Neumann - KM 54a

Fet 47 is essentially a non tube U47 and basically the original 87. I’ve heard United Studios makes a good clone. Neumann KM86 is a side address small diaphragm FET condenser. Very popular on acoustic guitar. Has multiple patterns, fig8, omni. All around cool mic. Probably hard to find a clone or something comparable these days. Neumann KM54 is another side address small diaphragm. It is tube. I believe it shares the same capsule as a KM84. A fun mic. Probably not going to find any modern mics like this one either. ATM450 is a good sounding SDC that is side address, but I wouldn’t put it in the same league as the previous 2. Sennheiser MK4 is my favorite <$500 mic. Very natural sounding.

Every studio should have most of the mics needed to do the bread-and-butter job, plus some talking pieces to get clients go "ooooh", like vintage U67s, a 44bx, KM54s, an M49, an M380, a 666, some 409s. (and to satsify the YouTube clientele an SM7b and an RE20)

another great mic that is clearer and even more feedback resistant is the audix om5. i wouldnt go usb mic. get some scarlett interface. then you could also use condenser mics for stereo recording guitars etc… lewitt lct 040 are grwat small condensers. almost up with my neumanns km… a great underrated large condenser mic is shure sm27, rugged designed for stage use, integrated pop protection. got mine used for 120. cheap china ribbons can je great with a cloudlifter…tbone rb700 fat warm deep…love it. and to throw in another polar pattern: its figure 8! recording from both back amd fromt and deaf at the sides. some might call it bidirectional.

Those are great for shows/touring. But for vocals, you definitely want a condenser. I used the MXL for years, and then I got a VERY good deal on Amazon on a Neumann.

I have an mxl condenser mic that works well, but just bought a Neumann condenser mic off Amazon. In the studio, they always said they used the $4k Neumann on me. Not sure that it is a knock off, but supposedly the same one Billie eillish uses and it sounds great. Under $400.

It matters massively and you’ll see that with experience your ears will learn to recognise the difference. It doesn’t matter how much you process a 57, it won’t compare to a Neumann, no matter what you do to it. It might sound cool in a different way, but you won’t get the high fidelity of a top notch condenser, if that’s the sound you’re going for. Think about this: If you go for an “expensive” vocal sound and have a U 87 and maybe a nice compressor, you won’t need to process it much, maybe a bit of eq and some reverb / delay. In that case you’d be MIXing. If you have a 57, you’ll have to use a ton of processing to make it sound more “expensive”. You’ll have to use multiple compressors, color eqs, cut resonances, etc. in that case you would be FIXing. Makes sense?