I ran the SP C4s for quite a while they were my starter taper mics. I didn't think they were nearly as bright as other bargain mics like MXL and stuff in that range.
C4's are one of the more balanced "cheap" mics for sure, it's why I like em. I like bright, just not harsh bright like a lot of bargain stuff.
I would suggest trying to find some used AKG ck61 & ck63 caps. They would cost more, but be an upgrade. They are harder to find since they have been discontinued.
That AKG sizzle. Will strongly consider these one day, I find them to be bright but smooth, no? I wonder why they would discontinue these...
If you're willing to live without the hyper pattern, you might consider Line Audio mics. See my signature for many samples and reviews of their amazing quality for the price, including comparison against Schoeps.
With the euro tanking, you can get a pair right now for under $270 shipped to the US. So you could get a pair each of C4 cardioid and Omni1 for $500, and the sound quality would probably beat most anything out there until you double the price.
Good point, pretty crazy that the global economy can help our taping budgets haha. I've heard they're pretty backed up on orders, is that still true? I'm interested in these, they seem to be held in high regard in the studio world. I've looked at these a bunch on youtube, including head to head comps with schoeps and I found them to be pleasant and a bit bright (not in a bad way). Didn't have the defined mids (and low mids) of schoeps but who does? I'll have to listen to some concert stuff in your links, especially the quieter non-amplified examples. the lack of hypers isn't ideal, but the more you think about it, the situations where one uses hypers (amplified shitty clubs/venues) doesn't necessarily benefit a significant amount from high end mics IMO. Just last night I ran my at853rx hypers into mp2 (great budget combo imo) at hi dive (small "dive" club), managed to finagle a mono sbd feed and I'm VERY pleased with the results. Even if I didn't get the sbd feed, how much better would a mk41 really be? you're at the mercy of the room, soundguy, and your location in the room. plus we went out for a drink afterwards and ended up walking the dark streets with my gear, I felt much better with this basic rig.
I just got done mixing/mastering the headliner, Mamalarky, a nice quirky female-led 4 piece from Texas. Soundguy forgot to switch my sbd feed on before they started, I let him make adjustments to the mix in the room then gently reminded him during the 2nd song haha. You can hear the (albeit subtle) difference when the sbd kicks in during track 2. I've learned to mix sbd's very gently, especially if the mix is a bit off as it almost always is. Track 7 is one of my favs, although I like everything they did.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4jbswl8tamtgqv1/AAAOXLjcLAcK32i3DFmMRQYOa?dl=0