Good mic for acoustic instruments

This mic is a good value. I use these to mic acoustic string instruments such as fiddle, banjo, and guitar in traditional Irish and old time Appalachian music groups. With ensembles like this I need mics that will pick up the instrument from a distance of several inches because most of the musicians I work with don't like to be real close to the mic. And I want a mic that transmits a clean acoustic sound. Because I need several mics - I have as many as 8 musicians on stage at a time - I needed something that was solid, reliable, and affordable. The PG81 met all of those criteria and has reasonable good sound quality. I wouldn't use this mic to record a solo instrument. I have better mics for that. But it's great for micing individual instruments in a large group.

shure pg81

great on hi hats.thats it!!!!!!!!

Good mic for the price

The PG81 is the cheapest condenser mic I would recommend, but it does a pretty decent job for its price class. They can be very brittle up high and are extremely touchy, but properly set up, they can do a good job with acoustic instruments at a medium distance. I've used them successfully above pairs of violins, and on woodwinds. Not recommended for use on anything with high SPL.

I own a couple

I also have them from the mic pack.... I use them as additional mics for the hat and ride on my kit. I'm truly not a fan. Almost to the point that I've removed them and opted to use large diaphram condensers for this purpose...

Guitar/Strings; YES! Cymbals? No!

I got a pair of these with Shure's PG-6 Drum Mic Pack. For my taste, I think they are too sharp, brittle, and hollow in the upper range. You can live with them, but you won't want to "crank it up...". In order to achieve any kind of air, because their pattern is really tight, I end up using other mics as room mics even in bright spaces. Long story short, take 'em on the road for acoustic guitar or strings or even as scab-labor vocal mics...but don't use them as primary overheads!

PG81

Good value per money mic. I´ve recorded upright piano solo and it sounds quite good for home recording.It is rugged, well designed mic.The only grievance is stupid instruction to place mic. 2-15 cm far from the piano strings (sounds bad).My experience is that best sound can be obtained 25-30 cm from strings and with 2 mics. of course ( stereo sounds better in my opinion).

Shure PG-81 review

I bought this microphone to record a grand piano. I don't think it sounds any better than a $29.00 Radio Shack Mic I have. Maybe it's just not designed for this application but recordings made with it are flat and lifeless.