Mic Recommendations for Recording an Car Exhaust
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I'm looking for a microphone mainly for recording car exhausts and could use some recommendations.
I'm aiming for a sound that has a good amount of detail and character, including the deeper exhaust note as well as rasp, higher-frequency texture and smaller mechanical sounds. I don't necessarily need the mic to meet every possible requirement — I'd mainly like something that sounds good on loud cars without easily getting overloaded.
My rough budget is €100–€120, but I could stretch a little if there's something substantially better.
Some microphones I've come across are:
- Audix D4
- Audix D2
- Audix i5
- Shure SM57
- Deity D4 Mini
- Sennheiser MKE 400
- BOYA BY-BM6060
-Audio-Technica AT2020
I'm particularly interested in microphones around 140 dB SPL or higher, but I'd also like a reasonably wide frequency response rather than something that's mainly focused on the mids.
For example, the SM57 seems like a proven option for loud sources, but I'm wondering whether something like the Audix D4/D2 would capture a more complete exhaust sound.
I'm also open to microphones I haven't mentioned.
If you were buying one mic specifically for car exhaust recording in this price range, what would you choose?
I'd especially like to hear from anyone who has actually recorded exhausts and can comment on how the microphones sound in practice, rather than just looking at the specifications.