PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Microphone suggestions

Hi Everyone, I'm looking for a good sounding but inexpensive home studio mic. My budget is below $200. I'm not exactly sure what Audio Interface I will be getting, but I have heard that you need to match your mic with the AI because some GOOD mics can sound really bad when paired with the wrong Audio Interface. Is this correct?

I've done a search on Amazon, just to get an idea of what's around in the way of mics, so I'll mention a few of the ones I'm curious about:
AKG Perception 2020 and 2040 (Condenser mic)
Shure SM57 AND 58 (Dynamic mics)
Senheiser studio mics ... a few to choose from

I know that Shure makes some really great mics as in the SM57 / 58 and 58s, and Rhode make good mics as well, but these are Dynamic mics. Do people use a Dynamic mic in a small home recording instead of a Condenser mic? My recordings will mostly be in the form of R&B, Country and Pop, MIDI and a few acoustic instruments . NO heavy rock vocals.

Is it possible to get a really great sounding mic for under $200? Suggestions most welcome.

Thanks in advance for your input,
Dome

Dome, what kind of soundcard do you have? And do you own a mixer with phantom power? We need to know what you have before we can best spend your money!

I prefer condenser mics, and the best one I have used for around $200 is the Rode NT1a.

I also think a separate preamp can work wonders, even on a lesser expensive mic including the Shure SM-58 (a dynamic mic). It will put you over budget, but I really like the performance of this preamp: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VTB1/

Hi Matt, Thanks for the quick reply. At the moment I have virtually nothing in the way of sound recording gear. All I have is my new computer that I built --- it has a couple of PCI slots as well as a couple of PCIe slots. My sound card for the computer at the moment for DVD watching is an Asus DX PCI sound card, which I put in my new computer build just so I could have better sound than the on-board sound on the Motherboard. Now that BIAB is on its way to me (I bought the Audiophile Edition, by the way), I'll be using my new computer exclusively as a DAW. I also have a dedicated Gigabyte video card (not that this matters when it comes to audio gear).

So, basically, as far as hardware goes, I'm starting from scratch except for the following:

- Newly built computer running Win7 64 bit Ultimate
- Roland A90 EX Master controller MIDI keyboard.

Hope this helps,
Dome

Hi again Matt, Thanks also for that link to SweetWater and that mic pre-amp. Looks like a nice little pre. I'll check it out a lot closer later tonight.
Cheers,
Dome

If you're recording space is pretty small and without acoustic treatment I would suggest sticking with an sm58.

Some good suggestions already, here.

I go with Scott on the Shure SM57/58. It's been an industry standard for decades and it can cope with most tasks.

As far as condensers go, Matt's Rode NT1a is excellent and there are some good offerings from Audio-Technica which might come into your price range.

We use Focusrite audio interfaces, basically because we really like their pre-amps, but they can get expensive.

ROG.

Hey rockstar_not and ROG, thanks for the suggestions. I have a small room that I'll be using to record in. At the moment, it has NO room treatment in the way of acoustic foam or anything else. I will however soon be building a small vocal recording booth inside that room, and then eventually padding the room out to make it acoustically viable.

I've read a lot of good things about the Shure SM 58, as well as the Rode mic that Matt mentioned. I kinda had a leaning towards the Shure SM 58, simply because of its long history and great all -round performance. I'll be checking out the Audio Technica mics that you mentioned in the next day or so. Everything was going a bit slow for me for a while there but now I'm going full bore to get what I need by the end of the year and start making some music.

Rog, thanks for the tip on the Focusrite Audio interfaces. I have read many positive reviews on them but the only thing that concerns me is that many users have commented on the latency problem with them. Yet, I have read other users reviews and they are very happy, with no latency issues, with their latency being around 5ms on average. I have a Texas Instrument Firewire port on my Gigabyte motherboard, so I know any Focusrite AI should work with this. ROG, what's your personal take on the latency of the Focusrite interfaces? I'm keen to know before I dive in.

Many thanks again for all your input,
Cheers,
Dome

Hi Dome.

We've never had a problem with latency on the Focusrites. They all have facilities for direct monitoring, but to be honest we find the latency to be so low that we don't bother with that.

I know that there are a few more Focusrite devotees here and I'm sure some of them will wade in when they see this. The mic pre-amps are simply superb.

