SDC for Acoustic Guitar under ?125?

[dickiefunk]

Hi,

I'm looking to add a small diaphragm condenser to my collection for recording acoustic guitars.
My budget is ?125 and after doing some looking around my shortlist is :-

MXL v67n - ?125
Sontronics STC-1 - ?115 (including free capsules worth ?80)
Avantone CK1 - ?114
Golden Age FC4 - ?69

I would like a mic with swappable capsules for different recording applications and I would also like to add a Michael Joly MJE-K47H capsule at a later date.

Does anyone on here have any experiences with these mics?

How does the Golden Age FC4 compare to the others?

[mrc]

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=270612 sounds great through an Api 312 type pre, and others.

[lancebug]

+1 on the pro 37. Its a really useful mic.

[dickiefunk]

Thanks for the replies! Unfortunately the Pro 37 doesn't have multiple capsules.
It look like the Golden Age FC-4 and Avantone CK1 are pretty much the same mic??

If this is the case then I've narrowed my list down to the Golden Age FC-4 and Sontronics STC-10.

Anyone on here had any experience with the Golden Age FC-4??

[kslight]

Studio Projects C4 is pretty decent and has swappable capsules.

[dickiefunk]

Studio Projects C4 is pretty decent and has swappable capsules.

I can only seem to find them as matched pairs for ?326.99?

I think I've narrowed my list down to the Golden Age FC-4 and Sontronics STC-1.

Any user experiences with these???

[chris harris]

The Pro37r is very useful on tons of sources, even without swappable capsules. The Oktava mk012 is another that's quite useful. It has swappable capsules.

I've never used the mics that you seem to be sold on. I don't know anyone who's ever used the mics that you seem to be sold on. It seems odd that you're sold on those mics just because of features, when you don't seem to have a recommendation from someone who's actually used them.

Find a dealer who will let you buy several of these mics and return all but the one you plan to keep. There are dealers who will do this all over the world.

[kslight]

Studio Projects C4 is pretty decent and has swappable capsules.

I can only seem to find them as matched pairs for ?326.99?

I think I've narrowed my list down to the Golden Age FC-4 and Sontronics STC-1.

Any user experiences with these???

Find a used one? Surely someone has one on eBay or something..


If the intention is to put on a Joly capsule in the future then the no brainer answer is probably the Oktava..

I second the comment about lack of knowledge on the mics you are sold on...I've never even heard of them, let alone seen them recommended...

[littlesongs]

After reading and hearing a lot of nice hype, I had a brief affair with a pair of Avantone CK-1s. They were a great bargain and worked nicely, but found new homes after a few months of light use. I know that it all ought to boil down to how they sound, but sometimes that just isn't enough.

For starters, while CK-1s are hefty in your hand, there is something altogether fragile about them. As a piece of gear, they just don't seem made for the long haul. The switches felt flimsy and sometimes displayed a stubbornness that made you even more worried they might break. Sure, the box is wooden, but not in a sturdy war surplus way. It is built like a box of sweet smelling specialty soaps you might buy the significant other for Valentine's Day.

While the choice of capsules was nifty, as a home recorder, I found myself using the hyper-cardioid more than anything else. Every time I changed them, the CK-1 reminded me that it had just a few turns of fine thread connecting dissimilar metals. One day in the future, that design mistake is bound to cause a problem and the survivors will be regularly seen with electrical tape. While I'm being picky, I also hated the brittle clear plastic cases for the capsules.

In my limited experience, the Oktava system is far superior from a durability standpoint and has many more choices available in terms of stock and modded capsules.

With all that said, Avantone still gets a big thumbs up from me. The shock mount for the CK-1 works fantastic with my Pro37.

[Brett Siler]

Oktava MC012's if you want a great sounding SDC that has swapable capsules. They sounds great on many many different sources, including AC guitar.

[mjau]

Oktava MC012's if you want a great sounding SDC that has swapable capsules. They sounds great on many many different sources, including AC guitar.

Yep. They do a lot of things nicely.

[casey campbell]

the at pro37 is killer. who needs swappable capsules? ha ha

if the capsule thing is a must, then the octava (as everyone is telling you), is the best for that kind of money.

but man, it's hard to beat a pro37 on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, upright bass, snare, drum oh's, piano, etc etc etc for that little of money!