found these microphones...

ChrisMusic

OK ~ so I just found a microphone box with a few old mics in, and I can't remember for the life of me what I used them for, or what they are best suited to ~ help...

So here is the challenge ~ what do you think their strengths are, and what would you use them for ?

What was in the rather tiny box?

Sennheiser 441

Calrec 654

Calrec 1050 (pair)

AKG 202

Sure SM57 (the ubiquitous one!)

and some other old dynamic, probably AKG I think

ChrisMusic

Putting a call out to recordists who may be able to help ?

You guys know your way around a microphone, or two !

~ @randomhandclaps @Drew_fx @Cirrus @Danny1969

Drew_TNBD

Ultimately I'd experiment... but the calrec's might be tasty for acoustic guitar. The 202 I'd try on a guitar cab, and the 441 I'd probably use on a bass cab. The SM57 I'd use on top of a snare, but I'd tape it together with a condenser to get two flavours.

PolarityMan

The calrec 1050s look like they would be good for overheads.

The senheiser probably vocals or guitar cabs.

Obvs the SM57 works well for almost anything, guitar cabs, vocals, snare, toms etc

Danny1969

I've never used any of those mics except the 57 and the senn ....so I would first have a little play with each mic to see what the sensitivity and frequency response is like

If the Senn mic is the expensive MD441 I know then that's a real gem and ideal for top or bottom snare, as it doesn't turn the hi hat bleed into an ugly sound like the 57 and other similar mics do with their mid humps .... the 441 is a really flat mic frequency response wise and good for pretty much any direct close sounds

I wish I could find a box that that

ChrisMusic

Cheers for the responses guys, much appreciated.

It would / will be nice to be in a position to experiment with these again, plus a few others I had squirrelled away from my "past life", definitely the best strategy, when I can do that.

The best I can remember of the Calrecs is that they have a beautiful delicacy to them, and very accurate, so good for overheads, ambients, hats etc, and very nice on acoustic and 12 string.  Good for classical instruments too, and piano, IIRC.  Nice to get some feedback on use from you guys currently recording, so thanks.

Not sure I ever found a particular use for the 202, so thanks for some starting pointers.  Nice looking microphones these.

Yes Danny, the Sennheiser is a MD441U, nice to get some advice on that, as I have no recollection of anything I used it for in particular.  The long construction appears to offer the promise of a controlled pickup pattern, so that makes a lot of sense.  Never tried it on vocals AFAIK.

Good call on taping a Calrec to a 57 on snare, that should work nicely.  Compact, and keep the condenser away from stick hits too !

No idea what sort of SPLs these mics will tolerate, so that's one for experimentation too I guess.

They were all sitting in an old cassette case from years back, and left under the seat of my car, must have put it there when I moved house a few years ago, so they are all thoroughly road tested now !  :o3

Cirrus

MD441, nice! I've only used one once so not enough to get to know it properly, but it's very well regarded on the recording forums - considered one of the great dynamic mics that can be used on pretty much anything - drums, bass instruments, brass... IIRC Fleetwood Mac used them as vocal mics sometimes.