R1 Active Mk3 : I am very happy with this mic!

I mainly record my own songs etc as a hobby at home. When it comes to electric guitar, I always have trouble getting a nice sound that's not too trebly with my SM57 or NT5, and this mic finally gets what I want. The sound is smooth and beautiful, and I've also found that I have to spend less time on mic positioning to get a sound I like.

I'm also glad to have the pad and high-pass filter, both of which have big, easy-to-use switches.

One thing that does bug me slightly is that rotating the mic through its cradle is awkward or impossible with a cable in it (depending on your cable), meaning I have to sort that aspect of the positioning first. Maybe I'm missing something obvious!

The packaging is very padded, and the storage/carrying case that comes with the mic is nice.

Lastly, the microphone is beautiful, nice and weighty in the hand (for me that's a plus, though some may prefer lighter mics!), and stunning to look at it. Not very important for the recording process itself, maybe, but very much appreciated!