Gefell m295 and m300

[James Lehmann]

I'm afraid I can't offer you the comparison you seek with the 295's but I do have a pair of M300's that I'm very happy with.

Here's a hastily recorded clip of my friend jamming some jazz on his Yamaha C6 Grand, that I recorded using an ORTF pair of M300's and a Metric Halo ULN-2. I would stress that I had zero time to set up the mics properly and the recording was one-take only. I put the mics about 50cm above and a little back from the hammers as my friend likes quite a dry, tight sound for his piano, and the room is crap anyway.

M300's on Yamaha C6

Hope that helps in some way - the M300's are very good! I paid about €1100 (new) for a matched pair in a boxed stereo set with ORTF bar etc.

Of course, knowing Microtech Gefell's reputation for building great mics, and the generally very positive press they get on this and other Forums, I've no reason to believe that the 295's wouldn't be excellent too!

[eligit]

ditto. sorry i can't offer experience w/ the m295 but the m300 is good stuff at a very reasonable price for the sound.

not hyped. just nice clear sound.

[C/G]

I am pretty sure one of the differences that will relate to the price would be the capsule design. The 300 uses a gold sputtered mylar type whilst the 295 would be a nickle diaphragm.

[Audy O]

I have heard the M300 is great on steel string acoustic. I have KM54s, KM84s, KM184s and 451s which get a lot of use depending on the player/technique.

Anyone like to comment on how the M300 sounds both finger picked and with a flat pick on acoustic guitars?

Audy O

[Sean Holland]

M300 matched pair with the ORTF bar.

First time I tried them out, I set them up in XY config. and ran them through a Millennia HV-3C and from there into a MOTU 896HD. The M300s were about a metre away from me; I was sitting in a chair with my acoustic guitar with a headset on. I heard some loud click click click. Oh no, I thought, maybe a sample issue with the MOTU 896HD. I finally figured out that it was the sound of a clock about 2 metres behind me. Until that moment I had never noticed that the clock made any sound at all.

Using basically the same set up, except this time with me standing and facing a drummer and bass player, all with headsets on, I found I could play finger style (flesh, no finger picks) and comfortably rock out with the other players. Clear, clear, clear.

The only thing I have available for you to listen to is at
http://tinyurl.com/dv7t8
It's the one called Idjit's Stomp. I just set up the M300s in ORTF at one end of the garage, about 4.5 metres from the drummer. The bass player went line out from his amp into the interface. (This mix is a little bass heavy.) I put some cheap dynamic mic on my guitar amp. Then we just improvised this little rock thing. I think you can hear that, even with little care put into the set up, and even with it being in a crummy old garage not treated in any way, the drum sound isn't bad. I like it anyway.
I'm looking forward to doing more serious recording with my M300s.

[MichaelT]

Thanks for the replies thus far. I'm very picky about my acoustic guitar sounds and after doing a lot of thread searching on acoustic mics, these peaked my interest. Ofcourse much more money, but the Neumann KM54's also look nice. I need for whatever mic it is to excell at everything. Instead of considering the Gefell m295's I could get a pair of M300's and then a single KM54. Still a bit pricey but would probably be two nice options.

[Audy O]

Originally Posted by Sean Holland

M300 matched pair with the ORTF bar.
The only thing I have available for you to listen to is at
http://tinyurl.com/dv7t8

Thanks much for the listen, great for a quick setup! Sounds like these are serious contenders for stereo recording.

I love my KM54s. For strummed steel string acoustic, they're hard to beat. No EQ, no special pres needed, just natural, detailed and clear without any mid-range "hardness." Their weakness is with soft finger picked guitar where the source is
very soft and their self-noise becomes an issue, especially if you want to back them away from the guitar a bit.

A couple of engineer friends also told me the Audio Technica 4051a is a serious contender for acoustic. Anyone have one?

This has been a great discussion...thanks to all.

Audy O

[waxnsteel]

M300's
Have em. Love em. Acoustic guitar goodness.

[C/G]

If you don't want to throw down for a KM54, try a Gefell M582. Very similar. The Gefell uses a nickel capsule like the KM54. Some people say they are a tad noisy but I have never had an issue with them. They are my favorite mics. You can also modify them to fit other gefell threaded capsules. I paid about $850 each including a brand new ultra clean power supply.

[squeegybug]

Originally Posted by Audy O

A couple of engineer friends also told me the Audio Technica 4051a is a serious contender for acoustic. Anyone have one?

I chose a pair of AT4051a over the M300s. Both are similar IMO, smooth midrange with a slightly "rich" character, good off-axis response. I use the AT as well as Avenson as my main mics for acoustic guitars of all kinds.

Steve

[Cornvalley]

I have the 295's and I use them exclusively for the nylon string guitbox. It was a Fletcher recomendation I read somewhere so I tried them out. About the best purchase I have ever made. The upper frequencies are represented perfectly for my taste for an instrument that is this tonally complex. I mean....flesh and fingernail plucking tightly strung shafts of plastic resonating a chamber made of wood and glue needs a mic capable of certain kind of magic. It delivers that.

I own/ed pairs of M300's and 4051's along with SM81's.
And have A/B'ed all to KM184's.


The 4051's were hard to sell.
I liked them a lot.
However, the 81's sound identical to my ears.

The M300's I will never sell.
They are much sweeter on the top than either of the above mentioned.
There is something more to these mics than just being good.
They have magic.
They have great focus yet seem to soften in a way.

I think all these mics beat the 184. Some more than others.

Good luck!!!



David

[Improv]

I love the 295 on flute, clarinet, pretty much any woodwind. Has a nice air about it but still solid mids.

I've had mixed results using it on cymbals. Hat sounded awful, but it was quite nice once on a ride for a gospel tune. We only have one, so i can't offer an opinion on stereo use.

[Paul David]

Originally Posted by MichaelT

Thanks for the replies thus far. I'm very picky about my acoustic guitar sounds and after doing a lot of thread searching on acoustic mics, these peaked my interest. Ofcourse much more money, but the Neumann KM54's also look nice. I need for whatever mic it is to excell at everything. Instead of considering the Gefell m295's I could get a pair of M300's and then a single KM54. Still a bit pricey but would probably be two nice options.

How about a stereo pair of Phantom C's? Or a Phontom C and a m300? Or 221 b's?

[MichaelT]

Originally Posted by Paul David

How about a stereo pair of Phantom C's? Or a Phontom C and a m300? Or 221 b's?

The options are endless!