This dynamic mic can be used for both studio and live settings, both with ease and great variety. They are arguably the most widely used mics out there right now. If you've used microphones before, chances are you've used one of these. While one might think that this makes it seem less special or somehow worse, you'd be surprised. While they are rarely,if ever, the best choice for recording any instrument, they're never the worst. For bands who play live, these are invaluable. I don't know of anyone who'd disagree. You can use them on horns, guitar amps, bass amps, keyboard amps, some percussion, and all vocals, and pretty much anything else that can be miked and played live. All of these uses will sound pretty good with these mics. As far as studio use, I've seen someone use them in the studio on an acoustic guitar and vocals as well, since they were in a punk rock band looking for a raw, unpolished sound. The results were pretty impressive in that respect.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, as I said, the mic is never the best choice for recording, but if you're a college student like me on a shoestring budget, you can make do with these. Considering that I tend to record a lot of my own music in a pretty lo-fi manner, I think that having a few of these is a great thing, especially if most of what you do is rock music. The raw sound helps give rock recording the raw edge they need. Save buying Royers and Neumanns for when you have the money to spend on quality gear. Again, if you're in a band and you don't play shows using these mics, I don't know what you're doing. They're hands down the most versatile, and for the price, you can't beat them at all. I've tried everything in the price range and haven't had anything that comes close in terms of sound quality of durability. They're virtually indestructible. I've had mine for almost 7 years and they haven't gotten any worse or broken or anything. There's a reason people continue to buy them. I'd highly recommend buying them a hundred times over.