it has the fancy CK1 capsule but if it doesn’t I would be even more impressed. Maybe I could be just as happy with an Audio Technica at4051 or a Shure KSM137, but I set them all up together sometimes and the C452 is what I always end up choosing.

The thing is that it can be hard to tell which mic really works the best until you get to the end of the song - those little EQ changes you could hear but didn’t seem to matter that much can become more prominent in a mix with other sounds masking things.

Honestly I think the biggest consideration is what else the mic might be used for. I’d look at LDCs if vocals might also be used, and would choose a Shure KSM 137 (you can probably get two used ones for $350) if I wanted to record amps, percussion, and whatever else

Kniferide wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 9:17 pm

flyinghouses wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 6:41 pm RECOMMEND ME A FUCKING HEADSET WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

beyer makes a new one that people are saying is good. haven't used it. when I was working from home I used a Pair of closedback beyer 770 pros and a Dbx measurement mic with a little EQ in OBS with a cough drop and it worked great 90% of the time. honestly software is a bigger tool than hardware for just getting a good conferencing/zoom call thing. obs is a great intermediary and accepts vst plugins.

Correct answer!
I had a cheap interface, a pair of 7506s, a drumstick abused 421, and OBS.

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 11:23 pm My favorite acoustic mic is the AKG C451

My FAVORITE mic of acoustic is the Schoeps CMC 6 but god knows I cant afford one. Fuck they sound good.

Kniferide wrote: Tue Dec 23, 2025 2:24 pm

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 11:23 pm My favorite acoustic mic is the AKG C451

My FAVORITE mic of acoustic is the Schoeps CMC 6 but god knows I cant afford one. Fuck they sound good.

Those look great. I don’t know them offhand but I must have read about them before because they look familiar. 451s are still cheap, even if the guys listening them sometimes are a little fanciful.

The thing is that great records have been made on <$350 mics that get used every day on every source - why bet the farm on $2k per niche job?

It would be fun to compare the ‘best in class’ stuff side by side with decent stuff I like to use, but if I don’t know what I’m missing that’s not a problem I currently have.

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Tue Dec 23, 2025 5:09 pm The thing is that great records have been made on <$350 mics that get used every day on every source - why bet the farm on $2k per niche job?

It would be fun to compare the ‘best in class’ stuff side by side with decent stuff I like to use, but if I don’t know what I’m missing that’s not a problem I currently have.

for sure. My go to that I actually own is usually a MK012, nowhere near what a Schoeps cost and I'm happy enough. I have a friend that owns a pair of them because he is a pervert for old weird Acoustic Guitars and it is all he plays. They are the only mics he owns so I don't begrudge him getting something really nice. They sound pretty amazing but to me, I feel like you can get 90% there with pretty much any good quality SDC. My most expensive mis is like $700 bucks or something. That felt like a lot to me.

I now have a garage and shed for projects, lawnmower, tools, etc. I'm chomping at the mafuggin' bit to have some shit to do.

Would like some pointers on a set of guitar tools. Basic maintenance, intonation, string height adjustment. Etc.

Many of you do your own work. With all the experience in your brains and on your workbenches, where would you start?

I'm not planning on starting my own production line, but I want tools that will last, or perhaps survive until I develop a more steady hand.