The Most Versatile Condenser Mics at Any Price: One Producer’s Picks for 5 of the Best All-Purpose LDCs from $150 to $1,500

Best Under $1500: Peluso P87

Once you reach this level of spending, it’s very hard to buy a mic that is going to be “bad” by any stretch of the imagination. But the Peluso P87 is the rare Neumann clone that did stand out—in a good way!

The Peluso P-87 could be used on just about anything and everything, and compares very favorably to a certain iconic mic that retails new for more than twice the price.

Just like the MA-301, the P87 utilizes a range of polar patterns, has a -10 db pad, and high pass filter, and due to the many years of experience of head designer John Peluso, just nails ”that” tone: Silky, creamy, warm, a nice presence in the midrange.

The P-87 is known for its detail and would work on almost anything you’d throw in front of it. In fact, your studio would be off to a great start with a pair of P87’s and little else.

While all of these mics shine for different reasons, it’s important to remember one caveat: How you use the mic itself is going to have a much larger effect on the sound than any feat of engineering on the part of its maker.

So, when at all possible, go test a few mics and hear how they react to your voice, instrument, or room. Special thanks to Jeffrey Ehrenberg, Thomas O’Conor, and Robert Alexander at Vintage King Audio here in Los Angeles for their assistance in testing out these mics.

Leo Maymind is a producer, DJ, and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. He is obsessed with sound and can be reached at lmaymind@gmail.com.

Please note: When you buy products through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.