ROG.

The only issue I have with Focusrite that I have experience with, which is the Saffire 24 Pro DSP, is that the mixer applet that comes with it is pretty confusing to me. I basically was allowed to use this for free from my workplace. I had it for a couple of months, with probably 3 or 4 hours of time trying to get it setup properly for my simple monitoring situation. These 3 or 4 hours were probably split into 3 different sessions over those couple of months. That's about the amount of time I have access to my 'studio' at certain times of the year due to family visits to our house.

Before I really got the hand of it, my laptop that had firewire capability died and then I couldn't use the Saffire any longer.

I'm sure I would have eventually got it working to my satisfaction but I do recall that rather complicated mixer application as a point of frustration.

There were some great features that I wanted to take advantage of like the Virtual Room Monitoring stuff and to see how quiet the preamps were.

Back to the mic:

The reason for my suggestion with the SM58 with the room question is that the SM58 will be significantly less sensitive to off-axis sound than most condenser microphones. Why does this matter at home in a small untreated room? You'll pick up less sound reflected off walls, floor and ceiling than with the condenser - meaning you will have more direct field sound recorded with the SM, and then you can treat it in the DAW software.

This has been my home recording microphone journey:

1. First mic I had access to, but wasn't mine: Sennheiser MD-421 dynamic. Loved the mic, had to return it to the rightful owner
2. CAD M-177 Large Diaphragm Condenser: Great mic, still have it - used to be the only mic in my arsenal
3. Cascade Fat-Head ribbon microphone: Thought I would use it for M/S recordings, but I didn't have a pre-amp that could supply enough quiet gain for it, and the whole M/S processing is a hassle in the DAW. Sold it after I won this next mic
4. EV PL80a Dynamic mic: This is designed to be a competitor to the SM58. It has a little more gain than an SM58, built like a tank, and has become my preferred home recording mic. I won this in a local music store drawing.
5. Samson Q2U dynamic mic - looks like an SM 58, but has a 16 bit USB audio interface built in. Got it at Target department store on clearance as part of a recording pack with a set of circumaural headphones. Cost to me was $39 total for the mic and headphones. I will use this mic in concert with the EV for stereo micing of my acoustic guitar.

Since I've gotten the EV and the Samson, I haven't used the CAD condenser - I can simply make better recordings with these rather cheap dynamic microphones at home, than I can the CAD - at least on the fly, in whatever room I can use. I will still use the CAD for close-micing my voice in my makeshift booth that I have.

Here's some comparisons of the two microphones in a double-tracked acoustic guitar recording I did to kind of do a 'shootout' between them, recorded just sitting on the couch in my living room: http://rockstarnot.rekkerd.org/misc/demos/StereovsDoubleTrackAcousticDemo/

I have 2 SM58s and 2 SM57s, and I like the sound of the 58 for vocals better than my MXL 990 condenser mic. It just seems "richer" somehow. I will use the condenser and the 57 for "gang vocals" when I want to sing the same parts in unison as if there was a group singing together, just to give the supporting vocals a slightly different timbre. The 57 seems to translate more of the bottom end and sounds deeper, so I get that effect when needed. Otherwise I use the 57s on drums. Watch the resale sites and browse the used gear on Guitar Center's web page. I found the MXL for 39 bucks on Guitar Center.

There is always a selection of mics to choose from.

At first it doesn't matter which mic you will use -- if you use it right.

Any microphone that is not omni directional, in other words any microphon that has a directional effect (mostly one form of cardioid), will pick up lower frequencies more the closer the source of sound is to the diaphragm. Some will say (as Eddie for instance) it has a richer sound. There is nothing wrong with that.

In the end: if you have chosen a microphone use it with somebody else evaluating the sound of your natural voice and your mic'd voice. When the other person says that both sound the same then you have your settings right. These settings include equalizer settings and -- very important -- the distance of your lips to the micrphone. If you're getting too close to the mic it will create sort of a booming sound on the recording, a quality that you probably don't want to have.

Before messing with equalizer settings, start with the distance mouth to mic.

