Mics: high price classics vs lo/mid-priced clones

[dashamu]

It seems that all the mics I'm interested in fall into two categories.
$4K-$7K i.e. Neumann M149, Telefunken U47M, Ela M251 etc, or $2k and below i.e. Peluso, Lawson, Pearlman and the lower priced Telefunkens like the AK47.

Currently, my best mics are a Royer 121 and a Mojave M200. So, although I like these mics, I've borrowed an new M149 and vintage C12 for critical sessions and find them pretty amazing.

I know I need to upgrade to another level of LDC quality but I can't justify spending upwards of 5K to get what I want at this time. I can afford a clone and I'm leaning towards either the Peluso 2247LE or the Lawson L47MP MKII, with the AK47 being the 'dark' horse. I've read good things about all these mics but I don't really trust the MP3 shootouts. Too many variables to get a good idea of what these mics can do.

So, I'm wondering which one of these 'clones' will get me closer to the Holy Grail without
busting my budget. Any thoughts?

[Fletcher]

It depends on the mic and what you're trying to achieve.

These things are all just tools... now, some of these tools will suit your sense of aesthetic better than other tools... those are "good tools"... and the ones that don't suit your sense of aesthetic as well are "not the best tools for the way you work"... or in some cases "downright shitty tools"... but you are the final and only arbitor of what is what and who is who.

In my world I have a fairly extensive and somewhat expensive mic collection... sometimes one of the more expensive mics is what is best for an application... often one of the less expensive mics has the right texture and character for that situation... which in that case [also known as an isolated instance]... the less expensive mic is a better tool than the more expensive mic.

"Classic", "vintage", "clone", are all great words that cause gear to be sold... the proof is always at the end of the mic cable as the tonal result is what you will hear, not the age of the mic, the quality/character of the audio.

Judge them on their own merit and you'll be fine... start feeding into bullshit and you'll be lost.

Quite simple when you break it all down.

Peace.

[dashamu]

Thanks Fletcher,

I hear what you're saying and I try to adhere to the principle of hype avoidance.
I've discovered the proper 'tool' to get best out of my foggy basso voice is an M149.
It needs little EQ and brings a nice definition and presence to my sonically difficult vocal sound. That's why I like the C12 as well, not as transparently etched as the M149, but still defined in a pleasingly warm way.

That being said, I wouldn't put either of those in front of a guitar cabinet or in front of a fiddle player, maybe the C12, but probably not. I'd go for the ribbon.
But since I don't own either of those great tools, I'd like to increase my chances of getting a good sound from a variety of unpredictable sources. Ergo, my initial query.

I know $$$$ doesn't buy you happiness or the best mic for a specific source, but neither does $. So, I'll ponder my bank account and my upcoming sessions and figure it out. What will widen my choices? And what's the best bang for the buck?

Thanks for your thoughts. I respect them.

[chasman]

hey fletcher,

you are an awesome teacher.

sincerely,
charlie

[Grumblefoot]

Heard the Pearlman's at NAMM they sound excellent to my ears plus Dave is a super nice guy. Check them out you might just buy 10.