I have been using these ever since I got started with recording. They sound great on pretty much all drums except the kick drum, although I know people who even use it there. The real selling point is using these on toms though, as they really shine in that situation and that's what these mics are primarily known for. They aren't so great above around 6k, so you wouldn't really want to use these for vocals or anything that you want to sparkle. But anything that you want to have some real substance and bite would do well to do be recorded with a 421. These mics are relatively cheap to come by, so they are definitely worth picking up. They are a great value considering the awesome sounds you can get through these. I couldn't imagine recording drums without them, so I would of course get them again.

I have been using the D112 for around three years. It is very durable, and never breaks up when faced with a strong bass drum or bass guitar signal. That is what I like most about the microphone - what more could one ask? It replicates sound extremely well, with clarity and punch. I have not used any of the comparable microphones that are on the market, because the D112 is known to be the industry standard. Given the durability of the product, and the excellent results that it produces, I believe it to be a great value for anyone serious about replication of bass drum or guitar tones for live or studio purposes. If mine were stolen or lost, you can be sure that I would be pulling together my resources to purchase a new one. As a steadily working musician, I could not begin to count the number of D112's that I have seen on stage or in the studio over the years. The fact that its use is so widespread amongst working musicians and studio owners speaks volumes about the product. Additionally, AKG is one of the most respected names in the industry, and has been producing fantastic microphones for at least 50 years. Obviously, I would have no problem in recommending this microphone to anyone, and also have no problem in giving it a perfect score on this review.

I have had this one for a few years. I got it on recommendation that is kind of like a brighter, clearer SM57. I borrowed one to try it out, and used it on a snare drum and a guitar cabinet. It definitely beat out the SM57 in both categories, and sounded almost more like a Sennheiser 421. The transients are more crisp which is great for the snare drum, and the guitar distortion seemed to have more bite on it and sounded more alive. I pretty much never use the SM57 anymore after buying my own beta 57 - this one sounds better almost every single time. It's also just as rugged as the SM57, you could probably throw this mic against the wall and it would work fine. You can also twist off the grille cap if you need to clean it out. If you use this for vocals of any kind, you're bound to get a lot of dried up gunk stuck in the foam part under the metal grille which can worsen the sound, so it's worth giving it a good cleaning once in a while. It's really not that much more expensive than the SM57, so it's definitely worth the upgrade if you can afford it, it's a great value. I would definitely get it again.

I was first introduced to the ND/767a when I walked into a music store to purchase a Shure Beta 58a. I specifically needed a mic that would perform well when used for female vocals in a live situation. The salesman went to the mic room and returned with the Beta58 and the 767a; he invited me into an isolated room to test-drive the two mics side by side. He was confident I'd like the 767 better. I wound up buying the Beta58 that day, but regretting it later. I'm now in the process of replacing ALL my live vocal mics with the ND/767a. Yes, I own Beta58's and other vocal mics, but I'm willing to fight for my right to one of the 767's on a gig.

These mics are ideal for every live vocal application. Great richness to the sound, thanks to the Voice-Optimized Bass" technology - great for ladies or gents, country music or R&B. Being a lady, I love having this mic on any gig which requires I rap; it represents my voice with grea, warm, clear tone. My words flow through crisply to the mixer, and my tone is nice and thick. I also love them on my jazz and reggae gigs - this mic does justice to Diana-Krall-type sultriness, dance hall vocals, rap and soul singing.

Great pickup radius on this mic, although the best sounds are - of course - produced when the vocalist is within 3 inches of the grill. The comfy handle is easy to grip, even if your palms are a little sweaty, and the grill is coated with a rubberized black substance. This reduces the number of times my guitar player and bass player shock themselves on the gill while playing their instruments. Fair warning, though: this mic doesn't fit well into some brand-specific mic clips, other than the EV clips included with the mic in purchase. No "universal" mic clip is too small for it, but Shure and Senheiser clips can't hold it.

I started my 767 collection about a year ago, and have had some great compliments on the mic itself. Just to give an idea, I was once on a gig with several other vocalists, who were using several models/brands of mics. The client stood in the middle of the room during sound check, asking the sound man again and again to "make ALL the mics sound like that black one she's got!" He was referring to my ND/767a. There was nothing the sound man could do - no amount of tweaking could make any other mic sound like this one.

