What's the crappiest/overrated "pro" mic you have

[capnreverb]

akg d112.

Crappy mic. Even looks crappy!

[calaverasgrandes]

The thing about hte D112, to me at least, is that it makes every kick drum sound like a basketball. ping! ping! ping!
OTOH it does take a sick amount of spl. I have seen them used (with a more distant LDC 4033 I think?) to mic up a Harley Davidson. I dont know of any other mic that can do the 150dB or so that the D112 claims it can take.
But I still like my TG-50 or even an SM57 on kick better.

[richt]

Hey All...I have to say that I do like the C1000 on Electric Guitar and I liked it before Andy Hong admitted it!! Agree that for lead vocal it is not a good choice. But for background Vox it can be a treat too! Whoever mentioned the "not pointing it at the source" thing hits it on the head!!! I've had mine for 16 years (one of the original grey ones) and am NOT getting rid of it!

Also agree about the D112. I've used them many times on Kik, but would choose an RE20 any day if one was available!

Also, the SM81...I've just never understood it, but have used it on hat many times!

Cheers,

Richt

[ctmsound]

D112. I have one, never use it, always makes a kick sound like poop.

Next would be the AT4040, such a bland and lifeless microphone.

[DupleMeter]

I also have a C3000 that doesn't get much love.

I'm the only person on here who ever sings the praises of the C4000B. Sometimes I think I'm the only person alive who even uses it.

I don't really like the Blue Babybottle. There, I said it.

I have to say - I do like the C4000B - not on everything, but it is a great mic for the right source (usually lower pitched stuff - and it makes a great room mic for a drum kit). The dip in the mids makes it a tad veiled - but that can play to your advantage in the right situations.

And - I concur on the TLM-103. Overrated crap. I was also a little disappointed with the KM184 at first, but once I gave it a workout and listened to it as it's own mic and not a "new 84", I started really liking it. Now they're my goto mics for acoustic strings.

[Digitrax]

I won't go into "crappiest" 'cause I've owned a lot of crappy mics, but here are the good mics I own (or have owned) that often get mistaken for great:

I won't mention C1000's, TLM-103's, etc. as the subject of the thread is most overrated mics, and while I don't find as many uses for 1000's as other mics, I don't think they enjoy a 'highly rated' reputation either. Ditto, the TLM-103 - overpriced maybe, but who rates these things that highly?

So...
The most overrated mics?

Neumann U87ai/U87i - I don't like them nearly as well as the original 87's, yet they still seem to garner more-than-respectable acclaim.

Vintage U47's and their clones - yes they're fantastic, but IMHO if you're gonna spend the big $ on a vintage mic, get an M49.

AT4033 - great mic, but if not for Jacko, these mics wouldn't have been considered one of the greats.

Shure SM57 - damn useful and always a good sounding, never a great sounding, mic. More revered for its history than its sound.

Beyer M160 - another great mic, but you'd think it was the second coming the way people talk about it.

Royer R121 - yeah I know, they're great on guitar cabs, but so is the AEA R84, and it gets 1/10th the attention.

Neumann KM84 - one of the most coveted mics out there, and a damn fine one too. But you can get Chameleon's TS1 or Fletcher's clone/copy for a lot less and be just as happy using it on anything you'd use a vintage 84 on.

Just my 2?

[casey campbell]

I also have a C3000 that doesn't get much love.

I'm the only person on here who ever sings the praises of the C4000B. Sometimes I think I'm the only person alive who even uses it.

I don't really like the Blue Babybottle. There, I said it.

i used to use an original c4000 and found it to be a pretty decent mic. of course i used it in a huge auditorium with great acoustics, not to mention micing really nice vintage instruments. maybe that had something to do with it!

[Recycled_Brains]

The thing about hte D112, to me at least, is that it makes every kick drum sound like a basketball. ping! ping! ping!

Thing about that is, any mic will make a drum sound like a basketball, if the drum sounds like a basketball in the first place. A D112 on a well-tuned bass drum sounds good.

[calaverasgrandes]

Thing about that is, any mic will make a drum sound like a basketball, if the drum sounds like a basketball in the first place. A D112 on a well-tuned bass drum sounds good.

if you are a lakers fan.