TromboneChat

Hey y'all,
Just wanted to hear some advice on what you rate mic-wise on a bass trombone whether it colours the sound or provides a near true representation (looking to upgrade my little studio a bit and wanted to hear some opinions!) Considering getting an MD421 to also help cover come tenor recordings as well which I have used in the past and enjoyed, would love to hear some opinions of those who have used it on bass. Also wanted to share my thoughts on a few mics I have recorded on-
SM57 I started off with, very thin sound imo (I know some people it can catch good highs in their sound but lacks the low range punch/warmth for me) lacks a lot of the frequencies I love to catch playing wise.
AT2020 condenser- has a bit of a weird buzzy sound to me, catches a few extra bits of sound to me but also lacks that low end depth and warmth- almost sounds hyped in the high frequencies.
Beta 52a- Used this a while back on a low key big band recording, found it captured the bass frequencies quite well (as you would expect a kick drum mic to do!) but lacked that openness the other mics had, might pair well alongside the others.
Keen to hear your thoughts!

Electro Voice RE20 is a good choice for about the same price as a MD421

From what you describe, a ribbon is probably the way to go. A Royer 121 would perform very nicely, but it's a lot more expensive than a RE20 or MD421. CAD Trion 7000 is a nice ribbon mic for just a little under $500 and can give a rich, warm sound.

I just upgraded to a 121 from an SE X1R. The Royer is fantastic, but the SE is very good, too-I'd check them out if you're not looking to spend a ton of money. The Rode NT1A is also a really good option if you're looking for a large diaphragm condenser, I think they're going for around $250-$300 these days. Very clear and crisp sounding.

If you want an inexpensive ribbon the Cascade Fathead is a great choice. New I think they are around $400 with the upgraded Lundahl transformer.

I use AKG CS 1000 mics or Shure Beta 57a mics. THe do a great job on bass bone, bari, and tuba as well as the rest of brass and woodwinds. The Shure Beta 57a also works really well on percussion.