This microphone is a classic dynamic cardiod microphone. It is used for a lot of recording applications. I have seen studios that use it for almost every kind of drum, for guitar cabinets, for vocals (though rarely), and even for other things like maracas. It is also an extremely common microphone that people use for broadcasting. If you have ever watched a televised radio show, there's a very good chance that this is what they are talking into.

OVERALL OPINION

I have seen this mic around and have used it various places for many years. It is not a new mic, but it has definitely stood the test of time because it is still in heavy use today after all these years. I like that it's got a very distinct sound. It's a dynamic mic so it isn't too trebly. It rolls off the low end so it is good for combatting proximity effect. That is probably a reason it is so common in broadcast where people are talking right up to the grill of it and there are a lot of plosives in their speech. It handles transients very well so people like to use it on drums a lot of the time. Even though it rolls off low end, it still manages to make kick drums sound nice and bassy. My guitarist likes to use this in combination with a condenser mic in the studio to record his guitar amp. A couple of negative things is that they have a fixed polar pattern, so that limits your options. Also this is not a very bright sounding microphone, so it is not that well suited to a lot of things that have a lot of high pitched sound. I have seen a lot of microphones, and this one is a classic. Most studios I have been to had at least one, it seems like it's a staple. They are not very expensive relatively, so they are definitely a good value.