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28 Jan 02 - 03:24 PM (#637285) Subject: Best Affordable Mic From: GUEST,SlickerBill I'm getting into home recording, and have been using SM 58's until now. I'm interested in checking out better mics, but not sure where to start. Anyone got any advice on an affordable mic that would be a step or two up from the 58? AKG offer a good alternative? What models and makes have worked for you? We're talking small, 8 track digital home studio. SB |
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28 Jan 02 - 03:52 PM (#637309) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: GUEST,roundthehouse@worldnet.att.net Hi Bill This question really depends on whether you are recording instrumentals or vocals and your needs may be different if you are also going to use the mic for performing Every voice and instrument sounds different with different mics. You can go to any good audio store and try some of them out to see what you like. I personally think a Shure 58 is not a great vocal mic, though it is ok with instruments. I have an AKG C525 (?not sure if I got the # right) and I love it. Just this weekend I had a show in a big auditorium with a really great sound technician who suggested I sing into a SM87 (a great mic). After comparing, we both agreed the AKG was the best with my voice. He told me that he had not found it was best with other voices he tried it on. Conclusion.... you just have to listen. Good Luck, Claire |
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28 Jan 02 - 08:07 PM (#637462) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: Justa Picker For home recordings of acoustic instruments, the AKG C1000S is a very nice condensor. Runs around $160.00 |
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28 Jan 02 - 08:28 PM (#637477) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: GUEST,SlickerBill It's the vocals I'm most concerned with. I really tend to belt it out, at least for the upbeat stuff, and I've found the 58 just doesn't seem to give a good result. I was wondering about the AKG's so thanks for the recommendations; I'll give em a try. I've also read something about an AKG c900 for about $250. Anyone else got any advice? SB |
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28 Jan 02 - 09:52 PM (#637536) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: RichM Large-condensor mics, either cardioid or omni,do a nice job. Examples are Audiotechnica 4033, rode NT1 or NT2,and many others. Large-condensor mics have a wide field of pick up. I use a 4033(cardioid) live, and have used the rode NT1 (also cardioid) to record guitar and mandolin duets. |
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28 Jan 02 - 10:45 PM (#637561) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: Murray MacLeod All the advice on this thread is obviously going to be personal opinion. FWIW my opinion is that the Sennheiser e835 is a really nice vocal mike. I can't rememember how much it cost me but I am pretty sure it was under $100. It is way, way superior to the SM58 for vocals on stage, maybe a condenser would be better for recording purposes. Murray |
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29 Jan 02 - 04:25 AM (#637687) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: AKS Have a look at Cyberstore Thomann's Hot Deals (www.thomann.de). Right now they seem to offer AKG's C3000B at 309 € / 193 £ (c. 240 $?), which is not a bad price for a studio mic. AKS |
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29 Jan 02 - 12:59 PM (#638010) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: GUEST,SlickerBill Great. thanks folks. SB |
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29 Jan 02 - 01:08 PM (#638018) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: McGrath of Harlow All the advice so far has been in terms of particular models. It'd also be handy to have someone advise about what sort of mike might be best for different situations - a single person singing and playing, or a small group etc. Or with different levels of tape recorder.
I mean, to use an analogy, before you get into deciding what sort of guitar you want to try to get hold of, it's advisable to decide whether you actually really want a guitar rather than a mandolin or a fiddle. |
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29 Jan 02 - 06:38 PM (#638231) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: NicoleC I'm not sure how "affordable" you mean, but for belters I was always fond of an RE20. You can usually pick them up used for about $400. They seem to last forever and can handle being dropped down a stairwell or two ;) They also travel well. In the same (used) price range is the C414. Not quite as durable but much smaller, and a great all-around mic for vocal-range instruments like strings, piano, acoustic guitar, etc. Plays nicely with digital. They don't suit everyone's voice, though, as they tend to reveal every little detail (good or bad!) I would definately try to do some borrowing and/or renting of mics to play with before you buy. |
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29 Jan 02 - 07:30 PM (#638279) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: Cap't Bob I have a number of shure mic's that work quite well with our PA system. However, when I try to use them on my TASCAM 424 mkII I have to turn the gain up about as high as it will go. These are HI Z mic's and I have been told that I need an impedance matching transformer to connect them to the TASCAM. So far I have been unable to find any such matching transformer. My question is: Do these things exist and if so where can a person buy them? ANYONE HAVE A CLUE? Cap't Bob |
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29 Jan 02 - 08:00 PM (#638303) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: NicoleC Radio Shack's got 'em, or at least they used to at the nicer ones. |
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29 Jan 02 - 08:03 PM (#638308) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: McGrath of Harlow $400 affordable? Wow. |
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29 Jan 02 - 08:21 PM (#638327) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: NicoleC In my (brief) stint as a studio engineer I recall gleefully dropping mics into milk crates with nary a care. It wasn't until later when I was buying my own equipment that I realized that many of those mics cost $3k and up, and none of them were even considered expensive. (Nor was this a particularly nice studio, as pro studios go. "Budget pro.") Fortunately I never broke one! |
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30 Jan 02 - 12:09 PM (#638694) Subject: RE: Best Affordable Mic From: GUEST,SlickerBill As I understand it, the really nice studio condensers get unbelievably expensive; around 4-5 grand in Canada, and up! By affordable, I guess I mean up to $400, though really something in the $2-300 range is probably what I'm most interested in, given my set up. The travel considerations and performance applications are great points to consider. I know I've had gigs where I was given "half" a 58 to sing into; ie the top of the mic was gone and the guts of the mic were totally exposed. Mmmm. sounded terrific. SB |