Good points as far as the distance from mouth to mic. Also important is technique. It is important that as you sing you keep that distance consistent or you will be doing gain leveling across sections of the track. I speak from experience. When I do a reference vocal track I do it sitting at the keyboard holding the mic. That can make for variation of up to an inch here and there and it makes the levels go up and down like a roller coaster. When I do the real vocal take I am in a booth and there is nowhere to move so I am able to keep a consistent distance. Make sure as you test mics you apply all of the above. It is great advice to have another set of ears test you natural voice vs the way it sounds coming out of the mic.

I love this company and their mics. CAD

Later,

WOW! What a GREAT response. Sincere thanks to everyone for the excellent tips and suggestions. And Elvis made it all look so easy!..... Yeah, right! Looks like I have my mission cut out for me. If I can manage it financially, I would like to get two mics. Guess I'll be visiting the music stores and testing a few and scouring the re-sale sites for a cheaper option than buying new. Whichever mic I decide to buy, I'll make certain it's authentic and not a knock - off. Thanks for the tip on fake SM58's, Don.

ROG, just a question on the Focusrites: From a few user reviews I've read about the Saffire Pro 26 / Pro 40, it seems that a lot of users run into trouble and can't get enough gain without pushing the preamps to the max (well above 7 and to around 9) when using Dynamic microphones like the Shure SM58, Rodes et al. According to those users, there seems to be not enough dB pad for the gain. Have you had this kind of problem using the Saffire Pro series while using a Dynamic mic like the SM58, for example? The thing is that I have limited amount of $$$$$ to spend on studio gear, and I don't want to blow a wad of bills on an Audio Interface, for instance, and then find I'm running into trouble with it because the gain is inadequate and the preamps are too noisy because I have to increase the gain. I just want to buy something that is rock-solid and stable with very good preamps that will last me for many years to come. Any input on this is most welcome.

Cheers,
Dome

Hi Dome,

I got tired of the gain issue with my EMU interface and my SM58 and bought a Gauge ECM-87 and I love it. Great sound. Low noise. Requires phantom power. $149 comes with case and pop screen.

http://www.gauge-usa.com/Gauge_Microphones/Specifications.html


Also a couple of people on here use the Blue Yeti which is a USB mic and sounds great.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/blue-yeti-usb-microphone?src=3WWRWXGP


Good luck in your search.

Hi Dome.

No problems with gain at all. If anything, we find that there's almost too much gain with some condenser mics. The noise performance is so good in any case, that running the gain up high wouldn't be a problem either.

Of course, a lot will depend on the mic and how it's used. Having a decent signal to start with is all important.

ROG.

His Sundance, thanks for you microphone suggestion. I added that to my list. Heard one of your songs on youtube the other night. Lovely voice and beautiful graphics. Hope I can find more of your songs to listen to.

ROG, thanks for that extra input regarding the gain on the Saffire. I was ready to slap down the cash for a Saffire two days ago, but the sales guy told me point - blank that it ain't gonna work with a PC. Disappointed? You bet!

I'll be posting my question regarding this "No go" in another thread.



- Dome

Dome, regarding the interface, if you are in the US, I highly suggest buying it from Sweetwater. Ask to speak to a PC recording specialist when you call. They normally will not steer you wrong and their return policy is nearly bulletproof for the customer.

The local salesperson may or may not know what they are talking about. Ask for very specific details when they tell you something like that.

Which Saffire model was it - a firewire model or a USB model? Not too many PC laptops these days come spec'ed with firewire ports.

All of my reading tells me that almost any mic can produce good sound if you know how to use it. Something I am still learning a lot about. I personally right now am using the AT2020 based on a recommendation from one of the online sound tutorial companies and have found it to be a pretty good mic especially for the money. Of course when it comes to recording good is in the ear of the beholder. I am running through a Tascam US-1800 and have been pretty pleased with it. I can get the gain I want without creating alot of noise.

You may want to look at some of the Roland USB interfaces as well. They normally do a good job with keeping their drivers up to date.

In regard to the interface you have already seen mention of pre-amps and the importance of those but also make sure you do your research on drivers. Some companies do a much better job of supporting their drivers than others. The equipment becomes almost useless if you don't have drivers that will work with it. I have several PCI cards but have definitely found I like the external USB interface better.

I have also found it very helpful when researching to go to the big online sites, look up the device I am considering and read through the user reviews to see how other people have liked devices after purchasing.

Good luck, you already have made a good decision with your purchase of BIAB.