AKG PERCEPTION 220 Professional Studio Microphone for general purpose with one inch true condenser large diaphragm capsule. Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had this mic now for about 3 months and have done a number of recordings of drums, vocals and acoustic guitar and mandolin with it. Due to its design, it is obviously not good for live performances with lots of electric and amplified instruments, but in a studio session where you isolate individual instruments, it is the best microphone I have ever used. It reproduces the sound "going in" very accurately, over an impressively large range of frequencies, without any colorations at all.
Specifically I used it for an overhead mic for a drumset, and both the cymbals and toms were nicely picked up. For vocals, it is best to sing into it at a distance of 0.5 - 2 feet, depending on how powerful the respective voice is. The same holds true for acoustic instruments like guitars and mandolin. It is a spectacular experience to play an acoustic guitar into this microphone and listen to the PA output or monitor. A friend of mine likened it to "being able to stick your head into the body of the guitar".
Very highly recommended.

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CAD Audio KBM412 Dynamic Microphone, Cardioid Review

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(More customer reviews)Good mic, nice pickup. The mount is a little shaky here and there, but thats mainly because of it being right at the back of the mic. Use a nice weighted stand to keep it steady, and on position, and youre away.

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Shure PG81-LC Instrument Condenser Microphone, Cardioid Review

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(More customer reviews)I use 2 of these overhead for recording my drum set, they sound great and capture my crash, hihat and ride cymbals perfectly. I haven't used the batteries to power it, only phantom power on a cheapo samson mixer and it always works fine. Ive had 2 of these for about a year now with no faults.

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Studio Projects B1 Vocal Condenser Microphone, Cardioid Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm so happy with this mic. After going through two other condensers (an MXL990 and a Shure KSM27) which I got rid of, I'm finally content. The best thing is that the price is outstanding. This mic is priced far lower than what it should be.
The Studio Projects B1 has a wonderfully warm low end to it that still has detail. I have a midrange voice, and it fits me very well. The highs are not so overly "essy", as many other cheaper mics are. They are clear and just right. I barely feel a need to add much for EQ.
My previous experience with an MXL 990 was not a good one. I returned it in a day, due to the muddy lows and weird high end. I also had a Shure KSM27, which is probably better suited for high-pressure sound applications than VO's. I didn't care for its boxy highs sound, and sold that off.
The Studio Projects B1 is just incredible for the price. You can actually hear it if you do a web search on transom dot org mic shootout. It sounds better than mics costing thousands.
Really, an outstanding product. People say the C1 is better, but I just can't imagine myself needing it -- I'm so thrilled with this B1 for VO work.
The only con I'd say is the rather cheap basket holder. It comes with a free windscreen, though, which is a nice touch.
Remember, v2 of his mic has the extra -10 and -20 pad switch, as well as a two low-cut modes at -75, and I believe -150. Both work fairly well.
Get it!

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Samson C02 Stereo Pair Condenser Microphones Review

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(More customer reviews)[Edited for usefulness on 11/15]
I can't bring myself to be super-critical of the Samson C02, because in spite of my occasional dissatisfaction it does have a lot going for it. I've had my pair for about a year, and I use them frequently as overheads on the drum kit, on acoustic guitar, and as "room sound" mics for vocals.
For the latter two applications they are adequate, or at least I can't complain. Unfortunately as drum overheads they have been disappointing, and this is what I primarily wanted to use them for. To my ears they sound a little thin and lack presence and clarity, especially on cymbals. I like the overheads to get a detailed overall picture of the drum kit, so that's a drag. Another bummer is that there are no switches on the mic - something like a bass cut or -10dB pad would have been nice. Without a pad switch, putting this mic under a snare drum is a recipe for disaster. Or maybe you could just ask the drummer to play quieter?
So I guess when it comes to small-diaphragm condensers I still haven't found what I'm looking for. The bad news is that the $400-$700 price bracket is apparently where I have to look next. On most of my projects over the last year I have been able to use a famous similar type of microphone made by AKG, and the comparison is not exactly flattering. Of course, a pair of AKG's "Microphone X" costs about ten times what you're looking at here. And maybe we've come to the root of why it's hard for me to say a lot of nasty things about my Samson CO2s. They are so, so cheap for what you get, namely: a pair of condenser mics, two mini shock-mount/mic clips, two windscreens, and a sturdy, padded plastic carrying case. My griping aside, these things do a borderline-acceptable job as overheads, and in other applications (such as acoustic guitar) they are quite useful. I would probably recommend them to beginning engineers, people on a recession budget, or to anyone looking to keep a couple of budget mics on hand. More serious project studios and home recordists might want to save up for something a little nicer.

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