Shure PG81 Small Diaphragm Condenser

This microphone is quite the workhorse. It's on the low end of Shure's offerings for condenser mics... you can usually find it retailing for around $100. It far outperforms anything else anywhere near that price range. In fact, its the best sub $200 condenser I've tried (there's lots of buzz about the Oktava MK012, which I've had a bad experience with... in my experience the PG81 yields a much cleaner sound, but I digress). It's primarily an instrument microphone, it seems to shine most on acoustic guitar, but I've also gotten excellent sounds from using it on certain electric guitar sounds as well as drum overheads.

This guy shines with high-frequency sounds, particularly acoustic guitar sounds where you want to hear alot of picking or fretting. It does lose detail in the mid range, around 2k Hz. While this can be convenient, especially for example using the PG81 to record acoustic guitar that will be mixed with vocals, I've found it can make mixing something like drum overheads a bit frustrating. Because of the high boost built in to the microphone (see the freq responseIt has a very clean sound with an extremely low noise floor. Its perfect for anything that has alot of complex chart to the right), you'll find the mids will get a little muddy.

Still, the highs come out crystal clear. I use PG81's frequently for drum overheads on load rock projects and especially with drummers who do alot of washy cymbal action... it captures the good parts without getting in the way of other instruments. It also shines in a stereo XY pair mimcing the fretboard of an acoustic guitar.

The PG81 is powered either via phantom or with a single AA battery. While it's windscreen may not stand up to more than a hit or two from a hard hitting drummer, in general, it has the famous Shure durability. If you're looking for a cheap, versatile instrument mic, this one is highly recommended.