^ I've been using KSM137/141s for like 15 years. All of this is true. A Josephson e22 can beat them on snare or toms, but that's at 3x the $. Not to mention many other things they can do that e22s weren't made for (overhead, acoustic instruments etc).
It's taken me that many years to even think about buying another SDC (I'm Soyuz curious) and that's more out of mic lust than any practical need.
Re: Gear: TALK ME OUT OF IT or JUSTIFY MY PURCHASE?
962Might keep an eye out for a used pair. Any excuse to buy more mics, ya know?eephus wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 5:13 pm KSM137/141 very hard to beat for a small diaphragm condenser. Easy to place, and they sound good on lots of stuff. Excellent snare mic that can take a hit.
The preamp is (or at least was) the same one that is in the KSM9 vocal mic. I had to shrink it into the KSM mic heads for the Shure wireless things, so I got to know them pretty well.
I thought the 137/141s sounded better than the SM81. The 81 has a flatter response, but I think extra lows in a small diaphragm mic aren't necessarily great, and if you run the 137/141 flat, it's plenty full sounding for what it is. If I'm using a SDC I probably want a bit of a lift on the "air" side of things, which the 137/141 has that built-into it. The 137/141 paired with a good ribbon mic is very nice for acoustic guitar.
The mechanical polar pattern switch on the 141 is worth the extra money. For strictly snare, doesn't matter, you'll want cardioid anyway. But the omni setting on the 141 is pretty great for a front-of-kit excitement effect or a big open ambient sound on whatever.