I've had the Telefunken M80 and M81 about a year now and I have to say they're really great mics. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a different flavor dynamic.
The M81 is warm with an open mid range. There's a little dip in the upper mids and a slight raise in the presence. I really like how this mic captures the mid range. On my V30 cabs it works great on its own or blended with an SM57 or M80. The M80 has a condenser vibe and honestly on my V30 cabs it can take your head off with its top end if not careful
. With V30 I find it functions better as a blending mic. Oddly enough, it sounds absolutely killer as a standalone on my JCM800 g12t75 loaded cab, while I like the M81 less on that speaker. These are older 75's, so that may play a factor.
Neither have a particularly strong proximity effect, so they can get really close to the grill cloth if needed with much less bass build-up. I also feel they do a good job of capturing what your amp really sounds like, with one being a more neutral/slightly warmer representation and the other being a clear and bright representation.
Anyway, here's a quick comparison of them on my V30 loaded Kerry Wright cab. I'm going straight into my EVH 5150III 100S on the red channel with an old neck through Ibanez with an MCP Double D. There's no post processing on the tracks.
Both mics are about 1/2" from the grill cloth. The M81 is just off center of the dustcap (pointed between the center of the dustcap and where the dustcap and cone meet). The M80 is on the cone (about 1/2" beyond the point where the dustcap and cone meet).
The first pass with drums has the the M80 4.6 db lower than the M81. After that it's the same takes only solo'd. Then the M81 tracks solo'd followed by the M80 solo'd. The differences in the mics are pretty apparent. Especially considering the M80 is even further from the center.
https://soundcloud.com/user-602073996/m ... comparison
The M81 is warm with an open mid range. There's a little dip in the upper mids and a slight raise in the presence. I really like how this mic captures the mid range. On my V30 cabs it works great on its own or blended with an SM57 or M80. The M80 has a condenser vibe and honestly on my V30 cabs it can take your head off with its top end if not careful
. With V30 I find it functions better as a blending mic. Oddly enough, it sounds absolutely killer as a standalone on my JCM800 g12t75 loaded cab, while I like the M81 less on that speaker. These are older 75's, so that may play a factor. Neither have a particularly strong proximity effect, so they can get really close to the grill cloth if needed with much less bass build-up. I also feel they do a good job of capturing what your amp really sounds like, with one being a more neutral/slightly warmer representation and the other being a clear and bright representation.
Anyway, here's a quick comparison of them on my V30 loaded Kerry Wright cab. I'm going straight into my EVH 5150III 100S on the red channel with an old neck through Ibanez with an MCP Double D. There's no post processing on the tracks.
Both mics are about 1/2" from the grill cloth. The M81 is just off center of the dustcap (pointed between the center of the dustcap and where the dustcap and cone meet). The M80 is on the cone (about 1/2" beyond the point where the dustcap and cone meet).
The first pass with drums has the the M80 4.6 db lower than the M81. After that it's the same takes only solo'd. Then the M81 tracks solo'd followed by the M80 solo'd. The differences in the mics are pretty apparent. Especially considering the M80 is even further from the center.
https://soundcloud.com/user-602073996/m ... comparison