On a second occasion, also on a gig with several other vocalists (who were using various Shure and Audix mics), the sound man buried his head in the mixer as we checked the mics down the front line. I was fourth in line. "Mic check, one." "Mic check, two." "Mic check, three." "MIC CHECK, FOUR." Without looking up from the mixer, the sound man came back on the talkback mic and asked, "Is that an EV mic? S'gotta be."

Price-wise, this mic is comparable to the Shure Beta58a (around $150-190 from most retailers) and outperforms the Beta58a. Mine are all completely worth the price I paid for them; I'd like to replace ALL my live vocal mics with these.

I'm very loyal to my microphones, once I find a model that does the job - and this is one mic that I cannot have enough of in my collection. I've owned one SM57 for five years, and found so many uses for it that I invested in another pair 18 months ago. This is an excellent mic to add to your collection if you play in a band and mic your instruments, or if you'd like to record yourself playing an instrument in a studio situation. This is such a gracious, put-me-where-you-need-me addition to your mic locker or bag.

I've used these mics in live shows to amplify guitar cabinets, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, hand drums, snare drum, and on occasion, voices. (Although, for vocal applications, vocalists will practically need to swallow the grill to be amplified well - not much of a pickup range on this mic for vocals, so stay close to it while singing.) No matter which instrument's being played into the SM57, it produces clear, clean signal; especially when used for a live horn application these mics refuse to "fert." Almost any instrumental application is easily handled by this versatile workhorse.

In the studio, our house sound engineer lined up a Neumann mic alongside an SM57 and had a tenor sax player lay down a take. On playback, we decided the signal recorded by the more expensive, large-diaphragm Neumann mic was going to be unusable. Put to the Pepsi Challenge against a studio mic costing several times more, the Shure mic produced the punchier, more cutting sound necessary for the track.

For the price, this mic just can't be beat. Selling for under $100 in most retail stores and online, anyone investing in a good microphone can afford to consider the SM57. Shure has long been working men's gear, available and affordable for working local musicians, yet used and respected by international touring professionals.

Given the choice to do it all over again, I'd invest my money in the exact same three SM57's I have now. Whenever I'm micing up a stage I always run out of 57's before I'm ready, so I guess I should go get another pair of them. I own other instrumental mics designed for live and studio applications, and I'm just really pleased with the 57's.

I have had this for a few years. I don't believe they are made anymore but you see them on ebay and at used dealers. My favorite feature of this mic is the switch on the handle, that has come in handy a few times for me. Also these are almost as cheap as it gets for microphones, so if you just want something that works, it's hard to go wrong. The sound quality as I said is relatively poor, so you get what you pay for there. One other benefit is that this mic does seem resistant to feedback, so you can get a good amount of gain from it before you start having problems. Since it's so cheap, it's hard for this not to be a good value. But any serious musician should probably invest in something that sounds a little better. I would probably not get this again, but this is good for beginners.

I have been using these since I started with music. They have been around for a long time and are still in wide use. They are very versatile and cheap to buy, so they are everywhere. Some common applications are guitar cabinets, drums, vocals, bass cabinets, and almost anything else. They have a presence peak which can help things be more clear and audible. There is also a roll off in the lower frequencies, which can help proximity effect and add to clarity. These things are like a rock, you could throw it at the wall and it would work fine. I have used a lot of other microphones. From beginners to seasoned pros, almost everyone uses these in some capacity. They are the go to mic for most people on guitar cabs and snare drums especially. They usually come with a soft case and a clip, so that cuts down on other costs too. If you have a very delicate instrument that you want to record, like a violin or maybe a soft female voice, this obviously is not a good choice. But for hard loud sources like drums and guitars, this will do the job and you don't have to worry about blowing out a capsule like on a condenser. For the price, it's hard to beat them. Many people own several of them. If you are looking for your first microphone, this is probably the one to get. I would definitely get it again, and probably will.

I have had this for a long time, it was a gift. I like the ruggedness of this mic, I have dropped it many times and it still works fine. The sound is not amazing, so you wouldn't want to use this in the studio. It does even sound a little bit muffled. A sound engineer told me he adds treble to it when we play live. However everything else about it I am very pleased with. It doesn't feedback very much too, which is great for when you're playing live. I have used other models of this type of microphone. The closest one I can think of is the SM58. Really, I can't tell the difference between the two of them other than with looks. These are not that much money, so they're a good value for dependable vocal microphones for live performance. I have few complaints about it so I'd get it again.