i second the AT pro37.

shure sm98 is also very nice on snare. usually my first choice.

-e

russ wrote:And that's for a good reason: it sounds really, really great.

Russ, what's the comparison between the 175 and the 165?

thanks,
Seth

I'll third the Beyer 201 and second the Josephson E22S.

If you've got the real estate, give a U87 a try.

I used a 57 on snare the other day (I didn't have my 201 with me) and was surprised by the good tone. I usually don't like 57 on snare.

Is it just me, or does $1200 seem a little absurd for a 165?

They're cool mics, though.

I'd suggest trying to get hold of a Shure KSM 141. I bought one when they first came out and I think it's a fantastic snare mic for most applications. It can take ridiculous SPLs, has a very functional low roll-off and low cut, and tends to represent the crispness of a snare drum very well without being "peaky" or unnaturally bright. There's a problem if you can't find one for less than $400 new.

For drums that require a little fatter sound, I usually use a Beyer M201 with another mic underneath the drum. These days, the KSM 141 is working really well for me as a bottom snare mic in this type of situation. For lighter playing and/or brushes, I prefer an AT 4050.

Hope this helps.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

josephson c42 (the one with the high output thingy). seriously

my 2 cents- as a fellow 57 hater-

my usual choices for snare mics are:
(in order of most-often-turned-to)

1. Altec 165+29B (or 175+29B or 201)
2. Beyer 201
3. Microtech/Gefell M300
4. Sennheiser 441
5. AKG C414EB (Cardioid mode)
6. Shure Beta 98
7. Shure KSM 141 (Cardioid mode)
8. Sennheiser 409

for me, after those choices aren't available, it's time to either get a different snare or get really creative!

spaghettilee wrote:

russ wrote:And that's for a good reason: it sounds really, really great.

Russ, what's the comparison between the 175 and the 165?

thanks,
Seth

Let me field this one Russ.
They are the same mic.
The 175 version is a little more stable.
The only difference is a 22k resistor. That can be easily added or removed.

I find the Pro37R unable to take the high levels of a snare. And it doesn't distort in an acceptable manner. YMMV of course.

Beyer 201 is nice, Audix I5 on a budget.

Earthworks mics are very "fast".

Chris