recommendations for a low to mid end condenser mic

[lincolnic]

Forgot to mention that I don't like the KSM32 at all - I've tried it a couple of times and always found it harsh.

Sometimes negative feedback is important too!

[jkokura]

The Rode NT1A is also nice.

And apparantly highly moddable. I think that's something that DIYers like. You can easily get an NT1A and an AT4040 used for less than $300.

Jacob

[nzCdog]

I just got an AT2035... nice mic for the price, check out some reviews

[Kipper4]

A lot of people like the vg69 IIRC. But Jons recommendation is good too the sm57 is so versatile. Obviously it won't suit all voices but its always worth having for the money.
If you want you could always go cheap and get a clone gls es57. I have a pair and love those too. Qaulity may vary. One of mines better than the other.
Others include the octava mk12. Se mics are quite good too.

[rullywowr]

Full disclaimer:   I work for Sennheiser so I am definitely biased 

With that being said, you should take a serious look at the Sennheiser MK4 condenser mic and compare to others.  It retails for $299 USD.

What sets this mic apart from the competition is the following:
1)  It is a "true" (not electret) condenser...more explanation below
2)  It is handmade in Germany (not Asia or Mexico)
3)  It carries a 2 year warranty in the USA.
4)  It is made in the same factory that the Neumann capsules are made in (in medical grade clean rooms that are dust free to a few microns, the same they make ICs in or Heart Catheters).  Sennheiser owns Neumann since the 90's in case you didn't know.
5)  It has a 1" large diaphragm (larger the diaphragm, more sensitive)
5)  It is really a lot of mic for the money and a supreme bargain for what it is.
6)  All the expertise in making the "rolls royce" Neumann mics over the years go into this bad boy.

People throw around the term "condenser" all the time however there are several different types.  The difference between a true condenser and an electret are as follows:

True Condenser = needs a bias voltage to energize a backplate and create the capacitor circuit.  The diaphragm sits on the backplate which is tuned (drilled) to the frequencies that suit it best.  The +48v phantom power helps make all this happen.  Having a larger diameter diaphragm adds to the sensitivity.  The best mics in the world all follow this principle (U87, U67, U49 etc).

Electret Condenser = also known as "pre polarized" or "permanently polarized" uses a thin layer of electret material.  This material is a thin layer of usually mylar which is superheated and then charged with high power electromagnets.  When the material cools off, it retains a charge.

Most microphones we experience in daily life today are of the electret principle and subsequently ubiquitous.  There are featured everywhere we go: kids toys, telephone handsets, cellphones, automotive applications, voice recorders, digital cameras.  They are typically made by the hundreds of thousands in some factory in Asia.  This is where they get a bad rap because of the billions made each year in quantity, there has to be some variance in performance...

Electrets have small diaphragms and also use phantom power, but in a different way than "true condensers."  The electret circuitry itself is a small preamp which boosts the minute signal up to at least a mic level.  True condensers, use the voltage to polarize the backplate and make the whole "large diaphragm" concept work.

Not saying that there can't be some great electret capsules out there, however all the mics you find in the best studios are going to be true condenser (and usually predominately Neumann).  So check the spec sheets, find out where they are made, and do a little research.  It is so easy to throw the word "condenser" around but it could be a number of types (true condenser, electret condeser, RF condenser, and so forth).

For the money, you will not find another mic in the same price range that has all the features listed above like the MK4.

Edit:  If you have a little more budget to spend, check out the Neumann TLM102 (around $700USD) or even the TLM49 (around $1500 USD).

[jkokura]

I'll have to add that one to the list of mics I'd like to try... you don't have one I could borrow, do you?

I will mention that the AT4040 is also a true condenser, is externally biased, and has a 1" capsule. And honestly, I don't think it's a bad thing that it's made in Asia. Chinese manufacture sometimes gets a bad rap, but it's not all bad, and the Audio Technica stuff doesn't deserve any bad rap.

I do know that every Sennheiser I've used I've liked. The e609, the e906, and the MD421 are also studio standards.

Jacob

[stecykmi]

i'm fairly certain the at4040 is made in japan.

[stecykmi]

Full disclaimer:   I work for Sennheiser so I am definitely biased 

With that being said, you should take a serious look at the Sennheiser MK4 condenser mic and compare to others.  It retails for $299 USD.

What sets this mic apart from the competition is the following:
1)  It is a "true" (not electret) condenser...more explanation below
2)  It is handmade in Germany (not Asia or Mexico)
3)  It carries a 2 year warranty in the USA.
4)  It is made in the same factory that the Neumann capsules are made in (in medical grade clean rooms that are dust free to a few microns, the same they make ICs in or Heart Catheters).  Sennheiser owns Neumann since the 90's in case you didn't know.
5)  It has a 1" large diaphragm (larger the diaphragm, more sensitive)
5)  It is really a lot of mic for the money and a supreme bargain for what it is.
6)  All the expertise in making the "rolls royce" Neumann mics over the years go into this bad boy.

*snip*

For the money, you will not find another mic in the same price range that has all the features listed above like the MK4.

Edit:  If you have a little more budget to spend, check out the Neumann TLM102 (around $700USD) or even the TLM49 (around $1500 USD).

very interesting. without actually trying either of them, i think i like the frequency response of the MK4 a little more than the AT4040, mostly because the high end seems a little less EQ'd, it doesn't have the high-Q peaks at the 7kHz and 12kHz marks.

ps sounds like a cool job, i would love to work for an audio electronics company. are you based in Germany?