I'm in the market for a multi pattern LDC and the Sony's have caught my eye. Do these get much use? What is a fair price? They seem to be around $800 to $1000 for a c38 or c48. And 1,400 for a c37p. At the studio we have two tlm193's and an Oktava mk-319 so I'm looking for something different. Also open to suggestions. Something that could be used for vocals but is also a general purpose mic.

All the Sony LDC are good. I would rank them in this way, good to not as good (with what I think would be a reasonable price, working condition).C37a ($1.5k-2k)C48 ($1k-1.5k)C500 ($1k-2k)C37p ($750-1k)C38 ($500-1k)The C48 is the most versatile and quietest of the bunch. In my opinion, the best for the money. The phantom powered (p) mics are low output and noisy because of it. C37a is just plain good, but not $5000 good. For that money, you can get two better mics. It's worth noting that the older Sony condenser mics are wired pin 3 hot, and the non 48v phantom mics can be modified to run off phantom if needed. Also, I've noticed people didn't care for these mics as much as something branded Neumann or AKG, so definitely have a listening test of the specific mic before buying it (or have a good return policy). These mics are "darker" sounding (more low end) than modern LDCs. They typically don't have the harsh presence peak that is ubiquitous with new mics. This is a good thing.

Thanks. This is super helpful!