Choir Recording Advice Needed (microphone choice)

Hi everyone
I need advice from more experienced people.
The situation is like this:

1 – I need to record a choir.
2 – I a cheap guy on a low budget.
3 – My soundcard have just 2 inputs.

So, I need two condensers, probably small diaphragm and probably a matched pair.
From what I can afford I made a list:
BEHRINGER C2 STEREOSET – 55 Euros
THE T .BONE EM800 STEREO -SET – 66 Euros
SAMSON C02 PAIR – 93 Euros
THE T .BONE SC140 STEREOSET – 93 Euros
SONTRONICS STC -1S – 265 Euros
MXL 603SPR STEREO SET – 275 Euros
RODE NT5 -MP – 285 Euros

For now to me the most appealing seems to be the t.bone SC140 Stereo Set because all the useful gizmos… but there is a clear sound difference between this and Rode NT5 -MP.
Rode NT5 -MP have a cleaner, clear crispier sound.
Opinions and advices are warmly welcomed.

I strongly recommend this matched pair: OKTAVA MK 012 -01 MSP2 MATCHED PAIR (price: 299 EURO )

I used them several times for drums (overhead mics), Leslie cabinet, guitar amps and so on. I think they could do your job with very good results! Don`t even think about buying the T-Bones… there are much more better ways to waste your money, trust me! The sound and the mics as such are far away from any professional standard! Better leave it! The microphones made by Rode are also very good, but I only know the large diaphragm condensers, but I could imagine that the small condenser mics are outstanding microphones as well!

Hope I could help you somehow…

Good luck for your job!

Best wishes,

Ulf

Thanks for the answer.
I’m a Oktava fan myself. I have a MK 319 and I’m very happy with it. All my trumpets and acoustic guitars are recorded with it.
The only problem is that I’m on a low budget for now and Oktava set is more expensive. Another problem is that “out of the box”, the t-bone set have everything. I just put on a stand (one stand not two) and press “record”. With the other mics I have to get the stand adapters, get eventually a stereo bar or get two microphone stands… etc…etc… and all that add more money to the price.
If I would have more money I wouldn’t give a second thought. I would buy Oktava.



.... or Rode NT5

Hey, Mihai Rode NT5 is a good mic, will do the job if you are on a low budget. Ideally, if you can find Sehnneiser. Just don’t use Samson or Behringer!!!

Thanks for the answer soundroll. I was thinking the same about Behringer but I didn’t know about Samson anything.
Any idea about t.bone SC140 ? I’ve read some reviews and some people says that it’s a copy of Rode NT5 . On Thomann site they have some sound examples and I can hear the difference between those two. Is it real or just a marketing trick to sell the 285 Euro mic instead of 93 Euro mic ?

Really don’t know about tbone didn’t use it, Mihai. But Rode NT5 pair for sure is a good choice, I used it and many others Rode mic’s. I also tried Behringer and Samson – don’t buy it.

I also tried Behringer and Samson – don’t buy it.

I also tried Behringer and Samson – don’t buy it.

If this is one of the rules that makes your mixes to sound that good, then it’s a rule to follow
Thanks.

Thanks, Mihai,

Behringer and Samson – you can use their tools for PA and home studios (like mixers, DI’s and etc), but definitely not the microphones.

Once I took from someone and tried to record some vocalist with Behringer and Samson mic’s – didn’t recognize the vocalist after recording lol

That’s a good one.