Mics

franknputer · Post by **franknputer** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:40 am

Another one - http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=270775

The local NPR station has several of these, & I was truly blown away by how great they sound for a sub-$100 condenser! We've used them on all kinds of stuff & they always sound good.

aabuniaj · Post by **aabuniaj** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:01 pm

thank you guys a lot for your responses. It sounds to me so far a lot of people recommended SM57 as a starting mic. I'm not professional and that's why i'm asking for that range. I'm new at recording and would like to have a starting mic and when I feel comfortable, I will start looking for a better mic. Another idea which Hoitabuam suggested which was getting some mics and try them out and see which one sounds better.

thanks again you've been very helpful.

SubFunk · Post by **SubFunk** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:07 pm

adi wrote:an SM57 is a mic that should be your first mic, as well as being a mic that will never leave your collection. even if you move onto bigger and better vocal mics, the 57 will still have plenty of uses that will bring you back to it.

+1 it is an essential mic in every mic collection.

dazzer · Post by **dazzer** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:52 pm

So, when I bought an SM58 as my first and only mic, did I make the wrong choice?

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:24 pm

dazzer wrote:So, when I bought an SM58 as my first and only mic, did I make the wrong choice?

A 58 is a great first mic if you're a singer and you are going to be playing live. It's the most common stage microphone on earth.

No. You didn't make the wrong choice. It's just that the 57 is a bit more versatile for recording.

Buttt... just as the plastic grill on a 57 will break off if you drop it, the wire grill on a 58 will surely dent if you drop it. Once the grill is dented on a 58, the acoustic space around the mic capsule is altered, and so is the sound quality of the mic. There are plenty of great cheap mics out there that are every bit as good or better than a 57 or 58. Times have changed. Shures have gotten worse and the competition has gotten much better.

Plus, it really turns me off that Shure recently raised the cost of a 57 from $89 to $99. They make soooo much profit off of those things it's not funny.

MathematiK I · Post by **MathematiK I** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:25 pm

SM57,58 for rounding edges ...essential mics...
SM81 is sweet for OH.
beta57 very bright... good for horns and some peoples voice....
but... I recommend from the bottom of my heart the Shure KSM-44 as a good all around tool.It is a very neutral sounding large D condencer very good for getting detailed recordings, (which you can then mangle with live...hehehe),
it's probabely the only mic I'll hold on to since it sounds very TRUE, not flattering... very detailed highs it also has figure8 and omni modes, bass rolloff and HP which make it a very versatile tool, I'll probabely get me another one...
rode NTs are very nice sounding but have always felt a little fragile to me
I like the AKG 535 alot - very warm very good for vocal and percussion...
anyway you have to go and try them before you purchase...
Some advice: get at least 1 dynamic and 1 condenser mics, and invest in a good condenser, take your time picking the one you like it's gonna be your best friend for years to come

hope this helps...
Cheers
MI

knotkranky · Post by **knotkranky** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:28 pm

SubFunk wrote:i like often a Shure SM 57 for 'upfront sounding in your face' vocals, apart from that it is a brilliant 'allrounder' and a must have in any Mic collection. also build sturdy like a tank.

otherwise a little higher in price but a very good Mic is the ADK Vienna.
it's also a nice 'allrounder' well worth in my opinion to save up and grab it, check websites for offers.

+1

Sound garden's Superunknown record was sung through a 57 with Cornell sitting on the couch in the control room, in front of the big monitors.

dazzer · Post by **dazzer** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:00 pm

@sales dude

Cheers, made me feel better. I use it for voice, occasional perc, my recordings sound fine so I'm happy with it.

franknputer · Post by **franknputer** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:21 pm

The SM57 & SM58 are really the same mic capsule. The difference is in the housing - the 58 has a pop filter, the 57 does not; the ball on the 58 provides slightly more distance from the capsule, so there's a less-pronounced proximity effect (where the lows get boosted as you get closer to the mic diaphragm), and the high end is a bit different.

If you look at their frequency graphs, though, you'll see they're not that different:

Either one will suit you well, although if can only have one & you plan on singing, you might consider the 58 first since it has the pop filter built in.

Hoitabuam · Post by **Hoitabuam** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:27 pm

Hello aabuniaj,
lot of tips, each is good. But with mics it's like with woman. Some have ugly ones but they fit together, others have fat ones and so on. Means that the mic has to fit to your voice and musical style. I tried some shures and some sennheisers. For me (deeper voice) sennheiser 865 was the best, sounds even better than our expensive AKG Studio mic (with my voice)...

dhilsabeck · Post by **dhilsabeck** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 7:11 pm

i recall reading in sound on sound that the Audio Technica AT2020 is among the best $100ish (usd) cardioid mics out there.

sorry, no link handy.

cheers,
drew

edit-
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb06/a ... at2020.htm

philipbarrett · Post by **philipbarrett** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:36 pm

I'm voting for the SM57 too, just be shure (heh-heh) and get a windshield with it.

PB

4ace · Post by **4ace** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:46 pm

www.apexelectronics.com

I have an old 420 condenser mic and the freakin thing sound great for the price.

It combined with a 57 for vox is killer.

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:40 pm

Another little tid-bit I'd like to throw in is that mics tend to sound like what they look like. So if you see a mic and you think its look is going to sound like what you're going for, then have at it.

philipbarrett · Post by **philipbarrett** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:50 pm

Sales Dude McBoob wrote:So if you see a mic and you think its look is going to sound like what you're going for, then have at it.

Then this one should sound awesome!

PB