The Microphones:

MXL V63M ($70)

MXL 992 ($150)

Studio Projects B3 ($200)

R0DE NT1-A Anniversary ($230)

Studio Projects C1 ($240)

AKG Perception 400 ($300)

Shure KSM27 ($300)

M-Audio Solaris ($300)

Rode NT1000 ($330)

AKG C 3000 B ($350)

Audio-Technica AT4033CL ($400)

Audio-Technica AT3060 Tube ($400)

Groove Tube GT-57 FET ($480)

Sterling Audio ST77 FET ($500)

The Test

I don’t have the facilities to conduct this test as scientifically as I would have liked, but I think we did a good job all things considered. We used the cardioid pattern on all mics with apologies to the fact that the value of some of the mics lies in their ability to serve other purposes. We tested on male and female vocals, electric guitar through a Les Paul Standard and Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue and acoustic guitar with a Martin DSR. We marked placement from the source at 6 inches for both male and female vocal performers, set and left the gains on the preamp (SPL Channel One), made an on and off axis recording from the Fender at 1.5 inches as well as an ambiance track from two feet. We recorded the mics at the sound hole and closer to the neck on the acoustic guitar, and…I may have cause my friend Brian to develop a blood clot from not moving for over 4 hours. The bad side to all this is that you have to keep everything uniform for all mics, which isn’t really comparable to real world conditions. As an example, having the singer move closer or futher away in relation to the mic, sing above it or below it and add EQ can produce great results with a less than desireable mic, but we had to know what the qualities were if all things were equal.

In The Booth

Only three left to test!

The Results

Overall Favorite – Sterling Audio ST77 FET

Our overall winner, and yes, we plugged it in for the test.

The ST77 was top three on male and female vocals and our top choice for acoustic guitar. Aside from the AT4033CL, few other mics were good for both sets of vocals. I was hoping this wouldn’t be the case as it’s the most expensive mic we had access to for this review and we’re all about consumer grade value, but…

Female Vocals – Audio-Technica AT4033CL

The AT4033CL edged out the Sterling, but not by much. Both gave a nice warmth to our vocalist’s pop sensibilities and pleasing volume delivery. Other notables were the AKG C 3000 B and MXL 992.

Male Vocals – Studio Projects C1

Unlike most of the tests we ran, there was a clear winner here. A few other mics had good showings that were superior to most, but the C1 delivered quite nicely.

Best Tube – Audio-Technica AT3060 Tube

There wasn’t a clear winner here, but the AT3060 claimed dominance. I abstained from voting because I paid for it, but to be honest, there wasn’t a lot of difference between it and the Studio Projects B3. Neither were stellar on any source and none of us felt that “tube warmth” so coveted by recording enthusiasts.

Electric Guitar – Rode NT1000

Let’s face it, if you were going to record electric guitar, you’d probably use Royer R-121’s or SM57’s. True to form, nothing did a fantastic job close to the speaker, though some were decent off axis. The Rode handled ambiance recording nicely, however, with the Shure KSM27, Sterling ST77, AKG Perception 400 and Audio-Technica AT4033CL not far behind.

Acoustic Guitar - Sterling Audio ST77 FET

The Sterling brought better warmth and clarity than all others, though there were some surprises below it. We all liked the MXL V63M at the soundhole (though it was shrill at the neck) and enjoyed the Rode NT1-A at both positions.