I don't run C4s, but with my Oktavas, I leave the pads in if it's a band (assuming guitar amp(s), drum kit, bass amp, keyboard amp). I recorded David Lauzon last year (on-stage, about 3' from his amps, one a Dr. Z Maz 38 Sr with a 2x12, the other a 2x10 or 2x12 Rivera) with the pads off, though, and the mics didn't get overloaded (it was a tiny venue, without a PA, and his stage sound filled the room pretty well). (One problem with the Oktavas, though: you have to take the mics apart to take the pads out. Because of this, I tend to err on the side of caution and leave them in almost all the time.)
Aloha,
Brad