Garth wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:00 am or a series of these on each one

This feels better than a actual cock most of the time.

Musician's Friend is blowing out open box/scratch & dent Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster for $319.99

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars ... tar/l21008

$299 Beyerdynamic M88s on Amazon

I know they get price blow outs from time to time but that amount seemed fair enough

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:50 am $299 Beyerdynamic M88s on Amazon

I know they get price blow outs from time to time but that amount seemed fair enough

About 6 months ago they had them at $250. I ordered one and the next day they were back to $300. I'm almost sure it was a mistake. Still $300 is a good deal.

Maybe we need a tech room version of the indie rock confessions but the M88, while sounding fine, never really sounded like 2x as good for 2x the price of other similar dynamic mics to me (and probably 3x at "normal" prices). And they were almost always feedback generators on stage when singers brought them up (certainly in no small part due to my wedges being dialed in for 58s so fair play there). I also remember thinking the pattern seemed wider than the usual cardioid? At least from what I could tell in the rushed, non-studio environment that a multi-band bill presents on stage.

What am I missing about this mic that makes that a good price? I know they have a dedicated following so what am I missing here? Maybe it's the unassuming profile that's got me all tricked and if it had some sort of distinctive build like a 441 or RE20 I'd be inclined to think differently, but can say the same about Beyer ribbons too I guess.

Can't say for sure w/r/t live use, but in studio it's an excellent kick mic and pairs really well with a ribbon on e-guitar.

I finally bought an M88 late last year. The output is slightly hotter than a 58, haven't noticed the polar pattern being more or less prone to interference or feedback yet. In my opinion, it's just a fantastic toolbox mic. You could record a whole album with one and still have a really broad spectrum of frequencies represented. I love it as a quick to set up, nothing to adjust vocal mic, but it also sounds great on bass and guitar cabs. I haven't tried it on drums or percussion sources yet. It's in the category of two of my other favorite mics that get used on everything; RE20 and MD421, but it has it's own special appeal. The RE20 needs a lot more gain to get to same territory as the M88. I still love the RE20, but it can feel a little flat and distant sometimes on voice or generally quieter sources due to the lack of proximity effect. When I'm using the MD421 on vocals (or, often, amplified vocals) I'm never sure where I want the roll off positioned. The M88 does the lower frequencies in my voice without sounding dull or "stuffed up". The first time I set it up to do some vocals I loved it immediately. One of those rare moments where I put on the headphones and starting singing and could tell right away that it was just what I wanted.

M88 has a really cool proximity effect. It seems more severe than a 57/8 and gets kinda subby without being marble mouthed like a 58 (seems lower focused and les of a low mid bump, dunno how else to describe it). It can be pretty great for female vocals if you use a high pass, though kinda sensitive to mouth pop. The high mids are less pinched sounding than a 58 to me. I love them on toms, and outside a kick drum (use a pop screen). I've used mine on the beater side of a kick with no hole and liked it. As far as the price, yeah a 58 is a lot cheaper, but a lot of dynamics are more expensive than a 58. It's just different. I think of it as more of an alternative to a 421 than a SM58. The Beyer M69 is more of the 58 competitor to me, and a lot closer comparison. They few times I've had a M88 for vocals doing live sound, I have indeed thought a SM58 would be just fine, but live sound is really more about getting off the ground than doing barrel rolls to me. What ever gets the job done is the right tool. Recording is where I think a M88 is worth it's (not really absurd) price. I have 2 and use them all the time.

I've never bothered with an M88 live for a lot of the reasons you described, Garth. That said, for the studio, I love the ribbon pairing that mdc mentioned and it's a great mic for loud vocalists when singing. Jim used an M88 on the 2nd and 3rd Hungry Man records and that was the mic JJ used for the Daddy's Boy record as well. Fits a nice niche of a good sounding mic for recording that can also be hand-held when called for in the studio.

Be careful with m88s on kicks. They do have their physical limits. (probably fine for your padded down, open res head type music)